Miguel Cházaro-Basáñez

Four New Species of Agave (Agavaceae) of the Marmoratae Group

Abstract We present a re-evaluation of the taxonomic status of Agave gypsophila, for which a narrower circumscription is proposed, and four new species from western Mexico are described and illustrated: Agave abisaii, A. andreae, A. kristenii and A. pablocarrilloi . All four species are narrow endemics occurring on a variety of limestone outcrops and belong to the subgenus Agave and to the Marmoratae species group sensu Berger. They are morphologically related to A. gypsophila s. s. from Guerrero, Mexico, but clearly differ from it in various qualitative and quantitative morphological and ecological characteristics.

ADDITIONS TO THE CRASSULACEAE OF THE STATE OF VERACRUZ, MEXICO

Abstract: During the ongoing studies of the Crassulaceae family for the Flora of Veracruz (Mexico), we found two new species of Crassulaceae (Echeveria uxorium and Sedum jarocho), and eight new records for the state: Crassula connata var. connata, Echeveria bifida, E. coccinea, E. halbingeri, Sedum corynephyllum, S. ebracteatum, S. guatemalense, and Villadia patula. Data on the distribution and habitat of each species are given.

Graptopetalum glassii: recently described from Colima, Mexico

T he twenty species of Graptopetalum occur almost entirely in Mexico. G. rusbyi and G. bartramii are exceptions that occur in southern Arizona1,2, and the popular G. paraguayense is obviously misnamed, as the genus is known only as far south as Oaxaca. Some species are highly localized, and new species are still being discovered. There are even a few interesting mysteries in the genus, such as G. paraguayense subsp paraguayense, which, despite being grown around the world, has never been found in the wild3. In the winter of 1995 Charlie Glass, Mario Mendoza, Helena Aguilar de Mendoza, and Selene Mendoza-Aguilar (then the crew from CANTE, a now-defunct civil organization devoted to the study and propagation of succulent plants) were on vacation in Manzanillo, a city in Colima along the Pacific Ocean. One day, instead of lounging on the beach, they headed towards the mountains. Stopping halfway between Colima and Tecomán to explore a gypsum slope, they were delighted to find a new species of Graptopetalum growing on the sheer vertical rockface. Charlie immediately wanted to name the plant Graptopetalum sotoi, after Mateo Soto, a young Tepehuan Indian from Canoas, Durango, who was along on the trip2 and, having lived with Alfred and Anni Lau, was quite experienced in the hunt for succulent plants. Charlie invited us to participate in the description of this novelty, and on 13 May 1996, we joined Charlie, Mario Mendoza, and Ignacio García to revisit the site. Various events conspired to delay the plant’s publication. Acevedo started his PhD program at the Ecology Institute in Xalapa, Veracruz, and Chazaro began his doctoral work at the University of Guadalajara. And then there was the sudden and untimely loss of Charlie, who died of a heart attack at Rancho Alcocer, Guanajuato, in early 1988. We deemed it appropriate, then, to name the species for Charlie, finally publishing G. glassii in 20031.

A New Species of Telipogon (Orchidaceae) from Mexico and its Phylogenetic Position Among Mesoamerican Species

Abstract Telipogon is a Neotropical genus with approximately 200 species, the majority of which are epiphytes and are distributed in South America; Mexico is the northernmost area of distribution with only two recorded species. Here we describe a third species, Telipogon corticatus , collected in cloud forests of eastern Mexico, in Veracruz. It is a species growing solely in mossy patches in the exfoliating bark of trees of Oreomunnea Mexicana (Juglandaceae). Reddish-brown flowers, large sepals close to each other in the open flowers, two thirds of the length of the lip, elliptic petals, large auricles of column with long hairs and a wide apex, a sagittate lip separated from the column with a base with a sinus, and a curved anther are diagnostic characters for this species. The phylogenetic position of T. corticatus with Mesoamerican species was identified based on ITS and the plastid matK, atpB-rbcL DNA markers considering representative taxa in subtribe Oncidiinae to which Telipogon belongs. Telipogon corticatus, together with the Mesoamerican T. helleri and T. cobanenis, were retrieved as closely related, and associated to clades consisting of Central American species.

