Southernmost Species Research Articles

The two southernmost species of the Andean genus Acrographinotus Holmgren (Arachnida, Opiliones, Gonyleptidae) described from Bolivia and Argentina.

Two new species of the genus Acrographinotus (Opiliones, Laniatores, Gonyleptidae) are described from protected areas placed on sub-Andean ranges: Acrographinotus tariquiae sp. nov. from Tariquía National Reserve, southern Bolivia, and A. calilegua sp. nov. from Calilegua National Park, northwestern Argentina. They represent the southernmost representatives, and in the case of A. calilegua sp. nov., the lowest altitudinal record of this wide-ranged Andean genus. Acrographinotus tariquiae sp. nov. is compared with its most similar congeners, A. erectispina (type species) and A. niawpaq, from which it differs by the armature of trochanter IV, femur IV and ventral anal plate of the male. Differences between A. calilegua sp. nov. and A. tariquiae sp. nov., especially considering small-sized and β-type males of the latter, are detailed. The genus diagnosis is updated. A key to identify males of the nine confirmed nominal Acrographinotus species is provided for the first time.

Postfire resprouting and recruitment of Quercus humboldtii in the Iguaque Mountains (Colombia)

Anthropogenic disturbances, including wildfires, threaten the diversity of tropical Andean ecosystems. However, the response of tropical Andean plant communities to wildfires in human-modified landscapes has to be discovered. Quercus humboldtii is the southernmost species of this genus in the Neotropics and is almost exclusively distributed in Colombia. While the extent of Q. humboldtii forests has decreased recently, to what time these results from the species' inability to thrive under the current climate and disturbance regimes are still being determined. In this study, we describe post-fire resprouting and acorn and seedling density in and around Q. humboldtii forest patches in the Iguaque mountains in Colombia. We discuss the implications for the conservation and restoration of these forests.Resprouting probability was high in burned trees two years after the fire (ca. 80%). Resprouting ability depended on fire severity and tree size. The proportion of trees resprouting from the stump was related to the severity of fire damage and tree size. Acorn density was higher in burned than unburned areas and depended on the slope, distance to the forest edge, and distance to the nearest oak. Conversely, the density of healthy acorns was low across all sites, particularly in burned areas. Seedling density was relatively high in unburned areas, but seedlings could not withstand recurrent fires. The density of acorns and seedlings decreased in the periphery of forest patches. Despite the strong impact of fire on forest structures, Quercus humboldtii adults may withstand the current fire regime thanks to their strong capacity for vegetative and sexual regeneration. However, the ability of this species to establish in areas where oaks are no longer present is scarce. As Q. humboldtii forest cover and spatial continuity have decreased in response to the increasing frequency of wildfires, the current fire regime represents a threat to the recovery of this species. Our results have important implications for the management of Q. humboldtii and Andean forests as they emphasize the need to control the severity and frequency of wildfires and to use assisted regeneration to restore Q. humboldtii forests in degraded areas.

Review of the spotted lizard loaches, Pseudohomaloptera (Cypriniformes: Balitoridae) with a re-description of Pseudohomaloptera sexmaculata and description of a new species from Sumatra.

A review of the six recognized species of Pseudohomaloptera is provided. Counts in the original description of Pseudohomaloptera sexmaculata Fowler (1934) were incorrect and led to confusion in identifying populations of Pseudohomaloptera in mainland Southeast Asia, and the species is re-described. The validity of Homaloptera septemmaculata Fowler (1934) is investigated and confirmed as a junior synonym of P. sexmaculata. P. sexmaculata and Pseudohomaloptera leonardi, similar morphologically and often misidentified, are widely distributed in mainland Southeast Asia, with P. sexmaculata in the Chao Phraya, Mae Klong and Pran Buri River basins, and P. leonardi in the Malay Peninsula and the Chao Phraya and Mekong River basins. Pseudohomaloptera yunnanensis and Pseudohomaloptera vulgaris have been reported from the Mekong basin of Thailand and Laos but appear to be restricted to Yunnan Province, China. A new species of Pseudohomaloptera is described from Sumatra. This is the southern-most species and first record for the genus from the Indonesian island. An identification key is provided for all species of the genus.

