See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/250676151

Philibertia (Apocynaceae: Asclepiadoideae) - Additional notes and three new

species for Bolivia

Article  in  Kew Bulletin · June 2008

DOI: 10.1007/s12225-008-9020-3

CITATIONS READS

4 88

1 author:

David Goyder
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
118 PUBLICATIONS   852 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Botanical diversity, conservation & management in Upper Guinea View project

Great Escarpment Project View project

All content following this page was uploaded by David Goyder on 10 February 2015.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

KEW BULLETIN VOL. 63: 323–329 (2008)
Philibertia (Apocynaceae: Asclepiadoideae) — additional notes
and three new species for Bolivia
D. J. Goyder1
Summary. Three new species of Philibertia (Apocynaceae: Asclepiadoideae), P. alba Goyder, P. urceolata Goyder and
P. zongoensis Goyder are described from Bolivia and illustrated. Preliminary conservation assessments are made for
these species. New records are reported for two further species.
Key Words. Apocynaceae, Asclepiadoideae, Bolivia, endemism, Philibertia, taxonomy.
Philibertia Kunth was revised and expanded to contain
40 largely Andean species by Goyder (2004). The
genus can be distinguished from others in subtribe
Oxypetalinae by the following combination of charac-
ters: corona elements arising from, or adnate to, the
corolla are either absent or are poorly developed,
forming at most a ring around the base of the
gynostegium; gynostegial corona elements, if present,
always lack a prominent ventral tooth; the stylar head
may be simple or divided, but never into more than
two appendages.
Since this revision was published, three new species
have been discovered in Bolivia. They are here described
as Philibertia alba Goyder and P. urceolata Goyder from
the inter-Andean dry valley system of the Río Grande in
central Bolivia, and P. zongoensis Goyder from the Zongo
valley, a steep-sided yungas valley north of La Paz.
New records are reported for two further species,
Philibertia globiflora Goyder and P. religiosa Goyder, which
are also restricted to the Río Grande valley system.
Together with P. velutina Goyder, five species of
Philibertia are now known to be endemic to this valley
system presenting further evidence that these inter-
Andean dry valleys are a significant centre of endemism
in Bolivia (Wood 2006).
Description of New Species
1. Philibertia alba Goyder sp. nov. P. pictae Schltr. similis
sed foliis late ovatis nec triangularibus, corolla magis
profunde divisa, gynostegio subsessili nec stipitato, lobis
staminalibus coronae carentibus differt. Typus: Bolivia,
Dept. Chuquisaca, Prov. B. Boeto: 1st valley from Villa
Serrano, 5 km before Pampas del Tigre, 3 March 2006,
Accepted for publication May 2007.
1
Herbarium, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AB, U.K.
Wood, Gutiérrez & Huaylla 22363 (holotypus K; isotypi
HSB, LPB, MO).
Perennial herb with stems twining to c. 2 m; rootstock
not seen. Latex white. Whole plant minutely pubes-
cent with white hairs. Leaves with petiole 1 – 2 cm
long; lamina 3 – 5.5 × 1 – 2.7 cm, ovate, with an
attenuate apex and a deeply cordate base. Inflores-
cences extra-axillary, with flowers distributed irregu-
larly along the axis; peduncle (to first flower) 1 –
1.5 cm long; bracts 1 – 2 mm long, filiform; pedicels
6 – 10 mm long. Calyx lobes 2 – 3 mm long, filiform,
pubescent with spreading white hairs. Corolla globose
and with lobes ± valvate in bud, pure white, minutely
pubescent outside, glabrous within; tube campanulate,
2 – 2.5 mm long; lobes 2.5 – 3 × 1.5 – 2 mm, broadly
triangular, margins slightly reflexed. Gynostegium ±
sessile. Basal coronal ring weakly developed, forming a
green, slightly fleshy collar around the base of the
gynostegium. Staminal corona lobes absent. Anther
wings 1.2 mm long, very slightly triangular, the margins
only weakly flared from the column. Corpusculum
c. 0.2 mm long, broadly ovoid, brown; translator arms
c. 0.1 mm long, somewhat flattened; pollinia c. 0.25 mm
long, ovoid, not strongly flattened. Stylar head append-
ages vestigial, paired, extending only shortly beyond
anthers, white. Follicles and seeds not seen. Fig. 1.
DISTRIBUTION. Only known from the type collected
near Villa Serrano in central Bolivia.
BOLIVIA. Chuquisaca, Prov. B. Boeto: 1st valley from
Villa Serrano, 5 km before Pampas del Tigre, 3 March
2006, Wood et al. 22363 (holotype K; isotypes HSB,
LPB).
© The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 2008
324 KEW BULLETIN VOL. 63(2)

Fig. 1. Philibertia alba. A flowering shoot; B flower with half the corolla cut away to expose gynostegium; C pollinarium. All from
Wood et al. 22363. DRAWN BY MARGARET TEBBS.

