v species of Dai/i/anthus (Asteraceae: Heliantheae) from Veracruz, Mexico. Phytoneuron 2011-25: :

A NEW SPECIES OF DAVILANTHUS (ASTERACEAE: HELIANTHEAE)
FROM VERACRUZ, MEXICO

Billie L. Turner
Plant Resources Center
The University of Texas

Austin, TX 78712

biliie@uts.ec.utexas.edu

ABSTRACT

A new species, Davilanthus veracruzanus B.L. Turner, sp. nov., is described from
Veracruz, Mexico. It is closely related to the recently described D. hidalgocmus (Schilling & Panero
20 10) but differs by numerous features, both vegetative and floral.
KEY WORDS: Asteraceae, Heliantheae. Viguiera, Davilanthus, Mexico, Veracruz

Routine identification of Mexican Asteraceae has occasioned the present paper.

Davilanthus veracruzanus B.L. Turner, sp nov. Fig. 1

Davilantho hidalgoano Schilling & Panero similis sed differt foliis superis subcordatis (vs
lanceolatis). bracteis involucri numerosioribus (30-35 vs 10-15) seriei intimae apicaliler reflexis (vs.
non rellexis), etacheniis sparsim pubescentibus (vs. dense pubescentibus).

Type: MEXICO. Veracruz. Mpio. Tepetlan: 3 km despues de Colonia Enriquez rumbo a
Mafafas ... bosque de Ouercus. 28 Sep 1986, M. Chazaro B. & P. Hdez. Chazaro 4014 (holotype:
TEX).

Perennial herbs to 1.5 m (?) high. Upper stems, sparsely pubescent with spreading hairs ca
2 mm high, beneath these a more numerous array of shorter hairs. Leaves (upper) mostly opposite,
10-14 cm long, 4—6 cm wide; petioles 2-3 cm long; blades subcordate, markedly appressed-
pubescent beneath, less so above, the margins irregularly serrate, 3-nervate from the very base.
Capitulescence a terminal, paniculate, leafy cyme, the ultimate peduncles 2-4 cm long, pubescent
like the stems. Heads ca 1.2 cm high, 1.5 cm across (the rays excluded); involucral bracts 30-35,
lanceolate, 6-8 mm long, 1.0-1.5 mm wide, scarcely gradate, pubescent with oppressed white hairs,
the innermost reflexed for 3-4 mm at their apices. Receptacles ca 6 mm across, paleate; pales linear-
lanceolate, shorter than the disc corollas. Ray florets 11, sterile; rays yellow, 10-16 mm long, 4-5
mm wide; achenes abortive, flattened, glabrous, the pappus a poorly defined row of short scales. Disc
florets numerous; corollas yellow, hispidulous; tube ca 1 mm long; throat ca 4 mm long; achenes
fertile, ca 1.5 mm long, sparsely pubescent especially along their margins: pappus of two lateral
scales ca 2 nun long, between these 3-4 ciliate scales ca 0.8 mm long.

When first encountered, I took the present novelty to be a species of Viguiera. My colleague
Jose Panero, seeing the sheet concerned, called to my attention that it was certainly a close relative of
Davilanthus hidalgoanus, this soon to be part of a proposed new genus Davilanthus (Schilling &
Panero 2010). Subsequent study of the holotype convinced me that it represents a new member of
that complex. It is named for the state of Veracruz, whence the type.

The present novelty brings to seven the number of species currently positioned in

Davilanthus. Their distributions are shown in Maps 1 and 2.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am, as always, grateful to Guy Nesom for the review and Latin diagnosis and to my close
colleague Jose Panero for proofreading the paper and calling my attention to the relationship of the
species concerned with Davilanthus.

LITERATURE CITED

Schilling, E.E. and J.L. Panero. 2010. Transfers to Simsia and description of Davilanthus, a new
genus of Asteraceae (Heliantheae). Brittonia 62: 309-320.

DAVILANTHUS
O davilae

• grammatoglossus
h hidalgoanus

Map 1. Distribution of Davilanthus davilae, D. grammatoglossus, andZ). hidalgoanus.

Map 2. Distribution of Davilanthus huajuapanus, D. purpusii, D. -

Turner: New species of Davilanthus 3

©

Figure 1. Holotype of Davilanthus veracruzanus.