New Nesting Records and Breeding Ecology Observations of Rufous-Legged Owls in the Mediterranean Temperate Forest of Central Chile

ABSTRACT The Rufous-legged Owl (Strix rufipes) is the southernmost Strix owl species and its breeding ecology remains little known. We report new observations on the species' breeding ecology, including clutch size, egg size, duration of the incubation and nestling periods, and nestling diet. We conducted our observations on nests found during the summers of 1999 through 2004 in a forestry landscape of central Chile, dominated by Monterey pine (Pinus radiata) plantations with intermixed fragments of native southern beech (Nothofagus) forests. Clutch size was two eggs (n = 2 nests), with one egg larger than the other (mean = 48.8 × 40.1 mm). The incubation period was 30 d and the nestling period 34 d. We analyzed 10 pellets from nestling owls and identified 45 prey items, mostly dominated by large beetles, grasshoppers, and rodents (native and exotic). This information, though based on a limited number of nests, provides baseline ecological data that can inform future studies.

TAXONOMIC REVISION OF MENTZELIA SECTION BICUSPIDARIA (LOASACEAE) IN MEXICO

Results from molecular phylogenetic analyses have indicated that the two southernmost species in Mentzelia section Bicuspidaria, M. hirsutissima sensu lato and M. involucrata, form a clade in which M. hirsutissima is paraphyletic with respect to M. involucrata. Here we elevate M. hirsutissima S.Watson var. nesiotes I.M.Johnst. to specific rank, recognizing it as M. nesiotes (I.M.Johnst.) Brokaw & J.J.Schenk, thus rendering all three taxa monophyletic. Mentzelia nesiotes is allopatric relative to M. involucrata and M. hirsutissima sensu stricto, with all known populations of M. nesiotes occurring in northern Baja California Sur and nearby Pacific islands. Multivariate analyses of morphological differences determined that M. nesiotes and M. hirsutissima are best distinguished by capsule length, calyx length, and leaf intersinus width. Estimation of climate niches with MaxEnt inferred that M. nesiotes and M. hirsutissima showed minimal overlap in climate tolerances, with M. nesiotes inhabiting the Vizcaíno fog desert west of the Peninsular Ranges and M. hirsutissima inhabiting areas further north with higher precipitation and temperature fluctuations primarily east of the Peninsular Ranges. We provide updated circumscriptions of all three species, reduce M. hirsutissima var. stenophylla and M. involucrata var. megalantha to synonymy with their respective species, and designate the lectotype of M. hirsutissima.

An integrative approach to address species limits in the southernmost members of the Liolaemus kingii group (Squamata: Liolaemini)

Recent conceptual and methodological advances have enabled an increasing number of studies to address the problem of species delimitation in a comprehensive manner. This is of particular interest in cases of species whose divergence times are recent and/or effective population sizes are large, where the conclusions obtained from a single source of evidence may lead to erroneous estimations of true species numbers or incorrect assignment of individuals to species. Iguanian lizards of the Liolaemus kingii group (13 species) comprise an important component of the endemic fauna of Patagonia. The southernmost species of this group (namely L. baguali, L. escarchadosi, L. sarmientoi, and L. tari) show widely overlapping distributions across southern Patagonia, also, their phylogenetic relationships are ambiguous and species boundaries have not been explicitly tested. Here we use a comprehensive approach to assess species limits through the use of molecular and morphological information (mitochondrial cytb, nuclear sequences collected by ddRADseq, and linear, meristic and landmark-based morphometrics). We found support for the current taxonomy given that the different analyses recognized the nominal species (4 entities), also a candidate species was supported by mitochondrial and morphological data. In addition, we detected signs of admixture between some of the species. Our results indicate that the L. kingii group can serve as a model system in studies of diversification accompanied by hybridization in nature, which in turn might have been promoted by past climatic oscillations and generalist morphologies. We emphasize the importance of using multiple lines of evidence in order to solve evolutionary stories, and minimizing potential erroneous results that may arise when relying on a single source of information.