© The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 2008

PHILIBERTIA (APOCYNACEAE: ASCLEPIADOIDEAE) FROM BOLIVIA
HABITAT. Steep mountain slopes with remnants of
moist forest and areas of open pasture. Growing in
open areas amongst shrubs. Alt. c. 2200 m.
USES. None recorded.
CONSERVATION STATUS. Data Deficient. Although known
from a single population with an assumed extent of
occurrence less than 100 km2 (using criterion B1 of the
IUCN (2001) Red List categories and criteria), there is no
evidence to suggest the habitat is under threat or that the
population is in decline.
NOTES. This species is similar to Philibertia picta Schltr.,
but differs in its more broadly ovate rather than
triangular leaves, its more deeply divided corolla, the
subsessile rather than stipitate gynostegium, the re-
duced size of the corona around its base, and the
absence of staminal corona lobes. The anther wings
are also slightly longer than in P. picta.
2. Philibertia urceolata Goyder sp. nov. A P. suberecta
Goyder lobis corollae brevioribus rotundioribusque, lobis
coronae valde evolutis bifidis et appendice capitis stylaris
singulari (nec geminatis) et ex orificio corollae breviter
tantum exserto differt. Typus: Bolivia, Dept. Santa Cruz,
Prov. Vallegrande: road between Guadelupe and Pucara,
near summit of the highest hill, 2750 m, 25 Jan. 2005,
Wood & Mendoza 21464 (holotypus K; isotypus LPB).
Perennial herb with simple or branched erect stems to
20 cm from a thickened somewhat woody vertical
rootstock. Latex white. Whole plant minutely pubes-
cent with white hairs. Leaves with petiole 1 – 2 cm
long; lamina 1.5 – 3 × 1.5 – 2 cm, ovate, with an acute
apex and a deeply cordate base. Inflorescences extra-
axillary, umbelliform, with 1 – 4 flowers; peduncle
c. 2 cm long; bracts 2 – 3 mm long, filiform; pedicels
10 – 15 mm long. Calyx lobes 3 × 2 mm, ovate, acute,
pubescent with spreading white hairs. Corolla with
lobes ± valvate in bud; tube urceolate or subglobose,
4 – 5 mm in diameter, yellow-green, minutely pubes-
cent outside, bearded with white hairs c. 1 mm long
within; lobes 2 – 3 × 1 – 2 mm, suborbicular, minutely
pubescent outside, glabrous within. Gynostegium
sessile. Basal coronal ring absent. Staminal corona
lobes arising at the base of the column, c. 2 mm long,
erect, slightly longer than the staminal column,
dorsoventrally flattened but slightly fleshy at least
along the mid-line, oblong, the apex distinctly bifid.
Anther wings 1 mm long, broadly flared away from the
column so the gynostegium appears broadly conical.
Corpusculum c. 0.4 mm long, subcylindrical, brown;
translator arms c. 0.2 mm long, broadly flattened;
pollinia c. 0.5 mm long, flattened, elliptic. Stylar head
appendage extending c. 3.5 mm beyond the anthers
and 1.5 mm beyond the mouth of the corolla,
narrowly cylindrical with an entire apex, not con-
torted, white. Follicles and seeds not seen. Fig. 2.
325
DISTRIBUTION. Known from just three collections in the
central Bolivian inter-Andean dry valley system of the
Río Grande. Two come from an area some 20 km S of
Vallegrande and the third from the Sucre region.
BOLIVIA. Santa Cruz, Prov. Vallegrande: road S from
Vallegrande towards Pucara, c. 1 km N of summit, 25
Dec. 1999, Wood & Goyder 15608 (K, LPB); road
between Guadelupe and Pucara, near summit of the
highest hill, 25 Jan. 2005, Wood & Mendoza 21464
(holotype K; isotype LPB). Chuquisaca, Prov. Oro-
peza: hilltop E of Río Mama Wasi, c. 3 km NW of
Punilla, 26 Dec. 1998, Wood 14288 (K — flower in
spirit only).
HABITAT. Open grassland subject to periodic burning,
among areas of scrub derived from moist semi-
deciduous Tucumán forest. Alt. 2700 – 3200 m.
USES. None recorded.
CONSERVATION STATUS. Data Deficient. Although only
known from three populations with a known area of
occupancy of less than 10 km2 (using criterion B2a of
the IUCN (2001) Red List categories and criteria),
there is no evidence to suggest the habitat is under
threat or that the populations are in decline. Indeed as
the preferred habitat is open and somewhat disturbed,
further populations may well be found in future.
Philibertia urceolata is probably undercollected as it is
inconspicuous and occurs in low population densities.
I have not calculated the extent of occurrence for
this species, as most of the territory delimited would
fall outside the species’ altitudinal range and other
habitat requirements.
NOTES. The first collection of this species seen by me
(Wood & Goyder 15608) was too immature to determine
with confidence at the time. But it is clearly conspecific
with Wood & Mendoza 21464, from a locality only a few
kilometres away, collected slightly later in the season. It
also matches the single flower collected near Sucre and
preserved in spirit (Wood 14288).
Philibertia urceolata is perhaps most closely related to
another erect species, P. suberecta Goyder, which occurs
at higher altitude and over a much wider geographic
area. It differs in several characters including the
indumentum, which is shorter and more sparse in the
new species rather than tomentose or even lanate in
P. suberecta. The corolla tube is globose rather than
campanulate in P. urceolata, and the corolla lobes
much shorter and more rounded than the triangular
lobes of the P. suberecta. The corona is absent in
P. suberecta, whereas the new species has well-developed
staminal corona lobes. These are not fused to the
corolla tube as in the closely allied genus Oxypetalum
but are otherwise reminiscent of that genus. Broad
anther wings and a single stylar head appendage are
encountered in several species of Philibertia, but in
P. suberecta the anther wings are much shorter, and the
stylar head appendages are paired, much longer and
contorted.
© The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 2008
326 KEW BULLETIN VOL. 63(2)

