A NEW SPECIES OF CONRADINA (LAMIACEAE) FROM NORTHEASTERN PENINSULAR FLORIDA

8 Pages·1991·3 MB·English

by  Robert Kral

A NEW SPECIES OF
CONRADINA (LAMIACEAE) FROM
NORTHEASTERN PENINSULAR FLORIDA
ROBERT KRAL
yanckrhilt LJuiversity
DepartmentojGeneralBiology
Box 1812. Stat/onB
Nashv/lle. TN 37233. U.S.A.
ROBERTB. MCCARTNEY
Wooclla>ulers. Inc.
1128 ColletonAve.
Aiken. SC29801. U.S.A.
ABSTRACrr
Coiirae/i/iaeloi/iii,anewspeciesofshrubbymintendemictonorthernpeninsularFlorida
isdiagnosed,described,andhgurcd.Differencesbetweenitanditsclosestmorphological
relative,C.grandiflornSmall,aredetailed.AttentionisgiventothefactthatC.etoiiuiisa
narrowendemic,thatitisonlandbeingdevelopedpresentlyforresidentialuse,andthatit
thereh)reshouldreceiveahighconservationi^rionty.
Conradina(Lamiaceae)ascurrently treated(Shinners 1962;T C. Gray,
unpublishedPh.D. thesis 1965)isagenusoffiveallopatricspeciesbicen-
tricallyconfinedtothesoutheasternUnitedStates. Onecenterisinterior,
wherethearenaceous rockybarsandbluffsofCumberland Kentuckyand
Tennessee streams support C. verticillataJennison, a threatened species.
TheothercenterislowerCoastalPlain.Conradinacanescens,themostabun-
dant and polymorphic species, occupiescoastal dunes, white sand scrub
andcontiguous longleafpinelandfromsoutheasternMississippieastward
acrosssouthern AlabamaandtheFloridaPanhandle. Inland locallyisthe
rareC.glabraShinners,anarrowendemicgrowingchieflyaroundtherims
ofsteepheads on the cast side ofFlorida's Apalachicola River. The two
remainingspecies(C.hrevijoliaShinnersandC.grandifloraSmall)arefound
insandscrubhabitatinCentralFlorida(PolkandHighlandscounties)and
in eastern peninsular Florida, respectively. As mentioned, of the four
speciesinthesoutherncenter,onlyC.canescensisatonceabundantwithina
fairlylargerangeandexhibitsconsiderablevariation.Theotherthreehave
morerestrictedrangesandshowlessvariationwithinorbetweenpopula-
SiDA l4(3):391-398. 1991.
,
392
tions. Mostcircumstantialevidence, bothmorphologicalandgeographic,
points toarelativelyrecentoriginforthe species inpeninsularFlorida.
All four Coastal Plain Conradina are confined to sandy soils. Major
portionsofFloridawithdeep,well-drainedsandoncesupportedextensive
forestsofLongleafPine{Pinuspalustris)withagroundlayerdominatedby
Wiregrass{Aristidastricta).Thissystemwasmaintainedbyanddependent
uponrelativelyfrequent,low-intensitygroundfires.ThemorexericLong-
leafPine-Wiregrass ecosystems are here referred to as "sandhill." These
contrast with those finer textured (often aeolean)deposits ofwhitesand
whichsupport thescrubecosystemcharacterizedbySandPine{P. clausa)
andshrubbyevergreenoakssuchasQuercusgeminataandQ. myrtijoliaand
arereferred tohereas"sandscrub." Historicallythislattersystemburned
infrequentlybutcatastrophically.Allwhohavestudiedthefloraofthetwo
basic systems know that both are very rich in endemics and that many
speciesoccupyverylimitedandcircumscribedrangeswithinthem.Scrub
ecosystems,onceexclusivetoFloridaorbestdevelopedthere,havebeenso
heavily impacted by agricultural and otherdevelopmentalong with fire
suppressionthatonlyfragmentary, oftendegraded, remnantsexisttoday.
Conservationagenciesareactivelyworkingtopreservekeyareas, particu-
larly in the Lake Wales RidgeareaofCentral Floridawherean unusual
concentration ofrareendemicsoccurs.
The typical scrub habitat and severalofthe plantand animal species
associatedwith itreachtheirnortherngeographiclimits inthecenterof
theFloridapeninsulawestofSaintAugustine. Onesuchnorthernexten-
sionofdeepsandscrubwasinvestigatedbythejuniorauthoronSeptember
20, 1990.ThisareaalongEtoniaCreeknortheastofFlorahomeinPutnam
County, wasnotedtohaveseveralspeciesnotonlycharacteristicofsouth
Florida scrub but also at or near their very northern limits (i.e. Persea
hmnilis. Ilexcumulkola,Garheriajriitiana).Anendangeredbird, theScrub
Jay, wasalsoseen, butcuriouslytheScrubPalmetto{SabaletoniaSwingle
ex Nash), named forthis locality, was notobserved.