Sedum lucidum (Crassulaceae) an Endemic Stonecrop of Veracruz, Mexico

Sedum lucidum (Crassulaceae) an endemic stonecrop of Veracruz, Mexico Sedum L., a genus containing plants commonly known as stonecrops, is widely distributed in the northern hemisphere, present in North America, Europe and Asia. Meyran & Lopez (2003) report 125 species from the Mexican Republic which occur throughout the whole territory except in the Yucatan Peninsula (the states of Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo). This latter absence is most likely due to the lack of mountainous terrain, and consequently is a not suitable climate for this plants. In the state of Veracruz, in eastern Mexico, 10 species are reported according to Sosa & Gomez-Pompa (1994), namely:

Euphorbia radians (Euphorbiaceae) a New Record from Veracruz, Mexico

Euphorbia L. is one of the largest genera of flowering plants, with ca. 2,000 species distributed in the tropical and temperate zones of the world (Rzedowski & Rzedowski, 1985, 2001). Many African and Madagascan species have succulent stems and resemble cacti, and so are cultivated by hobbyists in many countries for their ornamental qualities. Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., the Poinsettia, is a Mexican shrub which appears in many nurseries and houses during Christmas times as a symbol of the season (Rzedowski & Rzedowski, 1985) due to its showy and colourful bracts. A few American species of Euphorbia have succulent or semi-succulent stems. From Mexico and Guatemala come: Euphorbia antisyphitica Zucc., (syn. E. rossiana Pax.), E. guiengola M. Hufft, E. pteroneura Berger, E. gumaroi Meyran, E. gradyi Steinm. & Ram. Roa, and E. ephedromorpha Barlett; from Brazil: E. sarcodes Boiss, E. goyazensis Boiss, E. appariciana Rizzini, E. gymnoclada Boiss, E. heterodoxa Muell. Arg., E. sipolsi N. E. Brown, E. phosphorea Martius, E. attastoma Rizzini, E. holochlorinea Rizini and from Peru, E. weberbaueri Manfield (Chazaro et al. 2010). We have been interested in the Euphorbiaceae for the past decade or so, and published several papers on this group of plants: Chazaro & Mostul (1998) on Euphorbia tanquahuete and E. calyculata; Chazaro et al. (2000) on Jatropha chamelensis; Chazaro & Valencia (2000 and 2015) on Jatropha bullockii; Chazaro & Mostul (2009 and 2010) on Euphorbia macvaughii; Chazaro & Mostul (2011) on Euphorbia pteroneura; Chazaro et al. (2011) on Euphorbia tanquahuete; Chazaro et al (2012) on Jatropha deghanii; Chazaro & Mostul (2014) on Euphorbia tanquahuete, the “yellow tree”. More specifically relevant to the subject of this paper, Mostul, & Chazaro (1996 and 2003) present different general aspects on two geophytic Euphorbias from western Mexico, namely E. radians and E. scabra.

Introducing the Succulent Flora of Mexico: Beschorneria yuccoides (Agavaceae)

INTRODUCING THE SUCCULENT FLORA OF MEXICO: BESCHORNERIA YUCCOIDES (AGAVACEAE) Beschorneria Kunth, it is a small genus of seven species that range from Texas, southern Mexico and into adjacent Central America. (Mabberly 1978). The genus was named after Friedrich Wilhelm Christian Beschorner (born 23rd March 1806 in Wroclaw, then Germany, now Poland— died 20th December 1873 in Owinsk, Poland) a German psychiatric and amateur botanist, by the German botanist Karl Sigismund Kunth (1788–1850) in 1850 (Ullrich, 1991). Since most species grow in the canyons of remote mountanous areas, very few people are acquainted with the plants in habitat. It is our aim to provide more information in phenology, distribution and uses of Beschorneria yuccoides.