Small-scale alpine topography at low latitudes and high altitudes: refuge areas of the genus Chrysanthemum and its allies

Cultivated chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat.) is an economically important ornamental plant species grown worldwide. However, the origin of the genus Chrysanthemum remains unclear. This study was conducted in the Hengduan Mountains, Yunnan Province. We took advantage of a special geographic region where the southernmost species of Ajania and the highest altitude population of Chrysanthemum indicum coexist to investigate their evolutionary origins. Diversity analysis of 9 populations of 5 species that came from 3 genera was carried out based on morphological traits and SRAP markers. Furthermore, topographical and ecological analyses and surveys of the vegetation communities in the plots were carried out for correlation analysis, and past data were used to reconstruct the ancient topography and vegetation to estimate the migration path and divergence time. We found that Chrysanthemum and Ajania were closely related based on the smooth transition states among marginal female florets and their common pollination system. The genetic relationship between Phaeostigma and Chrysanthemum was relatively distant, and Ajania was between them. Low light intensity and relatively humid habitats may be driving the elongation and evolution of marginal female florets. We found that Chrysanthemum and related genera were largely restricted to stony topographies at an altitude of ~3000 m.a.s.l. and in specialized alpine coniferous (Pinus) and broad-leaved (Quercus) mixed forest marginal communities. These stony topographies have become ecological islands of refuge for these species in the current interglacial period. The Hengduan Mountains play a key role in the evolution, divergence, and survival of Chrysanthemum and its allies.

Decrease in preferred temperature in response to an immune challenge in lizards from cold environments in Patagonia, Argentina.

In ectotherms, the likelihood of surviving an infection is determined by the efficiency of thermoregulation, the availability of a variety of thermal microenvironments, the individual's health status, and the virulence of the infective agent. Physiological and behavioral demands related to an efficient immune response entail a series of costs that compete with other vital activities, specifically energy storage, growth, reproduction, and maintenance functions. Here, we characterize the thermal biology and health status by the presence of injuries, ectoparasites, body condition, and individual immune response capacity (using phytohemagglutinin in a skin-swelling assay) of the southernmost lizards of the world, Liolaemus sarmientoi, endemic to a sub-optimal, cold environment in Patagonia, Argentina. In particular, we study the effect of a bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide; LPS-treatment) on thermoregulation. We found that the field-active body temperature (Tb) was much lower than the preferred body temperature (Tp) obtained in the laboratory. All the individuals were in good body condition at the beginning of the experiments. The phytohemagglutinin test caused detectable thickening in sole-pads at 2h and 24h post-assay in males and non-pregnant females, indicating a significant innate immune response. In the experimental immune challenge, the individuals tended to prefer a low body temperature after LPS-treatment (2h post-injection) and developed hypothermia, while the control individuals injected with phosphate buffered saline (PBS), maintained their body temperature throughout the trial. In both the LPS-treatment and PBS-control individuals, BC declined during the experiment. Hypothermia may allow this southernmost species to optimize the use of their energetic resources and reduce the costs of thermoregulation in a cold-temperate environment where they rarely attain the mean Tp (35.16°C) obtained in laboratory.

Out of Bound: A New Threatened Harlequin Toad (Bufonidae, Atelopus) from the Outer Borders of the Guiana Shield in Central Amazonia Described through Integrative Taxonomy

We used integrative taxonomy to describe a new species of Atelopus from the lowlands of Central Amazonia in the region of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. The new species is geographically isolated from the southernmost species of Atelopus of the Guiana Shield. Atelopus manauensis species nova (sp. nov.) is characterized by the combination of the following characteristics: male snout-vent length range (SVL = 19.1–26.4 mm; n = 11); dorsal and lateral skin smooth; ventral surface entirely white or white with cream-colored gular region; fingers and toes lacking subarticular tubercles and fringes. The advertisement call of the new species has a call duration of 689–840 ms, contains 15–26 pulses, is emitted at an average pulse rate of 25.5 pulses per second, and has a dominant frequency ranging 3088–3610 Hz. The genetic divergence between the new species and its morphologically most similar congeners (A. spumarius and A. pulcher) is greater than 4%. Atelopus manauensis sp. nov. is closely related to species of the A. hoogmoedi complex inhabiting the Guiana Shield. The new species has a small geographic distribution (approximately 4500 km2) in a landscape that is strongly threatened by the growth of Manaus, the largest city in Brazilian Amazonia. The new species is considered critically endangered and in need of urgent conservation measures.

The poor health of deep-water species in the context of fishing activity and a warming climate: will populations of Molva species rebuild or collapse?

