HEUCHERA WOODSIAPHILA (SAXIFRAGACEAE), A NEW SPECIES FROM THE CAPITAN MOUNTAINS OF NEW MEXICO

2008·10 MB·English

by  Patrick J Alexander

NEW
HEUCHERA A
W00DSIAPH1LA
(SAXIFRAGACEAE), SPECIES
NEW
FROM THE CAPITAN MOUNTAINS OF MEXICO
Alexander
Patrick
J.
MSC
Department 3AF
Biology
ABSTRACT
RESUMEN
Sacramento Mountains complex,
in the greater
a
*e
New
Mexico which
south-central includes
of also
:s
New
the highest point in the southern half of Mexico, Sierra Blanca Peak 3,649 m, and contain large
at
m
areas over 2,500 elevation. There are no similar mountain ranges nearby. The nearest peak exceeding
m
km
3,000 South Baldy in the Magdalena Mountains, 190 the west-northwest, while the nearest
to
ca.
is
km
peak equalling Sierra Blanca's height Tesuque Peak in the Sangre de Christo Mountains 320 to
ca.
is
the north. Consequently, there well-developed high- elevation in the Sacramento Mountains com-
a flora
is
plex that isolated from other areas with similar This area contains some of the most southeastern
floras.
is
members Rocky Mountain such Engelm. and
populations of typical of the as Piceapungens Abies
flora, bijolia
home
A. Murr. and 21 endemic plant Most botanical exploration in the area has been conducted
is to taxa.
in the Sacramento Mountains proper and on Sierra Blanca. The Capitan Mountains and Carrizo Mountain,
both on northern end Sacramento Mountains complex, comparatively
granite laccoliths the of the are dif-
and from remain known.
ficult to access distant centers of botanical research. Their floras poorly thus
It is
no coincidence that the Capitan Mountains yielded the most recently described of the endemics of the
& &
Sacramento Mts. complex, Astragalus kerrii Knight Cully (Knight Cully 1991), as well as the presently
The endemic flora of the Sacramento Mountains complex has traditionally included a Heuchera, H.
& &
wootonii Rydb. of section Parvijoliae (Small Rydberg 1905; Calder Savile 1959; Rosendahl 1936).
et
al.
(New With
Mexico
Rare Plant Technical Council 1999; Shipes, personal communication). the presently-
B.
described H. woodsiaphila, the Sacramento Mountains complex gains an endemic Heuchera the same time
at
that risks losing one.
it
Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas 2(1)
Flow
Heuchera woodsiaphila, based on PI Alexander 390 and 5. Chaddie 1 35. A. Basal leaf. B. Habit. C. Stigma. D. Anther. E. Dissected flower. F.
1
Fig.
.
New
Heuchera woodsiaphila 1-3). Tw.
Alexander, sp. nov. (Figs. U.S.A.
EJ.
NMC;
boulders in stabilized, forested talus, 17 Jul 2006, EJ. Alexander 390. (holotype: isor
5-8
with
branching caudex; leaves lanceolate,
Herbs, perennial, acaulescent from an elongate, stipules
mm
with
whit-
glandular-puberulent, distally
long, adnate to the petioles ± 2/3 their length, entire, ciliate
mm
cm
4-8
glandular-
ascending, long,
gland-tipped trichomes 2 long; of the larger leaves
to petioles
ish,
mm
and with minutely gland-tipped, multicellular hairs to 5(-8) long;
puberulent white,
sparsely villous
cm
2.5-4 wide and 2-3.5
sub-reniform broadly the base cordate, the larger leaves
blades green, to ovate,
mm
mucros
cm 25-30 mucronate, whitish long,
with ± broad these the to
shallowly 5-lobed, teeth, 1
long,
A new New
Heuchera from Mexico
Alexander, species of
mucros on margins primary
minutely gland-tipped, secondary teeth often reduced to the lateral of the teeth,
margins also with minute, translucent, gland-tipped projections, surfaces glandular-pulverulent, also spar-
mm
8-20
stems
flowering
ingly villous on the veins adaxially, with white, gland-tipped hairs to 2 long;
cm
with 1-3 these
high, subscapose, glandular-puberulent throughout, usually sterile bracts (or absent),
mm mm
3-5
4-15 by 4-15
with green resembling the basal long wide,
the bracts blades, leaves,
sterile
acuminate short-mucronate, surfaces glandular-
lobed, lobes of the larger bracts crenate-dentate, the teeth to
cm 1-4
pulverulent; inflorescences 3-4 long, secund or subsecund, flowers born in small cymules of
mm, mm;
mm,
1-2
peduncles mostly ± the lower often elongate to 7 the pedicels bracts of the
flowers,
1
mm
3-5
