Deuterocohnia meziana subsp. vogtii N.Schütz, 2014

Deuterocohnia meziana subsp. vogtii N.Schütz View in CoL subsp. nov.

Type:— PARAGUAY. Dept. Presidente Hayes: Distr. Puerto Pinasco, Laguna Ganso , 22°34'05'' S, 59°35'08'' W, 120 m, 10 December 2010, Vogt 970 (holoptye: FCQ! GoogleMaps , isotype: FACEN GoogleMaps ).

Deuterocohnia meziana subsp. vogtii is similar to Deuterocohnia meziana subsp. carmineo-viridiflora , but differs in having shorter leaf blades, 30–60 cm (vs. 40–70 cm), few-flowered inflorescences, inconspicuous floral bracts (vs. floral bracts up to 5 mm long), longer flowers of 35–50 mm (vs. 25–35 (–45) mm) and rose to magenta (vs. carmine-red) petals.

Leaf blade length 30–60 cm. Inflorescence lax, few-flowered. Floral bracts inconspicuous. Flowers 35–45 mm long, sessile to shortly pedicellate, pedicels up to 5 mm long. Sepals 15–20 mm long, rose. Petals 40–50 mm long, rose to magenta, with greenish apex.

Distribution: — PARAGUAY: Dept. Alto Paraguay, Boqueron, Presidente Hayes. 20°15′– 22°40'S; 59°25′– 60°45' W.

Habitat and ecology: —Ecoregion: Chaco savannas. At elevations of 100– 300 m. Terrestrial, on clay soils, on arenaceous underground, between rocks, in the understorey of open dry forests and shrublands, solitary or in groups. Growing together with Aspidosperma spec. (Apocynaceae) , Bulnesia sarmientoi Lorentz ex Griseb. (1879: 75) (Zygophyllaceae) , Capparis spec. (Capparaceae) , Deinacanthon urbanianum Mez (1896: 13) , Dyckia ferox Mez (1896: 511) (Bromeliaceae) , Prosopis sericantha Gillies ex Hook. (1833: 204) (Fabaceae) , Maytenus vitis-idaea Griseb. (1874: 110) (Celastraceae) and Trithrinax schizophylla Drude (1882: 551) (Arecaceae) . Flowers reported from September to February. Pollinated probably by hummingbirds as is the case for the other subspecies of D. meziana .

Etymology: —The name of the subspecies is dedicated to the Paraguayan phytosociologist Christian Vogt, who collected the type specimen.

Affinities: — Deuterocohnia meziana subsp. vogtii is similar to D. meziana subsp. carmineo-viridiflora , both subspecies share the long, sessile to pedicellate flowers in reddish colours, spread on a long and up to four times branched inflorescence. This separates both taxa conspicuously from the remaining subspecies. Deuterocohnia meziana subsp. vogtii differs from D. meziana subsp. carmineo-viridiflora in having more laxly flowered secondary branches, minute floral bracts, magenta-greenish petals and shorter leaf blades. Furthermore, the latter occurs in the mountain range of the Bolivian departments Cochabamba and Santa Cruz, whereas Deuterocohnia meziana subsp vogtii grows in the Chaco savannas of Paraguay.

Specimens examined: — PARAGUAY. Dept. Alto Paraguay: Tyto. Lageranza –4 de Mayo, 20°07'34'' S, 60°31'55'' W, 17 March 1996, Mereles and Degen 6330 (FCQ); Parque Nacional Defensors del Chaco, 20°15'23'' S, 59°45'32'' W, 14 August 1998, Mereles et al. 7381 (FCQ). Distr. Mayor Pablo Lagerenza: SW of Cerro Leon, 20 km before Capitan Pablo Lagerenza, 20°15' S, 60°32' W, 295 m, 1996, Amerhauser 96-11 (WU (2 sheets)); proposed Biosphere Reserve "Gran Chaco Americano", Madrejon–Agua Dulce, 20°19'22'' S, 59°45'32'' W, 170 m, 07 February 2002, Zardini and Gomez-Cabrera 58178 (WU (2 sheets)); Cerro León   GoogleMaps , 20°26' S, 60°15' W, 02 October 1979, Schinini and Bordas 17820 (UC); ibid.: 25 August 1981 Schinini et al. 21173 (C); Parque National Defensores del Chaco   GoogleMaps , 20°33'24'' S, 59°50'28'' W, 12 February 1999, Zardini and Godoy 50020 (WU); Reserva Riacho Florida, 20°47'55'' S, 59°25'37'' W, 110 m, 19 September 2007, Vogt 688 (FCQ). Dept. Boquerón: Ayoreo-settlement “Jesudi”, 19 January 2004, Vogt 115 (FCQ); ibid. Vogt 117 (FCQ); Colony Fernheim, 7 km from the village Hohenau, 22°36'26.2'' S, 59°56'24.6'' W, 18 February 2005, Vogt 197 (FCQ); road between Tte. Montania and Mcal. Estigarribía, 21°50'34.6'' S, 60°08'43.5'' W, 07 Feb. 2005, Vogt and Mereles 227 (FCQ). Distr. Grl. Eugenio Garay: Fortin Teniente Montania–Fortin Madrejon, km 38, 21°45' S, 60°00' W, 12 October 1977, Evrard 8117 (US); Distr. Mariscal José Felíx Estigarribia: 22°02' S, 60°38' W, December 1936, Rojas 7515 (GH); Chaco Paraguay, López de Filippi   GoogleMaps , 22°02' S, 60°38' W, 06 Nov. 1945, Rojas s.n. (LIL). Dept. Presidente Hayes: Distr. Puerto Pinasco: Laguna Ganso, 22°34'05'' S, 59°35'08'' W, (120 m), 10 December 2010, Vogt 970 (FCQ).

