Notes on Central American Scutellaria (Lamiaceae)

Abstract

Scutellaria ebracteata, in section Cardinalis Epling, from Nicaragua, and S. tenuipetiolata in section Uliginosae Epling, from Costa Rica, are described, and identification keys to section Cardinalis as found in Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica and section Uliginosae as found in Nicaragua and Costa Rica are provided. The identity of Scutellaria nicaraguensis Sess6 & Mocifio is discussed, and the type locality of S. purpurascens var. heterophylla Bentham is clarified and its affinity to other taxa is considered. In the course of preparing treatments of Lamiaceae for the floras of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, specimens representing two new species of Scutellaria were found, significant range extensions of other species were encountered, and two poorly understood names were clarified. Scutellaria ebracteata A. Pool, sp. nov. TYPE: Nicaragua. Depto. de Matagalpa: Macizos de Pefias Blancas, SE side, drainage of Quebrada El Quebradon, slopes N and W of Hacienda San Martin, ca. 13?14-15'N, 85038-39'W, 1000-1400 m, 18-20 Jan. 1982 (fl), W D. Stevens with P Moreno & T Elmquist 21115 (holotype, MO; isotype, HNMN not seen). Figure 1. Species nova Scutellariae glabrae E. Leonard similis sed ab ea corolla purpurea monate, tubi cum galea 2.73.1 mm longa, tubo anguste infundibulari non saccato differt. Weak shrub (or herb), 1-1.5 m, young branches with dense small, curving hairs. Leaves wide-elliptic, elliptic-oblong, or slightly pandurate, short-acuminate to obtuse at apex, rounded to cordate and often slightly asymmetrical at base, 7.7-13.5 cm long, 2.6-7 cm wide, margin sub-entire to serrate, adaxial surface glabrous, abaxial surface glabrous or with minute hairs on primary and secondary veins; medial petioles 1.5-5 cm long, shorter to longer than adjacent internodes. Inflorescence a terminal raceme, 4.5-10 cm long; flowers 15-25, loosely spiraled, pendulous; bracts deciduous prior to anthesis, pedicel 2-3 mm long; calyx 3.5-4.5 mm long, minutely puberulent or glabrous, scutellum 1.2-2 mm high; corolla reddish-purple, tube with galea 2.7-3.1 cm long, tube narrow-funnelform, arcuate, non-saccate, 1-2 mm wide at base to 5-7 mm wide at apex, lower lip 3-5 mm long. Fruiting calyx with lower lip to 5 mm long, scutellum to 4 mm high; nutlets (immature?) tan, nearly smooth. Paratypes. NICARAGUA. Jinotega: Macizos de Pefias Blancas, along trail between finca of Socorro Mejia and finca of Luis Manzanares, ca. 13?16-17'N, 85?40-41'W, 1350-1650 m, cloud forest on gentle to steep slopes, 14 Jan. 1979 (fl buds), W D. Stevens 11339 (HNMN not seen, MO); Fila Piedra Pelona, al S del Cerro Kilamb6, 13?34'N, 85?41'W, 1500-1665 m, bosque enano, 28 Mar. 1981 (young fr), P Moreno 7798 (HNMN not seen, MO); San Ram6n, lado E de las faldas del Cerro Kilamb6, 13?34'N, 85?40'W, 800-900 m, 24 Mar. 1981 (fl), P Moreno 7409 (HNMN not seen, MO); Cerro Kilamb6, falda E del Pico Piedra Pelona, 13?34'N, 85?40'W, 1300-1400 m, bosques htimedos, 28 Mar. 1981 (fl), P Moreno 7784 (HNMN not seen, MO); Kilamb6, Cerro San Pedro, 13?36'N, 85?39'W, 600-800 m, 25 Mar. 1981 (fl buds, young fr), P Moreno 7535 (HNMN not seen, MO); Flor de Liz, al W del Cerro Kilamb6, 13?35'N, 85?40'W, 700-900 m, 24 Mar. 1981 (fl, fr), P Moreno 7430 (MO). Zelaya: Cerro Saslaya a unos 25 km al oeste de Siuna, 1200 m, Oct. 1977 (fl), A. J. Ferguson 2 (MO); Cerro Saslaya, 20 km W of Siuna, 1100-1400 m, along eastern ridge of mountain, cloud forest, 5 May 1977 (fl buds), D. Neill 1832 (MO). Epling (1942) treated all Scutellaria species with large (tube with galea 16-60 mm) red flowers, known at that time from Central America south of Mexico, as members of section Cardinalis Epling. Paton (1990) treated the same species as Scutellaria sect. Scutellaria species-groups speciosa (in part) and costaricana. These species are all large herbs or weak shrubs, often straggling, with leaves glabrous or sparingly hirsute above, and racemes with flowers spirally arranged in the axils of the deciduous to long persistent bracts, the corollas large and showy, orange-red, scarlet or bright red, and often arcuate. Epling recognized the five species treated here, except S. ebracteata. However, the species are difficult to separate and have been treated in various ways in modern Central American floras. Flora of Guatemala (Standley & Williams, 1973) treated S. isocheila Donnell Smith and S. glabra E. Leonard as synonyms of S. longifolia Bentham. Flora of Costa Rica (StandNovoN 8: 62-66. 1998. This content downloaded from 207.46.13.187 on Sun, 15 May 2016 04:41:53 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms Volume 8, Number 1 1998 Pool Central American Scutellaria 63 ~I ~cc~ ,:Fs'? 5SC): ~I-~:-''~'' '.~'1'~:~:;-I-`~-r??',:_-':'~ ;; ?=-??? ?? ~jlS~~i ::!';:~4~i~;;~~ 'c, ~?-?.~???. c~?~ ~d ?E; ~?: U'~:L '~ a?i