Gloxinia major (Fritsch) C.A. Zanotti & Lizarazu, 2020

Gloxinia major (Fritsch) C.A. Zanotti & Lizarazu View in CoL , comb. nov.

Koellikeria major Fritsch, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 50: 398. 1914.

Type :— BOLIVIA. Chuquisaca: 31 Jan 1904, K. Fiebrig 2680 (lectotype G-00365303 image! , isolectotypes: F-0060594 image !, GH-0009215 image! ; lectotype designated by Araujo et al. 2012).

Perennial herbs, 15–25 cm high; with scaly rhizomes, with freshy scales, without stolons. Stems terete, erect, unbranched, hispid. Leaves opposite, entire, petiole 1.3–2.9 cm long, blade margin serrate to crenate, 5–8 pairs of secondary veins, 7–12.3 × 6–6.9 cm, obovate to elliptic, apex acute to obtuse, base mildly asymmetrical, cuneate or attenuate, both surfaces pubescent and greenish. Inflorescence racemose, bracteose, raceme terminal or axillary, peduncle 3–9 cm long, hispid. Flowers almost actinomorphic, pedicel erect, (5–) 12–15 mm long, hispid, bracteolate; bract linear to filiform, green, 2.5–3× 0.5–0.7 mm. Sepals 5, free, aestivation valvate, 4–6 mm long, linear to lanceolate, green, margin entire. Corolla infundibuliform, aestivation imbricate, tube 6–7.9 × 3.4–3.6 mm, subglabrous inside, sparsely pubescent outside, with non-glandular, uniseriate long trichomes; tube white, throat white to pinkish, lobes white, slightly sinuate margins, erect or mildly oblique in the calyx, limb of 4 equal lobes, 3–4 × 3–4 mm, only one lobe is mildly toothed. Stamens 4, 1.5–2 mm long, included in the corolla, filaments glabrous, anthers coherent opening by longitudinal slits, staminode 1; annular nectary unlobed. Ovary inferior, style glabrous, 3.5–4 mm long, stigma stomatomorphic. Capsule conic, 4–5.5 × 2.5–3.5 mm, dry, apex curved, whit prominent costae, dehiscing only apically, pubescent. Seeds numerous, ellipsoid. Figs. 3–5 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 .

Distribution, habitat and phenology: — Gloxinia major is endemic to Bolivia (Dept. Chuquisaca and Tarija), between 600–1000 elevation, appears in a semi-deciduous forest in the Chacoan province with precipitation up to 500–750 mm and annual temperatures between 18–23ºC ( Cabrera & Willink 1973; Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 ). This species is known only from two localities; it was first collected by K. Fiebrig in 1904 in Chuquisaca, and more than 100 years later (Zuloaga & Deginani 15804) plants of this species were found growing in a neighboring department (Tarija). Flowering and fruiting from January to March.

Etymology: —The name of this species was coined by Karl Fritsch (1914), probably refers to the large size of the plant and the flowers.

Additional specimen examined: — BOLIVIA. Tarija: National Route 1 de Nogalitos a Bermejo, 600 m elev., 22º28´23´´S, 64º28´52´´W, 11 March 2017, F.O. Zuloaga & N.B. Deginani 15804 (SI!).