Many deep-water fish populations, being K-selected species, have little resilience to overexploitation and may be at serious risk of depletion as a consequence. Sea warming represents an additional threat. In this study, the condition, or health, of several populations of common ling (Molva molva), blue ling (Molva dypterygia) and Mediterranean or Spanish ling (Molva macrophthalma) inhabiting different areas in the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean was evaluated, to shed light on the challenges these deep-water species are facing in the context of fishing activity and a warming climate. The data on the condition of Molva populations which are analysed here have been complemented with data on abundance and, for the southernmost species (Mediterranean ling), with two other health indicators (parasitism and hepato-somatic index). Despite some exceptions (e.g., common ling in Icelandic waters), this study shows that the condition of many populations of Molva species in the northeastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea has worsened, a trend which, in recent decades, has usually been found to be accompanied by a decline in their abundance. In addition, the poor health status of most populations of common ling, blue ling and Mediterranean ling considered in this analysis points to a lower sustainability of these populations in the future. Overall, the health status and abundance of Molva populations in the northeastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean suggest that only some populations located in the North Atlantic may be able to rebuild, whereas the populations in southern North Atlantic and the Mediterranean, which are probably most at risk from sea warming, are facing serious difficulties in doing so. In the context of fisheries and global warming, this study's results strongly indicate that management bodies need to consider the health status of many of the populations of Molva species, particularly in southern European waters, before implementing their decisions.

The enigmatic Leiosaurae clade: Phylogeography, species delimitation, phylogeny and historical biogeography of its southernmost species

The clade Leiosaurae is composed of poorly-known species endemic to the southern region of South America. The difficulties of finding these lizards in the field, and their highly conserved morphology, have limited our taxonomic knowledge and understanding of their evolutionary histories. Here, we use data collected over 9 years to study the phylogenetic history, genetic diversity, and biogeographic history of almost all the southernmost species of Leiosaurae (except P. nigroigulus), including: Leiosaurus bellii, Diplolaemus darwinii, D. bibronii, D. sexcinctus and D. leopardinus. We use a fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene to resolve general phylogeographic patterns, and add another mitochondrial gene and eight nuclear genes to perform species delimitation and phylogenetic analyses associated with divergence times. We found evidence for three putative new species-level taxa within L. bellii and five within Diplolaemus species, indicating high levels of geographic structure. We use a time-calibrated phylogeny to estimate ranges of ancestral distributions and to generate new hypotheses about their historical biogeography.

Tolerance to salinity and dehydration in the Sahara Desert blue-eyed turtle, Mauremys leprosa saharica (Testudines: Geoemydidae) from a brackish pond in the Lower Draa basin, southern Morocco

ABSTRACTThe marginal populations of the Sahara blue-eyed pond turtle, Mauremys leprosa saharica, in the southern-most species distribution range in the pre-Saharan areas of north-west Africa, are faced with extreme environmental conditions of arid climate and anthropogenic and climate change mediated water and land salinisation. In the current study, we investigated a small and isolated population of M. l. saharica at Sidi El Mehdaoui oasis in the Lower Draa River, southern Morocco, in order to assess its osmo- and iono-regulatory abilities and tolerance to salinity and dehydration. Upon capture, turtles were weighed and measured for shell dimensions and blood and voided urine were taken. Tests of exposure to different levels of water salinity (0%, 35%, and 50% seawater) and maintenance out of water (estivation simulation) were carried out. Osmolalities and Na+, Cl−, K+, and urea concentrations were determined in plasma and voided urine, and glycaemia was measured in blood, before and after tests. Turtles were able to survive in brackish waters with a salinity as high as 24% seawater (8.4 ppt). Their voided urine was hypotonic to plasma, which indicated that they could use their bladder water reserves for osmo- and iono-regulation until the iso-osmocity level beyond which osmotic and ionic anhomeostasy can occur. Experimental tests showed that the osmo- and iono-regulatory capacities of these turtles are relatively limited, and not enough effective to allow them to survive for long-term periods in brackish/saline waters or out of water, because of dehydration indicated by progressive weight loss to a critical threshold. The increased drought, water salinisation and habitat fragmentation related to anthropogenic activities and climate change, represent great threats that can create habitats exceeding the species’ threshold for a long-term persistence of the vulnerable small marginal populations of the Saharan pond turtle. So, conservation measures of these populations and their habitats are urgently needed.

