Altensteinia fiebrigii, 2020

AA FIEBRIGII (Schltr.) Schltr. Repert. View in CoL Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 11: 150. 1912. [20 Jul 1912]. Altensteinia fiebrigii Schltr. Repert. View in CoL Spec. Nov. Regni Veg.10: 445. 1912. TYPE: BOLIVIA. [Tarija]: ‘Bei Calderillo’, 3200 m.a.s.l., March 1904, K. Fiebrig 3557 (neotype: G00168571! designated here; isoneotypes: B100002790!, HBG500272!, M0066903!, Z000050848!).

Plants terrestrial and/or epiphytic. Roots fleshy, fasciculate. Leaves basal, lanceolate, acute, 8–20 3 1–3 cm. Inflorescence erect, up 25 cm long, pubescent, enclosed by diaphanous sheaths, terminated in a densely many-flowered cylindrical spike 5–6 cm long, rachis of the spike densely pilose. Floral bracts ovate, rounded to acute, margins slightly erose, dorsally hairy, 3.5 3 5 mm, reflexed, somewhat surpassing the flowers. Flowers white or slightly greenish. Dorsal sepal oblong to ovate, acute, entire, dorsally hairy at the base, recurved, 1.8–2.5 3 1–1.3 mm. Lateral sepals obliquely oblong-lanceolate, rounded, somewhat carinate to erose, glabrous, 3–4 3 1–1.5 mm. Petals obliquely linear-lanceolate, rounded to acute, entire to somewhat sub-dentate, reflexed, 1.8–2.7 3 0.7–1 mm. Lip cucullate, globose, fleshy (especially in the center), 3-lobed, with margins involute, lacerate to fimbriate, 3.7 3 5 mm. Column short, sessile, glabrous. Ovary sessile, subcylindric, pilose, 1.5–3 mm long.

Distribution and Habitat — Aa fiebrigii occurs in Bolivia (Tarija Department) and Argentina (Jujuy and Tucumán Provinces) at 1700–2700 m a. s. l., in humid montane grassland and forest of Yungas. This species has also been found growing as an epiphyte on Polylepis spp. ( Rosaceae ) and Sambucus nigra var. peruviana ( Adoxaceae ). Flowering plants have been recorded from December to March, and fruiting has been recorded in March.

Taxonomic Notes — Aa fiebrigii is similar to Aa weddelliana ; the taxa differ in that the leaves shorter than the length of the scape, narrowly lanceolate (vs. leaves one to two times longer than the scape, ovate in A. weddelliana ), rachis densely pilose (vs. sparsely pilose), and floral bracts irregularly dentate (vs. erose).

In the protologue of Altensteinia fiebrigii, Schlechter (1912: 445) cited ‘ Bolivia: Bei Calderillo, c. 3200 m ü. D. M.- K. Fiebrig no. 2920, blühend im März 1904,’ but did not specify an herbarium where the type specimen was deposited. The type specimen of A. fiebrigii deposited in B was destroyed in the Second World War (Dr. R. Vogt pers. comm.). We found some specimens corresponding to A. fiebrigii (collected by Fiebrig) in AMES, B, HBG, M, and Z, whose labels have the same locality and date (cited by Schlechter 1912) but a different collection number (3557 instead of 2920). A neotype for the name A. fiebrigii is necessary (cf. Art. 9.13–9.16, Turland et al. 2018). Therefore, we choose the sheet G00168571! as neotype because it is a complete specimen.

Representative Specimens Examined — Argentina. — JUJUY: Dr. Manuel Belgrano, entre León y Nevado de Chani~, Abra Delgada, 10-III-1963. H.A. Fabris4171 (CORD). — TUCUMAN: Chicligasta, Est. Las Pavas, Pte.La Cascada, 2600 m, 11-V-1924. S. Venturi 3018 (LIL). (Alpachiri) El Bolsón a la Cascada, 26-III-1953. T. Meyer 17718 (LIL). Orilla de Laguna del Tesoro, 08-I-1965. Legname & Cuezzo 5483c (LIL). Est. Las Pavas, 2700 m, 02-I-1927. S. Venturi 4823 (LIL). La Cascada (Est. Chipt.), 2600 m, 11-III-1924. S. Venturi 30187 (LIL). Taf´ ı, Corral de los tape~ nos, Carpinchango, 10-X-1907. M. Lillo 9400 (LIL).Quebrada de los Alisos, Casa de Piedra, 19-X-1907. M. Lillo 9399 (LIL). Quebrada Carpinchango, 1700 m, 23-I-1908. M. Lillo 7352 (LIL).

