Two New Combinations in the Endemic Hawaiian Genus Cyanea (Campanulaceae: Lobelioideae)

Abstract

Examination of types for 74 names published in Delissea by the late Harold St. John showed that most represent previously described species that are currently treated as members of the related genus Cyanea. Two of the types, however, represent morphologically distinctive species, which are referable to Cyanea sect. Hirtellae. New combinations in Cyanea are proposed, the two species are described in greater detail, and a key to the species of the section is provided. Cyanea Gaudich. (Campanulaceae: Lobelioideae) is a genus of trees and shrubs endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. St. John (1987a) merged the genus with its close relative Delissea Gaudich. and described 74 new taxa under the latter name (St. John, 1987b, 1988). Altogether, St. John recognized 166 species and 50 nonautonymic varieties and forms within his concept of Delissea. In the treatment of Campanulaceae (Lammers, 1990) for the Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawai'i, I argued for the retention of the traditional circumscription of these two genera, recognizing 52 species plus nine nonautonymic subspecies in Cyanea and just nine species plus three nonautonymic subspecies in Delissea. Publishing deadlines did not permit me to examine types and account for all the new names proposed by St. John in Delissea. However, it was suggested that most would fall within my concept of Cyanea and prove to be referable to previously described species, particularly C. coriacea (A. Gray) Hillebrand, C. fissa (H. Mann) Hillebrand, and C. sylvestris A. Heller. In May and June 1991, I visited BISH in order to examine the relevant types and determine the best disposition for each of these names. This examination confirmed the original suggestion that most of St. John's names should be treated as synonyms of various previously described species. Two of the types, however, did represent morphologically distinctive species that were new to science and referable to Cyanea as circumscribed in the Manual. These two species are here transferred to that genus and described more fully. The remaining names will be accounted for in detail in a forthcoming monograph of the genus (Lammers, in prep.). Cyanea eleeleensis (H. St. John) Lammers, comb. nov. Basionym: Delissea eleeleensis H. St. John, Phytologia 63: 341. 1987. TYPE: Hawaiian Islands. Kaua'i: Wainiha Valley, on side of intermittent stream below Pali 'Ele'ele, shaded gulch in wet forest, 700 ft., 19 July 1977, Christensen 261 (holotype, BISH; isotype, BISH). [The holotype consists of a standard herbarium sheet bearing two detached leaves plus a jar of liquid-preserved floral material.] Shrub, 1.8 m tall; stem glabrous. Lamina oblanceolate, 38.5-40.5 cm long, 11.5 cm wide, glabrous; upper surface green; lower surface pale green; margin minutely denticulate; apex acute; base cuneate. Petiole 7.8-8.5 cm long, 4 mm diam., glabrous. Inflorescence 11-20-flowered, densely shortpubescent; peduncle deflexed, 8-9 cm long, 5-7 mm diam.; rachis 2.5-4 cm long; bracts linear or narrowly triangular, 3 mm long, 1 mm wide, the apex acute; pedicels 10-17 mm long, bibracteolate in the lower 1/3; bracteoles linear or narrowly triangular, 2 mm long. Hypanthium obovoid, deeply 10-sulcate, 10-11 mm long, 11-12 mm diam., densely short-pubescent. Calyx lobes triangular, 45 mm long, 3 mm wide; apex acute. Corolla bilabiate, 46-47 mm long, purple with lighter longitudinal stripes, short-pubescent; tube curved, 19 mm long, 7 mm diam., cleft dorsally for 2/3 its length; dorsal lobes linear, 32 mm long, 3 mm wide, spreading horizontally; ventral lip 19 mm long, cut to its middle into three linear lobes 3-4 mm wide (the middle one a little wider than the others) and acute at apex. Staminal column slightly exserted, glabrous; filaments 35 mm long; anther tube 9 mm long, 3 mm diam., the lower 2 anthers with tufts of white hairs at apex. Berry (immature) subglobose, 12 mm long, 14 mm diam., purple, deeply 10-sulcate, crowned by the persistent calyx lobes. Seeds unknown. Known only from the type locality in Wainiha Valley, Kaua'i, where it was found growing in wet forest at an elevation of 213 m. NOVON 2: 129-131. 1992. This content downloaded from 207.46.13.175 on Wed, 13 Apr 2016 15:50:32 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms