Austronea Mart.
Creators: name: Martínez-Azorín, Mario
name: Crespo, Manuel B.
name: Alonso-Vargas, María Ángeles
name: Pinter, Michael
name: Crouch, Neil R.
name: Dold, Anthony P.
name: Mucina, Ladislav
name: Pfosser, Martin
name: Wetschnig, Wolfgang
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Liliopsida
Asparagales
Asparagaceae
Austronea

description: 2. Austronea Mart. - Azorín, M.B.Crespo, M.Pinter & Wetschnig
in Phytotaxa 365(2): 105 (2018) (Figs 9–12). Typus generis:— Austronea marginata (Thunb.) Mart. -Azorín, M.B.Crespo, M.Pinter & Wetschnig (holotype) ≡ Anthericum marginatum Thunb. in Prodr. Pl. Cap. 1: 63 (1794), basionym.
= Drimia sect. Capitatae J.C.Manning & Goldblatt in Strelitzia 40: 76 (2018). Typus sectionis:— Drimia marginata (Thunb.) Jessop (holotype).
Description:—Small bulbous geophyte. Bulb hypogeal, usually with compact scales but rarely loose, outer scales brownish and membranous. Roots thickened and branched. Leaves 1 to several per bulb, hysteranthous or rarely synanthous, usually dark green, commonly leathery, terete or flat, rarely plicate, linear to ovate or rounded, usually smooth, glabrous to hairy or hispid. Inflorescence usually short with long pedicels, giving subcapitate or subcorymbose aspect, rarely with short pedicels, apex of peduncle and inflorescence curved or nodding at early stages of development, but soon erect at anthesis; peduncle usually elongated, rarely short; pedicels of buds very short forming dense apical raceme, distinctly elongating at anthesis. Bracts lanceolate, acute, lowermost with spur from slightly curved outgrowth abaxially to long, wide spur with obtuse and lobate apex; bracteoles absent. Flowers stellate, erect-patent, diurnal, usually opening in afternoon and withering in evening. Flower buds usually reddish or brownish-green. Tepals 6, biseriate, 4‒9 mm long, free and spreading to slighty connate at base to form short cup and patent free portion of tepals; adaxial side of tepals reddish, brownish, greenish or yellowish, rarely almost white; abaxial side of tepals with distinct reddish, brownish, or greenish darker central band. Stamens 6, erect or spreading, not connivent to style; filaments filiform to flattened, from free to shortly adnate to perigone and arising at end of perigone tube, straight or rarely sigmoid, smooth or rarely papillate below; anthers ovate to oblong, dorsifixed, dehiscing by longitudinal slits along their whole length; pollen yellow. Ovary ovoid to oblong or subglobose, trigonous, brown, red or green, sometimes with white maculae, differentiated from style. Style white, narrow, erect, exerted, straight or slightly curved. Stigma minutely papillose and indistinctly trigonous. Capsule subglobose, 4‒7 × 4‒7 mm, triloculate, loculicidal, valves splitting to base, with withered perigone segments circumscissile below and forming an apical cap. Seeds up to 30 per capsule, 2.0‒ 3.8 mm long, commonly trigonous in outline, tetrahedrally folded and narrowly winged along angles, with subovoid embryo ending into long filamentous hilum, testa black, glossy, loose and easily detachable from endosperm, with sinuous anticlinal testa cell walls (Martínez-Azorín et al. 2018a).
Number of species and distribution:— Austronea includes 22 species restricted to South Africa and southern Namibia (Fig. 8); it is restricted to the Cape, Karoo-Namib and Uzambara-Zululand Regions (sensu Takhtajan 1986). Austronea plants are usually cryptic and difficult to find in the field due to their small, well camouflaged leaves that are usually appressed to the ground, and becoming dry at flowering time, and also due to their delicate inflorescences with small flowers. This fact, in combination with the poor conservation of floral structures in herbarium vouchers, has confounded the taxonomy of the group, and accounts for why several species have remained unnoticed until recently (Martínez-Azorín et al. 2018a, 2019 b, 2020, 2023b). The taxonomy of the genus requires further resolution. Further fieldwork is likely to result in an increase in the number of species in this genus. For further information on Austronea species see Martínez-Azorín et al. (2016, 2018a, 2019b, 2020, 2023b) and Manning & Goldblatt (2007, 2018).
Karyology:—Apparently not studied yet (cf. Goldblatt et al. 2012).
History, diagnostic characters, and taxonomic relationships:— Austronea is easily distinguishable by a syndrome of morphological characters that allow clear recognition: usually leathery and thickened leaves; relatively small plant size; subcorymbose or congested raceme curved or nodding at early development stages, reddish to greenyellowish tepals (see flower buds), which are free to shortly connate at the base to form a cup and patent free lobes; filaments linear to lanceolate (not distinctly fusiform), smooth or rarely papillate below; ovary green to yellow-orange; subglobose capsule, and seeds commonly trigonous in outline, tetrahedrally folded and narrowly winged along the angles. As reported by Martínez-Azorín et al. (2018a), the general flower and inflorescence morphologies of Austronea approach Fusifilum, an observation supported by the phylogenetic analyses of Martínez-Azorín et al. (2019c, 2023a) in which both genera form strongly supported sister clades that nonetheless differ in clear morphological characters and genetic distance. Species of Austronea were already recognised as a distinct group within Drimia sensu lato by Manning & Goldblatt (2003, 2007), to include the species related to Drimia marginata (Thunberg 1794: 63) Jessop (1977: 295), and it was later accepted as Drimia sect. Capitatae Manning & Goldblatt (2018: 76) by Manning & Goldblatt (2018).
