Senecio festucoides (Senecioneae, Compositae), a new species from northern Chile.

Joel Calvo,Andrés Moreira-Muñoz

doi:10.3897/phytokeys.149.52297

Abstract

Senecio festucoides is described from northern Chile. The new species is morphologically similar to the discoid caespitose Andean species and belongs to the subgroup displaying yellow corollas and yellowish anthers and style branches. It is characterized by a weak, not self-supporting stem, narrowly linear leaves, long pedunculate capitula with (17–)21 involucral bracts, and minutely papillose achenes. Among other characters, the color of the corollas, anthers, and style branches and the number of involucral bracts differentiate it from S. scorzonerifolius, which is the morphologically closest species. The new species thrives in the desertic Puna ecoregion and grows amongst tufts of Festuca chrysophylla (Poaceae). Detailed pictures of living plants are provided, as well as a distribution map and a dichotomous key to the discoid caespitose Senecio species from northern Chile.

Highlights

Senecio L. (Compositae) is one of the largest genera of flowering plants harboring ca. 1250 species (Pelser et al 2007; Nordenstam et al 2009)
Senecio festucoides shows morphological affinities with the sympatric species S. scorzonerifolius (Fig. 3), which is known from southern Peru, western Bolivia, northwestern Argentina, and northern Chile
These species have a similar appearance, they belong to different subgroups within the discoid caespitose Andean Senecio, i.e. the new species is a member of the subgroup displaying yellow corollas and yellowish anthers and style branches whereas S. scorzonerifolius belongs to the subgroup with white corollas and blackish anthers and style branches (Fig. 2B)

Summary

Introduction

Senecio L. (Compositae) is one of the largest genera of flowering plants harboring ca. 1250 species (Pelser et al 2007; Nordenstam et al 2009). In Chile, the first comprehensive revision of the genus recognized 208 species and treated 11 taxa as dubious (Cabrera 1949). Some of the species accepted by Cabrera are currently placed in new or resurrected genera as a result of efforts to redefine the generic delimitation of Senecio (Nordenstam et al 2009). This is the case for S. yegua (Colla) Cabrera and S. cymosus J.Rémy, which are widely accepted as being part of the genus Acrisione B.Nord. A detailed taxonomic discussion, a distribution map, and pictures of living plants are provided, as well as a dichotomous key to the discoid caespitose Senecio species from northern Chile

Material and methods

Discussion