Mostinterestingofall,however,wasthediscoverywithinasmallareaof
the EtoniaScrubofadistinctiveConradina, seeminglya new species. A
limitedamountofmaterialforexsiccataeandforpropagationwascollected
andlivingplantsfromcuttingsarenowpartofthecomprehensivecollec-
tionofsoutheasternwoodyLamiaceaeincultivationatWoodlanders,Inc.
inAiken, SouthCarolina. Dr. R. K. Godfreywasgivendirectionstothe
siteand, accompaniedbyMr. AngusGholson, visitedthelocationon 12
October 1990, so as tocollect an abundant sample fordefinitive study.
This indispensableaid is herebygratefullyacknowledged.
Theaffinitiesofthisnewplantarcplainlywith its nearestgeographic
393
neighborinthegenus,C.grandifloraSmall,whichrangesintermittentlyin
thecoastal scrubofeasternpeninsularFloridafromDadeCounty north-
ward toanareain VolusiaCountyroughly 70airmilessoutheastofthe
EtoniaCreeksite. Ingeneral habitand in thelargesizeandgeneralcon-
figurationandpigmentationofflowerthetwolookmuchthesame.There
are,however,strikingdifferencesaswillbeexplainedbelow.Wenamethe
newdiscoveryC.etonia,aftertheremarkablelocalitywhereitwasfound.
CoNRAoiNA KTONiA Krai &McCartney, sp. nov. Figs. 1,2.
Cimrddiriaetonia,sp.nov.;differtaC.y^raiiiJifloraloliislatioribu.s,hcbctiviridibus,ncrvis
lateralibus disringuibilibus, utroquc latere 2"4; paginis.siirculorum juvenorum, lami-
norumfoliorumcttuborumcalicorumimiformicerparcnti-puberulis.
Virgate shrubs to 1.5 m high, with numerous, frequently arching
primary branches, the new shoots slender, ca. 1 mm thick, quadrate,
downy-spreading-puberulent, scattered-glandular, reddish-brown, on
older growth thickening, terete, the outer bark exfoliating in long,
narrow, gray strips, exposing red-brown or orange-brown smooth inner
bark. Leavesdeciduousin2—3years, spreadingroascending, eachnode
with axillary buds typically developing short, leafy shoots, thus foliage
appearing fascicled-verticillate; principalleafbladesspreading tospread-
ing-ascending, broadly to narrowly oblanceolate or spathulate, 15—30
mmlong,(2)3—9mmwide,tipsroundedtobroadlyacute,marginsnar-
rowlyand tightlyrevolute, basenarrowlycuneatetoattenuateonashort
(less than 1 mm) petiole, the adaxial blade surfiice uniformly downy-
spreading-puberulent,copiouslyandpunctatelygland-dotted,dullgreen,
themidribevidentatbaseofastrongmediangroove,theexposedabaxial
surface concave, slightly paler, the puberulence very dense, the midrib
stronglyraised,likewisewithdensespreadingpuberulenceandproducing
2—4strongbranchnervesperside(auniquetraitinthisgenus!). Cymes
producedfromallormostnodesfrommidstemup,(1)3—7(12)mfmlowered,
eithersubsessileoronspreading-ascendingpedunclesto 2(3) long,
these and the ascending branches all densely and uniformly downy-
puberulent, theirsuccessivenodeswithprogressively reduced, narrower,
decussately-arranged pairs of similarly downy bracteal leaves; pedicels
erect or spreading-ascending, 1—3 mm long, ebracteolate, spreading-
puberulent. Calyx at anthesis bilabiate, 7.5—8.1 mm long, the tube
cylindro-campanulate, 5 mm long, distally densely viUous-annulate
within, otherwise smooth, externally 13-nerved, with nerves uniformly
downyand intervalssmooth todowny, stronglygland-dotted, theupper
lip upswept (1.8) 2-2.7 (3) mm long, tndentate, the teeth broadly
triangular, stronglyhirsute-cihate, connivent; lowerlipdirectedforward
394
2cm
cm
2.
d
2cm
c
— —
FIG. 1.Conradinaetonta{Godfr—eywithGhotson8400H). a.Floweringbranchler. b.Sectorof
olds—hootwithbranchletbase. c. Adaxial(lefthand)andabaxial(righthand)viewsofstem
leaf. —d.Smallsector, idealcross-secrion,adaxialsurfaceofleaf(left)andthatofabaxialsurface
(right). e.Sideviewoffloweratanthesis.
