Scyphostelma erikseniae (Morillo) Liede, Meve & Y. M. Pineda, 2023

Pineda, Yam M., Keller, Héctor A., Balderrama-Torrico, José A., Meve, Ulrich, Nürk, Nicolai M. & Liede-Schumann, Sigrid, 2023, Phylogenetics in Scyphostelma (Apocynaceae: Orthosiinae) and description of new species, Willdenowia 53, pp. 83-112 : 89-90

2. Scyphostelma erikseniae (Morillo) Liede, Meve & Y. M. Pineda , comb. nov.

≡ Cynanchum erikseniae Morillo in Ernstia 2(3–4): 61. 1992.

– Holotype: Ecuador, Loja, road El Cisne to Loja , 2 km S of El Cisne, on road to Loja , 79°26'W, 03°52'S, 2500 m, 19 Feb 1988, U. Molau & B. Eriksen 3108 ( GB!; isotype: QCA7980 !) . – Fig. 3 , 5 .

Morphological description — Twining plants, at least 1 m tall; stems glabrous, except for scattered erect trichomes at nodes; internodes of long shoots 71–75 × 1.2–1.7 mm, internodes of short shoots 22–33 × 0.5– 0.7 mm. Leaves: petiole 4–7 mm long, glabrous; lamina lanceolate-oblong or suboblong, 23–45 × 2–8 mm, ciliate, base obtuse to rounded, apex acuminate; abaxial surface glabrous or sparsely puberulous with appressed trichomes, adaxial surface also sparsely puberulous; lateral veins 6–8. Inflorescences subaxillary, with 3 or 4 flowers per cyme; peduncle 3.5–7 mm, uniseriate pubescent with appressed trichomes, bracts linear-lanceolate 1.2–2.2 mm long, ciliate. Flowers: pedicel 4.5–7.5 × c. 0.3 mm, pubescent; calyx lobes ovate-oblong, 3–3.2 × 1–1.2 mm, glabrous, apex acute; corolla rotate, abaxially purple, adaxially green, 12–13 mm in diam., tube 1–1.2 mm long, free lobes ovate or ovate-elliptic, 4.8–5.1 × 3.2–3.6 mm, veined, glabrous on both sides, apex obtuse-emarginate. Gynostegial corona colour unrecorded, 4–4.3 mm in diam., membranous, staminal corona lobes fused to a subdiscoid, denticulate collar appressed to corolla tube; gynostegium stipitate, 2.4–2.6 × 2.5–2.6 mm, stipe slightly angular, 0.5–0.8 mm long; anthers rectangular, c. 1.5 mm long, guide rails c. 2 mm long, anther appendages suborbicular-subdeltate, c. 0.5 × 1 mm, translucent, laid on style head; style head flat, c. 1.8 mm in diam. Pollinarium: corpusculum obovoid-ellipsoid, c. 0.5 × 0.22 mm; caudicles trapezoidal, c. 0.15 mm long; pollinia ovoid, 0.45–0.5 × c. 0.3 mm. Follicles and seeds not seen. (Description modified and supplemented from Morillo 1992: 61.)

Phenology — Found with flowers in February and May.

Distribution and ecology — Scyphostelma erikseniae is presently known from two localities in Loja, Ecuador. The species inhabits disturbed shrubby montane forests and secondary scrub, at altitudes between 2500–2700 m.

Remarks — Scyphostelma erikseniae is a rare species from Ecuador (Azuay, Loja). With its long slender leaves and its relatively large flowers borne on slender pedicels and peduncles, as well as the collar-shaped corona, it clearly belongs in the S. harlingii clade, even though no sequenceable material was available.

Additional specimens — ECUADOR: Azuay, Baños , 2500 m, 6 May 1947, G. Harling 745 ( S!) ; Loja, road Celica-Guachanamá , km 8 at Roldod monument, 2700 m, Feb 1985, G. Harling & L. Andersson 22257 ( GB paratype) .

Figures

Fig. 3. Distribution map of Scyphostelma bolivianum (diamonds), S. erikseniae (circles), S. gra- cile (stars), S. harlingii (upright triangles), S. rotorum (square) and S. solomonii (inverted trian- gle). – Map created in QGIS (QGIS Development Team 2009).

Fig. 5. Scyphostelma erikseniae – A: stem node with two leaves and inflorescence; B: flower; C: gynostegium; D: anther, adaxial view; E: pollinarium, one pollinium missing, lateral view; F: pollinarium, one pollinium missing, frontal view. – A–F from G. Harling 745 (S). – Drawn by U. Meve.