Two new species of endemic Ecuadorean Amaryllidaceae (Asparagales, Amaryllidaceae, Amarylloideae, Eucharideae).

Alan Meerow,Lou Jost,Nora Oleas

doi:10.3897/phytokeys.48.4399

Alan Meerow, Lou Jost + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.48.4399

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Abstract

New species of the genera Stenomesson and Eucharis (Amaryllidaceae) are described from Ecuador. Stenomesson ecuadorense is the second species of the genus reported from that country, and the only endemic one. It is related to Stenomesson miniatum and Stenomesson campanulatum, both from Peru, with which it shares orange flower color and the fusion of the staminal corona to the perianth tube. It differs from Stenomesson miniatum by the non-urceolate perianth, from Stenomesson campanulatum by its shorter stamens and longer perianth, and from both by its lower montane, cloud forest habitat. Eucharis ruthiana, found in the vicinity of Zamora, is related to Eucharis moorei from which it differs by the narrower leaves and tepals; short, deeply cleft staminal corona; the long teeth on either side of the free filaments; the narrowly subulate, incurved free filaments; and the shorter style. The green mature fruit and campanulate floral morphology place it in Eucharis subg. Heterocharis.

Highlights

Ecuador is a major center of diversity for the Andean tetraploid clade of American Amaryllidaceae, genera in the tribe Eucharideae (Meerow 1990), a monophyletic group characterized by pseudopetiolate leaves and the loss of the gene ndhF from the plastid genome (Meerow 2010; Meerow et al 2000)
We describe two new species in the tribe, Stenomesson ecuadorense, and Eucharis ruthiana, both endemic to Ecuador
Stenomesson ecuadorense (Fig. 1) appears closely related to the Peruvian S. miniatum (Herb.) Ravenna (1978; Fig. 2A) and S. campanulatum Meerow (1985; Fig. 2B) by flower color and adherence of the staminal corona to the floral tube, consisting of six long teeth interposed between the free filaments, but differs from them by the moist habitat, occurence on limestone and relatively low elevation (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

Ecuador is a major center of diversity for the Andean tetraploid clade of American Amaryllidaceae, genera in the tribe Eucharideae (Meerow 1990), a monophyletic group characterized by pseudopetiolate leaves and the loss of the gene ndhF from the plastid genome (Meerow 2010; Meerow et al 2000). Stenomesson ecuadorense (Fig. 1) appears closely related to the Peruvian S. miniatum (Herb.) Ravenna (1978; Fig. 2A) and S. campanulatum Meerow (1985; Fig. 2B) by flower color and adherence of the staminal corona to the floral tube, consisting of six long teeth interposed between the free filaments, but differs from them by the moist habitat, occurence on limestone and relatively low elevation (Table 1).

Results

Conclusion