395
iScm
a
2cm
9
7-Smm
mm
FIG.2.(jinnulnui—etonhiiGmifrnwithG7m/.u;«,S'^/(«AS').--a.Arani,'cotprinupalslioorleaftypesand
sizesdraw—ntoscale. b.Openedcorol—la(withsmallportionoituberemovetl)toshowinnersur—face,
stamens. c.Gynoecium,sideview. d.Adaxial(left)andabaxial(right)viewotanthers. e.
Gsyhnooweicnigalplbaacsee,ntiadteiaolnvi(reiwg,hts)h.ow—ingf.pClaalcyexm,enotpeonCenduttloetsshoonwgfyrnuoitphpolraece(mleefntt),anadniaiumieuds.ian-logn.giOspeectnieodn
calyxtoshowarrani^ementotcalyxteeth.
396
and Lipcurvecl, 2.5—3.1 mm long, clefttonearbase, theteeth narrowly
mtrmi.angCuolraorl-lsaubsutlraoten,glylibkielwaibsieatev,ar2ia0b-ly25hirmsumte-lcoinligatteotwiipthofhlaoiwresrulnidp,erthe1
slendertubegraduallybroadenedtoageniculationatthroatbaseca.2mm
abovecalyxsinus, funnelformtoleveloflimb, frombasetolimbdensely
villosewithin; upperlipgaleate, broadlyoblong, 10- 11 mmlong, the
keelcontinuouswiththeuppersideofthroat,projectedoutwardandfor-
wardasastrongarch,apicallyemarginate;lowercorollalipbentabruptly
down, slightlylonger, trilobed, thelateralsascending-oblong,producing
anascending,oblong-roundedextension,thecentrallobeshortest,obcor-
date;corollatubeandthroatadaxiallylavender-bluetolavender-rose, the
upper Up uniformly lavender, the lower lip and throat medially with a
broadlongitudinalzoneofwhiteorcreammottledwithspotsandstreaksof
deeppurple, theborderinglobesandedgesagain uniformlylavender, all
edgesintermittentlypilose-ciliate, theexternalsurfaceswithamixtureof
downyandvilloushairsandgland-dotted. Stamenstetradynamous, both
pairs roughly paralleling the upper lip and directly under its keel, the
shorterpairextendingca. toits tip, thelongerslightly beyond, arching
outward and downward, theanthersslightlydivergentonbroadconnec-
mm
tive, ca. 1 long, broadest across the base, the thecae dark purple,
white-villous-pilose along the dehiscence line. Style sigmoid, its bifid-
ostbiogvmoaitdo,se1t—i1p.e2xsemrtmedlsolnigg,htlbyrobweny,onvderlyeveflinoelfyanrtehteircsu.latNeuttloewtasrmdosatpelxy.4,
Twt:U.S.A.FLORIDA.PutnamCo.:SandPineScrub,undevelopedsubdivision,SE
oonnrFilia^.htr,dth1e0n0,ce2tmoiinftrerosmecFtlioornaBhloomsesotmheanncedrGoarledftenonStH.,ol2l0adSaeypR1d9.901,.9Rombier/toB.BlMocsCsaormlnRedy..
s.n. dioi.ur^-pi':SMU;i.scri^-i'i;:VCB).
Additionalspecimensexamined: T()PcnYPi:.s: 12Oct 1990, R.K. GodfreywithAngus
67Wjw/<S'4Wi,S(BH,\\FLAS,FSU,GA,GH,K,NCU,NY,PH,RSA,TENN,TEX,UC,
use, US, VDB,VSC.WAT, WILLI).
The habitat in detail is a deep white-sand scrub dominated by Finns
dauici. OiiercHSchapmanii, Q. geminata. Q. myrtifolia, withsomeQ. laevis
and amixed understoryo'iSnawanpens. Smilax, Perseahz/milis. Asifnina,
CenitioLi. Sai^eretui mnuitiflora, Ilex ciiniulKola. Licania. Riihus cumifolim,
Garhcrui, and herbs such as Eiipatorium ampoutofliiim. Liatris chapmanii,
Baldiiniaangintijolia.Carphephoruscorymhosi/s, Chrysopsisscahrella,Palafoxia
integrijolia, Ekphantopus, Polygonella. TheConradinaaremostabundantin
sandy natural orartificial clearings, less so in the scrub itself; it would
appear, therefore, thatthismintrespondsabundantlytodisturbance(his-
toricallythisprobablyfire)asdomanyoftheothershrubsandherbsofthis
habitat type.