Fig. 2. Philibertia urceolata. A habit; B flower; C flower with half the corolla cut away, and with two corona lobes deflexed to
expose the gynostegium; D and E free portion of corona lobe, adaxial face and abaxial face; F pollinarium; G ovary just starting to
develop into a young follicle. A, F and G from Wood & Mendoza 21464; B – E from Wood 14288. DRAWN BY MARGARET TEBBS.

© The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 2008

PHILIBERTIA (APOCYNACEAE: ASCLEPIADOIDEAE) FROM BOLIVIA 327

Fig. 3. Philibertia zongoensis. A habit; B flower; C calyx; D gynostegium with one corona lobe removed to expose anther; E
pollinarium. All from Wood et al. 20896. DRAWN BY MARGARET TEBBS.

© The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 2008

328
As floral characters of Philibertia urceolata suggest
some connection between Philibertia and Oxypetalum, it
would be interesting to include this species in future
molecular analyses of the Oxypetalinae.
3. Philibertia zongoensis Goyder sp. nov. Ab omnibus
ceteris speciebus inflorescentia umbellata floribus
numerosis (c. 30) ferenti et corolla rotata profunde
lobata abaxialiter glabra differt. Typus: Bolivia, Dept.
La Paz, Prov. Murillo: Zongo valley, 2580 m, 2 Nov.
2004, Wood, Mercado, Huaylla & Mendoza 20896
(holotypus K; isotypi HSB, LPB, USZ).
Perennial herb with semi-succulent stems twining to
3 m; rootstock not seen. Latex sparse, white. Whole
plant tomentose with white or golden hairs. Leaves
with petiole 2 – 2.5 cm long, tomentose; lamina 9 –
10 × 3.5 – 5 cm, oblong to ovate, apex narrowing
abruptly into a long attenuate tip, base cordate,
adaxial face green with an indumentum of erect
whitish hairs, abaxial face with red veins, tomentose,
with golden hairs. Inflorescences extra-axillary with
c. 30 flowers in a sub-umbelliform cluster; peduncle
8 cm long, tomentose with golden hairs; bracts
deciduous; pedicels 4.5 – 5 cm long, red, minutely
tomentose. Calyx lobes 2.5 – 4.5 mm long, lanceolate
to broadly triangular, green, pubescent with golden
hairs. Flower buds conical with lobes overlapping
narrowly to the right, wine red. Corolla rotate, united
at the base for c. 2 mm, lobes 10 × 7 mm, ± ovate but
somewhat asymmetric, apex rounded, wine-red out-
side, inner face wine-red basally, greenish above,
glabrous except towards the base and the right-hand
margin of the lobes within, which are minutely but
densely papillate. Gynostegium 3.5 – 4 mm long,
stipitate. Basal coronal ring absent. Staminal corona
lobes 2 – 3 mm long and reaching the top of the
column, ovoid but with a flattened inner face and an
acute apex, rounded or truncate at the base then
tapering into the staminal column, white. Anther wings
1.5 – 2 mm long, triangular. Corpusculum c. 0.4 mm
long, conical-subcylindrical, brown; translator arms
c. 0.2 mm long, broadly flattened; pollinia 1 ×
0.2 mm, not strongly flattened, subcylindrical. Apex of
stylar head domed, not extending beyond the anthers,
cream. Follicles and seeds not seen. Fig. 3.
DISTRIBUTION. Only known from the type collected in
the Zongo valley N of La Paz.
BOLIVIA. La Paz, Prov. Murillo: Zongo valley, 2 Nov.
2004, Wood et al. 20896 (holotype K; isotypes HSB,
LPB, USZ).
HABITAT. Cloud forest margins. Alt. 2580 m.
USES. None recorded.
CONSERVATION STATUS. CR B1ab(iii). Using criterion
B1 of the IUCN (2001) Red List categories and
criteria, Philibertia zongoensis should be regarded as
© The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 2008
KEW BULLETIN VOL. 63(2)
Critically Endangered as it is known from a single
location, with an assumed extent of occurrence less
than 100 km2, and some habitat disturbance — the
