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| Behria leonis E. Gándara & Ruiz-Sanchez, Gándara, Ortiz-Brunel, Gómez-Hernández et Ruiz-Sánchez, 2024. |
Abstract
Behria is a genus of petaloid geophytes endemic to the Cape Region of Baja California Sur, Mexico. It belongs to the Milla clade within the subfamily Brodiaeoideae of the Asparagaceae family. Currently, Behria tenuiflora is the only recognized species within this genus. In our methodological approach, we considered two distinct floral morphotypes: Group A consists of populations found at lowland elevations (10–150 m), while Group B comprises plants growing at mid to high elevations (400–2060 m). The aim of our study was to investigate whether there are discernible morphological differences and correlations with climate variables between Behria Group A and Group B. To address this, we measured nine quantitative characters for 94 plants from seven populations of Behria tenuiflora. Our findings revealed statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) in pedicel length, perianth length, perianth base diameter, and perianth aperture diameter of the analyzed Behria groups. Based on these results, we propose the recognition of Behria leonis as a new species. Additionally, we provide a morphological key for distinguishing Behria and Bessera genera, along with illustrations, a distribution map, and photographs.
Key words: Bessera, geophytes, morphological data, climatic preferences, Sierra de la Laguna
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| Behria leonis (A, C, E), B. tenuiflora (B, D, F). A. Butterfly (Phoebis sennae) visiting flowers. B. Inflorescence view. C. Close up to hypocrateriform flowers. D. Close up to tubular flowers. E- F. Dissected flowers, external and internal views. |
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| Behria leonis. A. Complete plant with corms, leaves, inflorescence and flowers. B. Inflorescence, flowers and fruits. C. Dissected flower, external and internal views. Illustration by Miguel Jiménez, based on E. Gándara et al. 3298. |
Behria leonis E. Gándara & Ruiz-Sanchez sp. nov.,
TYPE:—MEXICO. Baja California Sur: Municipio, La Paz, Sierra de La Laguna, Km 11 brecha a Termopilas, Ejido San Antonio, adelante de San José del Rancho, 23.702688, -109.985759, elevation 690 m, 23 September 2021, deciduous tropical forests, E. Gándara et al. 3299 (holotype IBUG!).
Behria leonis differs from B. tenuifolia in having a longer perianth (2.2–3.2 cm vs. 1.7–2.6 cm) , a wider perianth aperture (8.5–14.3 mm vs. 3.1–6.4 mm), a narrower perianth base (3.9–6.3 mm vs. 4.6–8 mm), hypocrateriform flowers instead of tubular flowers, and perianth slightly saccate at the base vs. perianth prominently saccate.
Etymology:—The species epithet “leonis” is named in honor of the Mexican botanist José Luis León de la Luz. He is a highly regarded researcher who retired from CIBNOR (Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste S.C.) and is known as the foremost botanist in Southern Baja California Sur. Throughout his career, José Luis León de la Luz has extensively collected thousands of plants in the region and has made significant contributions to the field of botany. Notably, he played a role in neotypifying Behria tenuiflora, ensuring a standardized reference specimen for future studies. Furthermore, he collaborated on projects involving the extraction and identification of alkaloids from this species, contributing to the understanding of its chemical composition.
Etelvina Gándara, Juan Pablo Ortiz-Brunel, Marko Gómez-Hernández and Eduardo Ruiz-Sánchez. 2024. A New Cryptic Species in Behria (Asparagaceae, Brodiaeoideae), from the Baja California peninsula, Mexico. Phytotaxa. 646(3); 213-229. DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.646.3.1