.
397
Thosewho workwith Conradinawill agreethatC. etomaasdescribed
heresharesmorecharacterstateswithC.grandtflorathanitdoeswithany
other Conradina, that it shares similar habitat, and that it is closest
geographicallytothatspecies. Thustheburdenofproofisinestablishing
the most apparentdifferences incharacterbetweenthe two:
1 IndumentumofyoungshootsofCetoniaispuberulent,thehairsthus
minute, spreadmg, downy; that ofC. grandiflora, likewise minute and
abundant, is mostly upcurved. That ofinflorescence branches in both is
alsoabundantandminute,butthatoftheformerisagainspreading,more
uniform, while in thelatter it may be admixedCwith some pilosity.
2. Leavesofthetwodifferstrongly, thoseof etomabeingdistinctly
broaderwithlateralveinsquiteevidentontheundersurface,afeatureheld
bynootherknownspeciesofConradina;bothadaxialandabaxialsurfaces
aredullgreen,eachwithauniformspreading-and-downypuberulence(the
texture ofthis adaxial side much like that ofthe undersurfaceofChalk
Mapleleaves!),thatoftheadaxialsurfaceslightlylessthanthatofthepaler,
abaxial side. In C. grandijiora the adaxial side ofthe leafis dark green,
lustrous, withaminute, incurved, harderpubescence, thatoftheabaxial
sideiswhitenedbyadensematofwhite,short,appressedtomentulumand
shows no branching from theusuallysparselystrigillose midrib.
3. Dimensions, shapes, and pollination guide markings in flowers of
both species overlap very much, with calices extremely similar in size-
range, but those ofC. etonia(again) with puberulence denserand more
uniform (downy), very rarelywiththetubehavingany pilosityand this
confined toafew "whiskers" atortoward itsbase; inC. grandifloramost
specimens show a very strongly gradate pubescenceofcalyx tube, from
somelongpilosityover 1mmtoanadmixofshorterpilosity,somegland-
tipped,andpuberulence. Calyxteethinbotharehirsute-ciliate, butsuch
hairs inC. etoniaareshorter, moreuniform. Corollasofthesespeciesare
hardlydistinguishable.
4.Stamensofthetwospeciesareagainverysimilarastosizeandshape,
butwhileanthersofC.etoniaarebedeckedwithadistinctivelongfringeof
whitepilose-villous hairs, those ofC grandiflora have fewerand shorter
hairs, thesetendingtobeconcentratedmoreatanthersactipsandbases.
ThefeaturesdetailedaboveconvinceusthatC. etoniacouldwellbethe
best-marked species in a genus whose species differ mostly in very fine
characters.
WearehopefulthatfurtherexplorationofthenorthernlobesofFlorida
scrubhabitatwillyieldmorerecordsforthisbeautifulnewspecies.Indeed,
it may show us some intermediates. A clue to this isa VolusiaCounty
collection ofC. grandiflora(Sand Pinesandridge by1-95, 0.6mi S Port
398
Orani^a-exit,28Aug 1974,Knil34022)inwhichnewshootshaveanatyp-
icalspreadingdowninesssimihirtothatinournewspecies. Buteventhis
material in nocnherway resemblesC. etonia.
BecauseConradinaetoniaisrareandperhapsrestrictedtoasmallareaof
highlyvulnerablehabitat, wehaveattemptedtoexpeditethepublication
ofitsdescriptionandinitiateappropriateprotectionstrategies.Theknown
range is within a subdivided tract with streets roughed-in and a few
residences built. Botanists, the general public, and affected property
ownerswillhopefullyrefrainfromactionswhichmightfurtherjeopardize
thesurvival of this speciesand will support efforts toconserve it.
ri;i'i;ri-nc:1':s
C;RAY,'I'.C. Iyd"),amonograpliofrhcgenusConradniaA.Gray(Labiatae).Unpublished
Pli.l). rlu-sis, VandcrbiltUniversity.
KRAL,R. I9,St.Areportonsomerare,threatened,orendangeredforesc-relatedvascuhir
phuirsoftheSouth. USDAForestServiceTech. Pub. R8-TP2,1305pp.
SHINNliRS, I. H. 1962.SynopsisofC««rW/«./(Labiatae).Sida l(2):8'1-88.
SMALL,j. K. 1933.Manualofthesoutheasternflora. Publ.bytheAuthor. NewYork.