label data refers to remnants of cloud forest.
NOTES. Philibertia zongoensis is a very striking plant with
its large clusters of red flowers. Leaf, corona and
pollinarium morphology are typical of Philibertia but
the shape of the flower is more reminiscent of
Funastrum. The corolla is much more deeply lobed
than in other species of Philibertia and, as a result, the
flowers are ± rotate rather than campanulate. How-
ever, the annular corona which surrounds the base of
the gynostegium in Funastrum is not present in the
new species and the leaf shape is quite different. The
glabrous outer face of the corolla is unique in
Philibertia, but occurs in some species of Funastrum,
such as F. gracile Schltr. Recent molecular surveys
(Liede-Schumann et al. 2005; Rapini et al. 2006) have
placed Funastrum sister to the core Oxypetalinae clade
(containing Oxypetalum and Philibertia together with a
few smaller genera). It would be interesting to include
P. zongoensis in future analyses of this group.
New Records
1. Philibertia globiflora Goyder — P. globiflora was
described from four collections from the Bolivian
Departments of Cochabamba and Santa Cruz (Goyder
2004: 431). A recent acquisition (Wood et al. 22310)
extends the range of this species into the Department
of Chuquisaca at the southern extent of the Río Grande
valley system.
ADDITIONAL COLLECTION. BOLIVIA. Chuquisaca, Prov.
nez: above Icla towards Candelaria, 2750 m, 1
Zudae
March 2006, Wood et al. 22310 (K, HSB, LPB).
2. Philibertia religiosa Goyder — This species was based
on two collections that came from within the city of
Cochabamba. Mendoza & Lozano 832 have subsequent-
ly collected this species at Yotala near Sucre, at the
opposite end of the Río Grande valley system, but at a
comparable altitude.
ADDITIONAL COLLECTION. BOLIVIA. Chuquisaca, Prov.
Oropeza: Retén [police checkpoint] de Yotala, on the
hill in front of the checkpoint, 2500 m, 17 March
2004, Mendoza & Lozano 832 (LPB, USZ).
Acknowledgements
I am most grateful to Maria Vorontsova and Melanie
Wilmot-Dear for translating the diagnoses into Latin,
and to Margaret Tebbs for the illustrations. As ever, I
am indebted to John Wood and his Bolivian counter-
parts, in this instance Hibert Huaylla, Magaly Mercado
 PHILIBERTIA (APOCYNACEAE: ASCLEPIADOIDEAE) FROM BOLIVIA
and Moises Mendoza, for their superb collections.
Curators of the herbaria at HSB, LPB and USZ are
thanked for access to their collections.
References
Goyder, D. J. (2004). An amplified concept of
Philibertia Kunth (Apocynaceae: Asclepiadoideae), with
a synopsis of the genus. Kew Bull. 59: 415 – 451.
IUCN (2001). IUCN Red List categories and criteria,
version 3.1. IUCN Species Survival Commission.
IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, U.K.
Liede-Schumann, S., Rapini, A., Goyder, D. J. & Chase,
M. (2005). Phylogenetics of the New World sub-
View publication stats
329
tribes of Asclepiadeae (Apocynaceae – Asclepiadoideae):
Metastelmatinae, Oxypetalinae and Gonolobinae. Syst.
Bot. 30: 183 – 194.
Rapini, A., Chase, M. W. & Konno, T. U. P. (2006).
Phylogenetics of South American Asclepiadoideae
(Apocynaceae). Taxon 55: 119 – 124.
Wood, J. R. I. (2006). Inter-Andean dry valleys of
Bolivia — floristic affinities and patterns of endemism:
insights from Acanthaceae, Asclepiadaceae and Labiatae.
In: R. T. Pennington, G. P. Lewis & J. A. Ratter (eds),
Neotropical savannas and seasonally dry forests: plant
diversity, biogeography and conservation, pp. 235 –
256. Systematics Association Special Volume 69, CRC
Press, Boca Raton, Florida & London.
© The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 2008