inflorescence variable, the lowest resembling the leaf-like sterile bracts, the rest linear, long, pale
green or whitish anthesis, often becoming pinkish with age, glandular-puberulent, the stipules represented
at
cymules becoming
by teeth or absent, margins entire or distally fimbriate, bractlets of the
lateral aristate
mm
hypanthium
5.25-6
progressively smaller; flowers apetalous, regular or nearly so, long at anthesis, the
mm
1-1.5 long, widening gently from the inferior portion of the ovary; sepals 5, equal, greenish-white to
mm
cream sometimes becoming pinkish oblong with obtuse 2.75-3.75
in
anthesis, the tips fruit, tips,
at
from hypanthium below
long, densely glandular-puberulent on both surfaces; stamens arising the slightly
5,
mm
the bases of the sepals, ± 2 long, gently incurved, persisting until after dehiscence of the capsule, the
mm mm
filaments ± long and the anthers ± 0.7 long, deeply cordate, orange, red or purplish at anthesis;
1.5
mm
2-2.5 wide and
gynoecium of 2 carpels, anthesis with the inferior portion of the ovary hemispheric,
at
mm
mm
mm,
com-
± 1.25 the and beaks of the carpels separate for ± 2 the last 1-1.5 of this
long, styles
wider than capsules
prising the true closed styles, styles included with capitate stigmas slightly the styles;
mm
ovoid with nearly hemispherical base, 5.5-6.5 long, the beaks of the carpels splitting longitudinally
a
mm,
on their interior surfaces, the styles slightly curved outwards, equaling the sepals or exserted to 1 the
mm
beaks seeds dark brown, narrowly ±
true closed 1-1.5 long above the of the carpels; ellipsoid,
styles
mm mm
by
0.75 long ± 0.3 wide, the surfaces echinulate.
Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas
2(1)
Known distribution of Heuchera woodsiaphila. Map drawn based on the USGS 1:250,000 Roswel! quadrangle topographic map.
3.
Fig.
Etymology.—The with Woodsia plummerae
specific epithet refers to the close association of this species
Lemmon,
which and most abundant
ubiquitous populations of H. woodsiaphila often the vascular
is at is
immediate
plant in the
vicinity.
—
and
Phenology. Specimens collected in July and August include both mature fruits flowers at anthesis.
—
known
Geography and Heuchera woodsiaphila presently only from Capitan Peak at the eastern
habitat. is
New
end Mountains Mexico where has been observed from
of the Capitan in Lincoln County, (Fig.
3), it
m
2,550 to 2,900 in elevation along the Capitan Peak Trail, Lincoln National Forest Trail #64. It is found at
moist on north usually under cover of Pseudotsuga
locally sites or northeast, stable, forested granitic talus,
&
menziesii (Mirb.) Franco or Abies concolor Lindl. Gord. and in association with Woodsia plummerae. These
Much
burned and
moist sites are many, but small and scattered. of the forest in this area has recently, H.
unburned
woodsiaphila appears be equally abundant in burned and areas.
to
members
Distinction from other Heuchera. Heuchera woodsiaphila very similar to of Heuchera section
is
members
has
Holochloa Nutt. subsection Cylindricae Rydb. Like other of subsection Cylindricae, elongate
it
mm
(5-8 in the subsection), white or whitish, actinomorphic or slightly zygomorphic, apetalous flowers
with campanulate hypanthia and long (2.5-6 in the subsection), erect sepals. Heuchera woodsiaphila
is
rr
l
widely disjunct from other members of the subs< tion, which are present in the northwestern United States
known
Nevada
and adjacent Canada. The nearest populati:tions of H. cylindrica Dougl. are in northeastern
km
more 900
than
the northwest.
to
Taxonomy
The
of subsection Cylindricae uncertain.
is
<
&
specific ranks, of these taxa apparently intergrading to a (Calder Savile 1959;
all it
A new Heuchera from New Mexico 451
Alexander, species of
and
Rosendahl In comparatively recent of the northwestern United States adjacent Canada,
1936). floras
et al.
two and polymorphic
subsection Cylindricae generally treated as species: H. chlorantha Piper a highly H.
is
&
on most monographic
Douglas Hitchcock Cronquist Based the recent
1991; 1973).
cylindrica et
(e.g., al.
K
&
most
treatment of subsection Cylindricae (Calder Savile 1959), H. woodsiaphila is similar to saxicola E.