Sedum minimum (Crassulaceae), a New Record for Veracruz, Mexico

Summary: Sedum minimum Rose (Crasssulaceae), a quite diminutive stonecrop, it is reported for the first time at Veracruz state, in eastern Mexico. It was found at 4170 masl, in the alpine tundra or Paramo vegetation at the Cofre of Perote volcano, in central Veracruz, the closest population it is at Iztaccihuatl volcano, in Puebla state.

Polianthes pringlei Rose (Agavaceae)

POLIANTHES PRINGLEI ROSE (AGAVACEAE) P olianthes L., a genus of the highlands of Mexico, perhaps ten species (15 species according to Solano & Feria, 2007), almost all of which are known from Nueva Galicia (in Spanish colonial times comprises Jalisco, Aguascalientes and Colima, and small portions of Nayarit, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosi, Guanajuato and Michoacan). One species, Polianthes tuberosa., has long been cultivated, at least in part because of the intense and delightful, but sometimes overpowering, fragrance of its waxy white and pinkish flowers. It is known only in cultivation; in Nueva Galicia and elsewhere in Mexico it is common in flower markets, as are some naturally occurring species with almost equally attractive flowers. The type-species of the genus is Polianthes tuberosa L., the tuberose plant. This is also the case with Polianthes longiflora Rose and Polianthes pringlei Rose. They are sought out in the countryside by local people, harvested, and the flowers sold in street markets at the peak of the rainy season. In a previous paper, we provided information on Polianthes longiflora Rose (Chazaro et al., 2010), a rare plant of western Mexico. Now we turn our attention to P. pringlei which is also a rare plant.

Agave temacapulinensis (Agavaceae), a New Ditepalous Species from the Los Altos Region, Jalisco, Mexico

Abstract.  Agave temacapulinensis A. Vázquez & Cházaro (Agavaceae) is described and illustrated from Jalisco, Mexico. The new species belongs to Agave L. subg. Agave and is a member of the Ditepalae group, sensu Gentry. It is related to A. wocomahi Gentry in terms of its rosette size, solitary habit in most cases, the smooth texture of the leaves, the red-tipped dimorphic tepals, and the deep floral tube. Agave temacapulinensis differs from A. wocomahi in having light gray, glaucous rosettes (vs. dark green to glaucous green); short acuminate leaves (vs. long acuminate); crenate margins (vs. straight to undulate) with smaller marginal teeth (8–10 mm vs. 10–20 mm); larger panicles (5.5–6.5 m vs. 3–5 m) with more lateral branches (16 to 18 vs. 8 to 15); and smaller seeds (5–6 × 3–4 mm vs. 7 × 4.5–5 mm). Resumen.  Una nueva especie, Agave temacapulinensis A. Vázquez & Cházaro (Agavaceae), es descrita e ilustrada de Jalisco, Mexico. Pertenece a Agave L. subg. Agave y corresponde al grupo Ditepalae sensu Gentry. La especie está relacionada con A. wocomahi Gentry en términos de tamaño de roseta, hábito no surculoso en la mayoría de los casos, textura suave de las hojas, tépalos dimórficos con puntas rojizas y tubo floral profundo, pero difiere de ésta ultima por poseer rosetas de color glauco-gris claro (vs. verde oscuro-verde glauco); hojas cortamente acuminadas (vs. largamente acuminadas); márgenes crenados (vs. rectos a ondulados); con dientes más pequeños (8–10 mm vs. 10–20 mm); panículas más grandes (5.5–6.5 m vs. 3–5 m) con más ramas laterales (16 a 18 vs. 8 a 15); y semillas más pequeñas (5–6 × 3–4 mm vs. 7 × 4.5–5 mm).