Specimens of Deuterocohnia meziana not assignable to one of the subspecies (due to insufficient herbarium material):— BOLIVIA. without precise locality: 16 July 1978, Rauh s.n. (US 00386035). Dept. Santa Cruz: Prov. Nuflo de Chavez   GoogleMaps : Lomerios   GoogleMaps at 359 km, 59°03' W, 300–400 m, 30 October 1999, Agreda and Wood 30 (USZ). Prov. Caballero: Comarapa   GoogleMaps to Vallegrande, 17°55' S, 64°30' W, 2100 m, November 1947, Cárdenas 4007 ( US); 3 km (air line) WSW of Comarapa, 2.9 km by road from highway at Comarapa   GoogleMaps , on gravel road to Chilón, 17°55' S, 64°33' W, 1960 m, 26 November 1999, Nee 50662 (NY, USZ); Saipina   GoogleMaps ; 3 km E of Los Thacras, 18°03'18'' S, 64°33'40'' W, 1660 m, 20 January 1995, Balcazar 100 (USZ); 7 km from Saipina   GoogleMaps , E side of Río Mizque   GoogleMaps , near archaeological pictograph site, 18°05' S, 64°35' W, 1450 m, 07 August 1987, Nee and Coimbra 35574 (NY); 5.4 km E of Saipina on road to Pulquina, 18°05'38'' S, 64°32'34'' W, 1465 m, 10 December 2005, Nee et al. 53741 (NY). Prov. Cordillera: Estancia Isla Verde, vicinity of Bañados del Izozog   GoogleMaps , Río Parapeti   GoogleMaps , 20 km air line NE of the Estancia, 19°25' S, 62°40' W, 300 m, 17 August 1997, Fuentes and Navarro 1992 (USZ); Hacienda Yatihuiwa, 19°53' S, 63°31' W, 870 m, 25 July 1998, Portugal et al. 198 (LPB); Estancia Cerro Colorado, near Cerro Colorado, 12 December 1993, Navarro 2153 (USZ). Dept. Tarija: Prov. Gran Chaco: Palos Blancos 3 km towards Puerto Margarita via Rio Pilcomayo   GoogleMaps , 21°25' S, 63°45' W, 625 m, 24 December 1983, Beck and Liberman 9727 (LPB (2 sheets), USZ).

PARAGUAY: Near Mayor Santa Cruz, 22 October 1980, Fernández Casas 4405 (NY); s.d., Collins 9-19 (GH).

s. loco: Arenas s.n. ( US 2825570); coll. ign. (HEID 600156).

Putative hybrid zones between the subspecies have been observed, e.g. in the border region of Chuquisaca, Santa Cruz and Cochabamba ( Bolivia), where neighbouring populations showed gradual differences in certain characters (e.g., pedicel length). Sometimes different characters states (e.g., flower colour) were even found in the same population. Putative hybrids: Prov. Vallegrande: Road from Vallegrande to Villa Serrano, between Pucara and the bridge Santa   GoogleMaps Rosa over Río Grande, 18°42′20′′ S, 64°16′40′′ W, 1470 m, 29 September 2009, Schütz et al. 09- 004 (FR, LPB); ibid.: Schütz et al. 09-005 (LPB); Schütz et al. 09-006 (LPB); Schütz et al. 09-007 (LPB).