&
Nelson and Dougl. and (Rosend. Calder from
H. cylindrica vars. cylindrica orbicularis et Savile. differs
al.) It
the former lacking dense, viscid pubescence, in having leaves with cordate bases, and in having smaller
in
from above-mentioned
bracts within the inflorescence. Heuchera woodsiaphila differs the varieties of H. cy-
in having shorter scapes (8-20 vs 22-70 cm) and usually having bracts with well-developed
lindrica sterile
blades. Although Calder and Savile (1959) do not discuss characters of the androecium or gynoecium in
by Rosendahl Following
depth, these are described in detail et (1936). the latter treatment, H. woodsiaphila
al.
known
members
also differs from the of subsection Cylindricae in having shorter anthers (0.7 vs. 0.9-1.5
mm)
and mm). To from
longer true closed styles (1-1.5 vs. < 0.5 aid in distinction of this species others in
New
Mexico, key provided below.
a
is
NEW
TO THE HEUCHERA OF MEXICO
KEY
SPECIES
Flowers pinkish to
red.
1.
much
Stamens about equaling or exceeding the hypanthium; petals shorter than the sepals or
slightly
2.
H.rubescensTorr.
Hypanthium
shortest point; es only
3. 1.5 s styl s
r
H.pulchellaWoot.&
Standi.
cream, or greenish white.
,
Hypanth ; deep, campanulate; petals erect and shorter than d equalir
a
t<
basally and spreading apically or erect
<
throughout.
mm
cm
8-20 woodsiaphila Alexander
scapes H.
Petals absent; sepals 2.5 or longer;
5. P.J.
mm
cm
scapes 25 more.
Petals present; sepals 2 or or
less;
5.
mm
>
Sepals glandular-puberulent, the longest hairs < 0.2 mrr osed styles present, 0.5
6.
H.novomexicanaWheelock
^
™
^
6 n d hirSUte n9eSt 3 "°' 6 ig;true<
'° '°'
'
btnt ' H.alomerulata
fp^renllv Rosend.
a etal.
Hypanthia shallow, saucer-shaped; petals spreading, usually longer than he sepals, rarely equaling them;
t
sepals green throughout, spreading.
H.wootoniiRvdb.
and
Petioles hirsute; plants of Lincoln, Otero, Catron Counties.
7.
New &
Petioies merely puberulent; plants of north-central Mexi CO H. parvifolia Nutt. exTorr. A. Grav
7.
new
group
Although production comprehensive keys subsection Cylindricae best awaits revision of the
of for
and thus beyond the scope of the present work, the key of Calder and Savile (1959) can be modified to
is
"2"
accommodate H. woodsiaphila by replacing the half of couplet with the following:
first
mm mm
and
Well-developed bracts of panicle 4.0-1 5.0 long and 2.5-15.0 wide, excluding often greer
2. cilia,
many
2a. Leaf blades with viscid hairs, especially above, retaining soil and plant particles; leaf bases truncate to
H. saxicola Nelson
broadly cuneate, cordate
rarely slightly E.
2b. Leaf blades glandular-pulverulent but not viscid, not retaining soil and plant particles; leaf bases strongly
woodsiaphila
Alexander
cordate H.
PJ.
—
UNM
UTEP
Other Of the other major regional herbaria only and have specimens of Heuchera
specimens.
On
no
from the Sacramento Mountains complex. viewing the collections of these herbaria additional speci-
mens
were
of H. woodsiaphila found.
—
H
component was
Although conspicuous of the Capitan Peak, woodsiaphila
Discussion. a flora at still
unknown when stumbled upon while hiking peak 2006. Although quickly found Chaddie's
the in
S.
it I
I
and was same
1995 specimen from Capitan Peak but misidentified as H. novomexicand) determined the
(also it
my
new
as collection, could not identify these plants. Discussion with other botanists in the state, notably
I
New
known
Robert Sivinski, quickly made clear that this was not a species from Mexico but left open the
it
monograph by
well-known comprehensive Heuchera
was elsewhere. In the of
possibility that a species
it
Rosendahl H. woodsiaphila clearly into Heuchera section Holochloa subsection Cylindricae.
et (1936), falls
al.