AA HIERONYMI (Cogn.) emend. Schltr., Repert. View in CoL Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 16: 437. 1920 [31 Jul 1920]. Altensteinia hieronymi Cogn., Fl. Bras. View in CoL 3: 3: 245. 1895. TYPE: ARGENTINA. Salta: ‘ad Cuesta inter Yacone et Los Potreros’, [17 March 1873], P.G. Lorentz et G.H.E.W. Hieronymus View in CoL 336 (first step of lectotypification designated by R. Schechter, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni. Veg. 16: 438, second step of lectotypification: GOET008354! designated here; isolectotype: CORD00002206!).

Plants terrestrial. Roots fleshy, fasciculate, pubescent. Leaves basal, ovate-lanceolate, 4–20 3 0.8–2 cm. Inflorescence slender, erect, up to 31 cm long, pubescent (hairs white, 1.2 mm long), enclosed by hyaline and diaphanous sheaths (margin fimbriate and pilose in the centre), terminated in a densely many flowered cylindrical spike 3–13 cm long, rachis of the spike pubescent. Floral bracts ovate, acute to obtuse, margins entire or slightly erose, reflexed, 9.5 3 6.2 mm. Flowers white, greenish at the base. Dorsal sepal oblong to ovate, slightly acute, margin entire, 1-nerved, 1.6 3 1.1 mm. Lateral sepals obliquely oblong-lanceolate, obtuse, sparingly glandulous pubescent, 1-nerved, 2.8 3 1.2 mm. Petals obliquely ovate-lanceolate, obtuse, margin entire, 1-nerved, 2.2 3 0.6 mm. Lip cucullate, globose, slightly 5-sublobed (the three central lobes smaller than the lateral lobes), margins involute, fimbriate, 2.0–2.5 3 3.7–5 mm. Column short, emarginate. Ovary sessile, globose to subcylindrical, glandulous pubescent, 3.2 3 4.2 mm.

Distribution and Habitat — Aa hieronymi occurs in northern Argentina (Jujuy and Salta) at 3000–3500 m a. s. l., growing in forests and montane grasslands of the Yungas. Flowering and fruiting plants have been recorded from January to March.

Taxonomic Notes — Aa hieronymi is easily distinguished from other Aa species by its densely pilose rachis, 5-sublobed lip, and glandulous pubescent ovary. When Cogniaux (1895: 245) described Altensteinia hieronymi , he cited seven collections [ Lorentz et Hieronymus 336; Lorentz et Hieronymus 617; F. Schickendantz 264; Hieronymus s.n.; Hieronymus sine no. et n. 796; Schnyder 598]. However, Altensteinia hieronymi was transferred to the genus Aa ( Schlechter 1912). Later, Schlechter (1920a, b) describe a new species based on some type materials cited by Cogniaux: Aa lorentzii ( Lorentz & Hieronymus 617), Aa schickendanzii (F. Schickendantz 264), and Aa achalensis ( Hieronymus 796). Subsequently, Schlechter (1920b: 438) designated a type specimen ( Lorentz et Hieronymus 336) and emended the morphological description of Aa hieronymi . We consider this action as a first step of lectotypification according to Art. 9.17 of the ICN ( Turland et al. 2018), but this author did not specify the herbarium where the type specimen was housed. We found two specimens that correspond to Lorentz et Hieronymus 336 (GOET and CORD). For this reason, we designate the sheet GOET008354! as a second step of lectotypification.

Representative Specimens Examined — Argentina. — JUJUY: Tumbaya, Abra Grande de Volcán, cumbres 3200 m, 23-I-1953. H. Sleumer 3510 (LIL). — SALTA: Santa Victoria, Arroyo Pe~ na Negra, 22° 15 0 060S 65°04 0 390W, 3360 m, 15-II-2009. F. O. Zuloaga, et al. 10762 (SI).