Stellaria patagonica Montesinos & Borsch, 2023

Montesinos-Tubée, Daniel B. & Borsch, Thomas, 2023, Molecular phylogenetics and morphology reveal the Plettkea lineage including several members of Arenaria and Pycnophyllopsis to be a clade of 21 South American species nested within Stellaria (Caryophyllaceae, Alsineae), Willdenowia 53 (3), pp. 115-148 : 135

12. Stellaria patagonica Montesinos & Borsch , nom. nov.

≡ Pycnophyllopsis muscosa Skottsb. in Kongl. Svenska Vetensk. Acad. Handl., n.s., 56(5): 216. 1916 [non Stellaria muscosa (L.) Jess., Deut. Excurs.-Fl.: 288. 1879

≡ Moehringia muscosa L., Sp. Pl. 1: 359. 1753].

– Lectotype (designated by Timaná 2017: 6): Argentina, Patagonia Andina, territorio Chubut , Meseta Chala, c. 1300 m, 5 Dec 1908, Skottsberg 606 ( S [ S05-10321 image!]; isolectotypes: LD [ LD1418578 image!], SG [ SGO000001982 image!]) .

Morphological description — See Timaná (2005).

Distribution — Patagonian plateaus in Argentina, at altitudes of 800–1300 m, in open slopes, rocky and very windy.

Etymology — In allusion to the Patagonia region in Argentina where the species grows.

Notes — The species shows morphological affinities to Stellaria sect. Plettkea , such as short stems bearing short internodes, densely appressed leaves with ciliate margins, apical, solitary flowers, shortly pedunculate, bearing five sepals and an equal number of reduced petals, so to be placed under Stellaria . The type specimen has no seeds and the protologue does not mention any seed characters.