Although H. woodsiaphila readily distinct from taxa of subsection Cylindricae as they are described in the
is
monographic treatments of Rosendahl (1936) and Calder and Savile (1959), the confused nature of this
et
al.
named
makes found both
subsection ascertain the limits of the considerable variation in the
difficult to
it
taxa and their various hybrids. The proper status of H. woodsiaphila thus difficult to determine at present.
is
hiding
Although could be argued that H. woodsiaphila better treated as a variety of H. cylindrica, varia-
is
it
tion within species tends in practice to obscure or give the impression that is unimportant. Further,
it it
would
would not in any way reduce the taxonomic uncertainty in subsection Cylindricae, but merely
this
an
maintain the same uncertainties at a different taxonomic level. Unfortunately adequate resolution to this
problem must modern
await revision of the subsection.
a
members
Although H. woodsiaphila very similar morphologically to of subsection Cylindricae, the pos-
is
New
known
may from among Mexican Heuchera and be only
hybridization
that this species result
sibility
convergent with members subsection should not be excluded. Leaves of H. woodsiaphila are
of Cylindricae
member
some polymorphic
in appearance those of specimens of the H. rubescens, a of section
identical to
&
Rhodoheuchera subsection Rubescentes Rydb. and, although difficult to distinguish in technical
R. B. L.
most
characters, seem subjectively rather different from those of subsection Cylindricae. Furthermore, char-
New
members
in which species from Mexican of section Holochloa, including the long
acteristics this differs
sepals, short scapes, and well- developed, leaf-like sterile bracts of the scape, can be found in H. rubescens.
Molecular phylogenetic analyses will probably be necessary to ascertain the affiliations of H. woodsiaphila
The
The highly restricted distribution of H. woodsiaphila also noteworthy. apparent limitation of this
is
On
may
Peak
Capitan
species to high-elevation, forested talus explain this limited distribution. the Trail,
On
H. wootonii occurs in similar habitat to H. woodsiaphila but at lower elevations (1,950 to 2,400 m). trips
Moun-
and
and mountains Blanca Carrizo
to the otherwise geologically floristically similar nearby, Sierra
on mountains
could find neither high- elevation, forested talus nor H. woodsiaphila. Instead, these the
tain,
I
m.
talus either bare or has only low, tangled vegetation and H. wootonii occurs to at least 3,000 In these
is
Windham Windham.
Here
mountains, found near Woodsia neomexicana or W.
H. wootonii often phillipsii
is
W. plummerae, which typically present with H. woodsiaphila, conspicuously absent. Both the Capitan
is
is
may
and
Mountains and nearby Carrizo Mountain are poorly explored botanically, however, H. woodsiaphila
known.
than
well have a broader geographic or ecological distribution presently
is
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
thank Richard Spellenberg assistance and motivation in preparing the manuscript, Katy Levings for
for
I
Nesom Ana
Guy Reina- Guerrero
creating the translating the diagnosis into Latin, Lilia for
illustration, for
vetting the Spanish translation of the abstract, and Robert Sivinski for helpful discussion regarding the
McDonald, and
distinctness of H. woodsiaphila. Larry Mellichamp, Barbara Greene Shipes, Charles B. Jane
comments.
Mygatt provided review
helpful
The complex and
and Heuchera adjacent
Calder, D.B.O. 959. Studies Saxifragaceae-I. cylindrica in
J.A. Savile. in
1
Columbia. 1:49-67.
to British Brittonia
1
and 991 .The vascular plants of Columbia: Part 3 - Dicotyledons
Douglas, G.W., G.B. Straley, D. Meidinger. British
1
and Columbia Van-
(Primulaceae through Zygophyllaceae) Pteridophytes, 77. Ministry of Forests,
British
p.
1
couver, Columbia. Special Rep. No.
British Ser.
3.
A new New
Alexander, species of Heuchera from Mexico 453
CL
and Washington
Hitchcock, A. Cronquist. 1973. Flora of the Pacific Northwest. University of Press, Seattle,
Washington.
A new New
Knight, PJ. and A.C. Cully. 991 species of Astragalus (Fabaceae) from southeastern Mexico. SouthW.
1
.
98-200.
Naturalist 36:1
New New
New Mexico Rare PlantTechnical Council 999. Mexico rare plants. Albuquerque, NM. Mexico Rare Plants
1
Home
December
Page, http://nmrareplants.unm.edu update: 6
(Latest 2007).
Rosendahl, CO., Butters, and 0. Lakela. 1936. A monograph on the genus Heuchera. University of Minnesota
F.K.
Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minnesota Stud. No.
Press,
Sci. 2.
PI.
Underwood
and North American LM. and N.L
PA. 905. Saxifragaceae.
Small, Rydberg. Flora. Vol. 22. Britton,
J.K. In:
1
New
York Garden, 81-158.
eds. Botanical Bronx. Pp.