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| Echinoagave nievesiorum A. Vázquez, A.T. Nuño, Cházaro, Padilla-Lepe & García-Mor., in Vázquez-García, Nuño-Rubio, García-Morales, Lomelí-Hernández, Cházaro-Basañez, Padilla-Lepe, Cristóbal-Gabriel, Hernández-Vera et Muñiz-Castro, 2024. |
Abstract
Echinoagave nievesiorum (Agavaceae, Asparagales), a new species endemic to the Sierra Wixárika (Huichola), part of the Sierra Madre Occidental, Jalisco, Mexico, is described. This species shares morphological characteristics with Echinoagave rzedowskiana but it differs from the latter by having narrower and striate leaves; leaf sheaths shorter, triangular and wider at the base; narrower ovary width; shorter tube length; tepal lobes at anthesis converging and tightening the filaments; larger filament length to flower length ratio; fruiting spikes thicker and denser with the peduncle covered by the capsules and the bracts usually deciduous; capsules broadly ellipsoid with dorsally blackish valves. A distribution map with biogeographic provinces is provided to place the species in an ecological and evolutionary context.
Allopatric speciation, endemic, Group Striatae, Sierra Huichola, subgen. Littaea, Monocots
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| Echinoagave nievesiorum. A. fruiting rosette on top of Sierra Wixárika, Cerro El Gallo, Bolaños, Jalisco. B. Stages of flower and inflorescence development, from a specimen cultivated at Huentitán El Alto, Jalisco, México. C. Miguel Cházaro on Cerro El Gallo, Bolaños, Sierra Wixárika. D. At moist vertical cliffs with Dasylirion acrotrichum and Brahea sarukhanii at El Nalgazo, Bolaños, Photographs: A by M. Chazaro, B by A.T. Nuño-R. (April 2021); C & D by J.A. Vázquez-García (April 2004 and October 2022, respectively). |
Echinoagave nievesiorum A. Vázquez, A.T. Nuño, Cházaro, Padilla-Lepe & García-Mor. sp. nov.
Diagnosis:—Echinoagave nievesiorum shares with E. rzedowskiana a similar rosette size and cespitose habit, rigid leaves, length of
flowers, ovaries, tepal lobes, and size of capsules; however, it differs from the latter by having mature leaves bluish-white to whitish
(vs. pale-green to green), narrower at the widest part (12.0–12.5 mm vs. 13.0–14.0 mm), and narrower at the middle of the leaves
(6.0–6.5 mm vs. 7.0–10.0 mm); leaf sheaths shorter (9.0–11.0 mm vs. 28.0–34.0 mm), triangular and wider at the base (vs. rectangular
and wider above the base); inflorescences usually straight and erect, sometimes vertically-curved or geniculate, rarely dropping (vs.
usually horizontally-curved, often dropping and sinuous) narrower ovary width (4.5–5.1 mm vs. 5.7–7.5 mm); shorter tube length
(5.5–6.4 mm vs. 7.0–10.0 mm); tepal lobes at anthesis converging and tightening the filaments (vs. diverging and not tightening the
filaments); larger filament length to flower length ratio (2.0–2.3 vs. 1.8–1.9); fruiting spike narrowly pyramydal thicker (3.5–4.5
cm vs. 2.4–2.5 cm) and denser with the peduncle covered by the capsules and the bracts usually deciduous (vs. cylindroid, slim and
lax, with the peduncle conspicuous and the bracts usually persistent); mature capsules broadly ellipsoid with dorsally blackish and
opaque valves (vs. broadly ovoid, slightly depressed, with dorsally light brown and shiny valves) (Table 1).
Etymology:—The specific epithet honors the family members of Prof. Gregorio Nieves Hernández, who have contributed notably for over a decade to the knowledge of vascular flora and ethnobotany of the Sierra Wixarika.
J. Antonio Vázquez-García, Ana T. Nuño-Rubio, Leccinum Jesús García-Morales, Juan Luis Lomelí-Hernández, Miguel. J. Cházaro-Basañez, Jesús Padilla-Lepe, Saúl Cristóbal-Gabriel, Gerardo Hernández-Vera and Miguel A. Muñiz-Castro. 2024. Echinoagave nievesiorum (Agavaceae, Asparagales): A New Species from the Sierra Madre Occidental, Jalisco, Mexico. Phytotaxa. 647(2); 144-158. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.647.2.2