Speciation across mountains: Phylogenomics, species delimitation and taxonomy of the Liolaemus leopardinus clade (Squamata, Liolaemidae)

Organisms rapidly diversifying across unstable environments such as mountain tops provide substantial challenges for resolving evolutionary histories and delimiting species. The Liolaemus leopardinus clade is a group of five species of lizards adapted to high altitudes in central Chile, with most species found in the Andes, but one species, L. frassinettii is found in the independent Costa Cordillera. Despite their allopatric distributions, they display shallow mitochondrial divergences, making phylogenetics and species delimitation of this clade hard to resolve. We use an integrative approach to delimit species by considering morphological data (linear and landmark-based), mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), and nuclear DNA (Sequences and SNPs collected with ddRADseq). We find strong conflicting signals between phylogenetic analyses of the nuclear and mtDNA data. While mtDNA places L. frassinettii as sister to the rest of the clade, the SNPs support a south to north order of divergences, with southernmost species (new taxon described here) as sister to the rest of the clade. Moreover, species delimitation using mtDNA only supports two species (one in the Costa and one in the Andes), whereas combined analyses using the nuclear data and morphology support multiple Andean taxa, including a new one we describe here. Based on these results, population structure analyses and our knowledge of the geological and climatic history of the Andes, we argue that this mito-nuclear discordance is explained by past introgression among the Andean taxa, likely during glacial periods that forced these lizards to lower altitudes where they would hybridize. The complete isolation between the Costa and Andes cordilleras has prevented any further contact between taxa on either mountain chain. Our study highlights the importance of using multiple lines of evidence to resolve evolutionary histories, and the potential misleading results from relying solely on mtDNA.

Are amphibians tracking their climatic niches in response to climate warming? A test with Iberian amphibians

Current climate warming has already contributed to local extinctions. Amphibians are one of the most sensitive animal groups to climate change, currently undergoing a global decline. Predictive models for Europe and Iberian Peninsula forecast that the future impact of climate change on amphibians will depend on their capacity to alter their distributions by tracking climate warming. In the present study, we explore the responses of Iberian amphibian species to recent climate change, by comparing amphibian distributions between two time periods (1901–1990 vs. 2000–2015). Our findings suggest that, although climatic conditions have changed between the two periods, Iberian amphibians have barely shifted their distribution ranges northwards, with the exception of the southernmost species (Alytes dickhilleni). However, most Iberian amphibians appear to have moved their elevational limits upwards in mountains. Approximately half of the species showed different occupied niches between the two time periods, suggesting that many Iberian amphibians have not been able to reach all the new location with optimal climatic conditions for them. Furthermore, disappearing cold climatic conditions (e.g. those found at mountain tops) limit the potential distribution of cold-adapted species, including European widespread species with their southern margin in the Iberian Peninsula, and endemic species. The combination of a limited ability to shift their ranges and profound climatic changes could pose a challenge to the long-term persistence of Iberian amphibian populations.

A New Species of the Graphium (Pazala) mandarinus Group from Central Vietnam (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae).

The Graphium (Pazala) mandarinus group was recently defined and the status of taxa as well as the number of species was revised. We report here the discovery of a new species from Kon Tum plateau of the Truong Son (Annamite) Range of Central Vietnam, which we describe based on morphological and molecular evidence. Molecular phylogeny shows that the new taxon, G. (P.) wenlingae Hu, Cotton Monastyrskii sp. nov., is sister to G. (P.) daiyuanae Hu, Zhang Cotton, 2018 plus G. (P.) confucius Hu, Duan Cotton, 2018. Molecular dating analysis further suggests that this new species diverged from its sister clade in the Pliocene (~3.5 million years ago). The new taxon constitutes the eighth and southernmost species of the mandarinus group.

A new species of Phonotimpus Gertsch Davis, 1940 (Araneae: Phrurolithidae) from Mexico.

The genus Phonotimpus Gertsch Davis, 1940 includes four species all known only from Mexico (World Spider Catalog 2018). P. separatus and P. eutypus were described by Gertsch Davis (1940) from San Luis Potosí and from Nuevo León, respectively. Phonotimpus pennimani and P. talquian, described by Chamé-Vázquez, Ibarra-Núñez Jiménez (2018), are the southernmost species in this genus (Chamé-Vázquez et al. 2018), and have restricted allopatric geographic distributions in Chiapas. This genus differs from other American phrurolithid genera by the following combination of characters: posterior eye row recurved, posterior median eyes closer to posterior lateral eyes than to each other, posterior median eyes smaller than posterior lateral eyes, females with dorsal scutum on the opisthosoma; palpi of males with retrolateral and dorsal tibial apophyses not joined at the base, and copulatory bulb with a conductor, embolus and embolar basal process (Gertsch Davis 1940; Penniman 1985; Chamé-Vázquez et al. 2018). In this paper, a new species of Phonotimpus is described and illustrated, based on specimens collected in soil of a pine-oak forest in the state of Mexico.

The first record of genus Bruggmanniella (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) from Taiwan with description of a new species inducing bud galls on Neolitsea parvigemma (Lauraceae)

Abstract The genus Bruggmanniella Tavares is newly discovered from Taiwan and Bruggmanniella brevipes sp. n. is described as new to science. This is the southernmost species of Bruggmanniella found in the Old World. Furthermore, the gall midge induces bud galls on Neolitsea parvigemma (Hayata) Kaneh (Lauraceae), an endemic species in Taiwan, and the plant genus Neolitsea is the third host genus of Lauraceae-associated Bruggmanniella in East Asia. The knowledge of its distribution and host information provide us to shed the light on evolutionary and biogeography issue of East Asian Bruggmanniella. www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:820320EC-17BC-4E00-A401-2DBDA3EEE9C4

Development of the gastropod Trochita pileus (Calyptraeidae) in the sub-Antarctic Southwestern Atlantic

The family Calyptraeidae is widely distributed around the world and shows several types of development all with physical care. Adults and broods of Trochita pileus from sub-Antarctic waters were collected during two cruises off Tierra del Fuego and Burdwood Bank at depths between 39 and 298 m. A total of 43 brooding females and 314 egg capsules of T. pileus were collected. Shell diameter of brooding females ranged from 12.6 to 28.8 mm. The egg capsules were flattened triangular sacs with rounded vertices and lateral margins longer than the distal margin. The number of egg capsules per brood increased significantly with increasing shell diameter of brooding females from 1 to 15 and a mean number of 7.9 ± 2.8. T. pileus has direct development from embryos which start consuming nurse eggs (oophagy) and then continue eating developing embryos (adelphophagy). The 80.7% of the initial eggs of T. pileus did not initiate development. From about 1000 initial uncleaved eggs per egg capsule (diameter around 250 µm), only 8 complete their development hatching as crawling juveniles. The observation of the post-gastrula stage of T. pileus swallowing all nurse eggs and latter also other embryos in the same stage of development is the first case of oophagy and adelphophagy in the genus Trochita. No late intracapsular cannibalism has been observed. To our knowledge, there are no records of Antarctic Calyptraeidae and this would be the development of one of the southernmost species described.

Functional dioecy in Gleditsia amorphoides (Fabaceae)

The genus Gleditsia (Fabaceae) comprises woody shrubs and trees that grow in temperate and subtropical regions around the world. This genus is characterised by sexual polymorphism and functionally unisexual flowers. Gleditsia amorphoides is the southernmost species of the genus, and is widely used as a source of timber and derived products for industrial applications (galactomannans are extracted from its seeds and saponins are derived from its fruits). The species is endemic to the Chaquenean Forest of South America. It is described as morphologically androdioecious, with male and perfect flowers appearing on different plants. In the current study, we characterised floral morphology, experimentally tested the breeding system and analysed flower visitors. Results indicated that G. amorphoides staminate flowers produce viable pollen grains and that perfect flowers have a functional gynoecium and empty anthers, where pollen abortion occurs early in floral development. The species relies on outcrossing, which depends mainly on pollen carried by insect pollinators, to produce seeds and fruits. We conclude that G. amorphoides is functionally dioecious, with staminate and pistillate floral morphs.

Anatomia foliar del género Smallanthus (Asteraceae, Millerieae).

Debido a la gran importancia medicinal y alimentaria que tienen las hojas en especies de Smallanthus, como por ejemplo el mundialmente conocido “yacón” (Smallanthus sonchifolius), y que hasta el momento solo se han estudiado cuatro especies de las 23 que componen el género, se analizó aquí la anatomía foliar de todas las especies de Smallanthus. Se presenta también, una tabla de usos y nombres vulgares de las especies de las que se obtuvo tal información. Se realiza una descripción general de la anatomía foliar, incluyendo el pecíolo. Se identificaron tres tipos de tricomas: uno eglandular del tipo cónico simple y dos glandulares (biseriado capitado y biseriado vesiculado subtipo beta). Las especies de Smallanthus no mostraron diferencias en la anatomía de la lámina y del pecíolo. Se contabilizaron los canales secretores, de tipo esquizógeno, en casi todas las especies y se observó una tendencia al aumento del número de canales en las especies más australes.