Accepted species:—
Austronea acarophylla (E.Brink & A.P.Dold) Mart.- Azorín, M.B.Crespo & A.P. Dold in Phytotaxa 365(2): 107 (2018) ≡ Drimia acarophylla E.Brink & A.P.Dold in S. African J. Bot. 69(3): 396 (2003), basionym (Fig. 9.1). Type:— SOUTH AFRICA. Eastern Cape. Grahamstown (3326): Committees Drift, Tyefu Location, (–BB), elev. 500 m, 22 August 1991, E. Brink 788 (GRA0000457! holo.; BOL140329!, PRE0711374! iso.).
Austronea barkerae (Oberm. ex J.C.Manning & Goldblatt) Mart.- Azorín, M.B. Crespo, M. Pinter & Wetschnig in Phytotaxa 365(2): 107 (2018) ≡ Drimia barkerae Oberm. ex J.C.Manning & Goldblatt in Bothalia 33(1): 109 (2003), basionym (Figs 1.2, 9.2). Type:— SOUTH AFRICA. Western Cape. Clanwilliam (3218): 5 km south west of Eendekuil, Farm Draaihoek, (–DD), open clay flats, 13 October 2001, J.C. Manning 2655A (NBG0197702! holo.; PRE iso.).
Austronea chalumnensis (A.P.Dold & E.Brink) Mart.- Azorín, M.B.Crespo & A.P. Dold in Phytotaxa 365(2): 107 (2018) ≡ Drimia chalumnensis A.P.Dold & E.Brink in S. African J. Bot. 70(4): 631 (2004), basionym (Fig. 9.3). Type:— SOUTH AFRICA. Eastern Cape. Peddie (3327): Cornfields Farm, near Chalumna River, 5 km northwest of Kayser’s Beach, 35 km southwest of East London, (–BA), elev. 100 m, 25 October 2002, A.P. Dold 4619 (GRA! holo.).
Austronea ciliolata (J.C.Manning & J.M.J.Deacon) Mart. - Azorín, M.B. Crespo, M. Pinter & Wetschnig in Phytotaxa 397(4): 293 (2019) ≡ Drimia ciliolata J.C.Manning & J.M.J.Deacon in Strelitzia 40: 89 (2018), basionym. Type:— SOUTH AFRICA. Western Cape. Montagu (3320): Anysberg, (–DA), quartz patches S of Anysberg, 20 August 2016 [leafing bulb; orig. coll. 11 Oct. 2015], J. Deacon 4411 (NBG holo.).
Austronea densiflora Mart.- Azorín, M.B.Crespo & A.P. Dold in Phytotaxa 365(2): 109 (2018) ≡ Drimia densiflora (Mart.- Azorín, M.B.Crespo & A.P.Dold) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt in Bothalia 49(1): 2 (2019) (Fig. 9.4). Type:— SOUTH AFRICA. Western Cape. Oudtshoorn (3322): Oudtshoorn, Grootkop Nature Reserve, NE of Oudtshoorn, (–CA), elev. 415 m, 28 September 2011 (in flower), M. Martínez-Azorín, J. Vlok, A.P. Dold & A. Martínez-Soler MMA891 (GRA! holo.; ABH59705! iso.).
Austronea ecklonii (Baker) Mart.-Azorín, M.B.Crespo, M.Pinter & Wetschnig in Phytotaxa 365(2): 107 (2018) ≡ Urginea ecklonii Baker in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 15(3, Beibl. 35): 6 (1892), basionym. Type:— SOUTH AFRICA. Western Cape. Clanwilliam (3218): Olifantsrivier, (–BD), September 1829 or 1830, Ecklon & Zeyher Asphod. 128 (NBG-SAM! lecto. designated by Tang & Weiglin 2001). Epitype (designated by Manning & Goldblatt 2018):— SOUTH AFRICA. Wuppertal (3219): Cedarberg, Wolfberg, (–AC), 3 October 1952 (fl. ex hort Dec 1952), E. Esterhuysen 20587 (BOL! epi.).
= Drimia ligulata J.C.Manning & Goldblatt in Taxon 63(6): 1330 (2014). Type:— SOUTH AFRICA. Western Cape. Clanwilliam (3218): ‘ Piketberg, Zebra Kop’, (–DB), 23 May 1948, E. Esterhuysen 14487 (BOL150154! holo.: only the bulb with three leaves on lower left-hand corner of sheet; K! iso.).
Austronea fimbrimarginata (Snijman) Mart.- Azorín, M.B. Crespo, M. Pinter & Wetschnig in Phytotaxa 365(2): 108 (2018) ≡ Drimia fimbrimarginata Snijman in Bothalia 39(2): 234 (2009), basionym. Type:— SOUTH AFRICA. Western Cape. Vanrhynsdorp (3118): Knersvlakte, Farm Moedverloor, ± 17 km NE of Koekenaap, (–AD), on quartzite ridges, 22 July 2005, A.D. Harrower 2762 (NBG0232164! holo.; PRE iso.).
Austronea grandiflora Mart.- Azorín, M.B. Crespo, M. Pinter & Wetschnig in Phytotaxa 365(2): 112 (2018) (Figs 1.3, 10.1). Type:— SOUTH AFRICA. Northern Cape. Sutherland (3220): NW of Sutherland, 2 km from Sutherland-Calvinia R 354 road, on turn off to Bo-Visrivier, (–AB), elev. 1264 m, 15 April 2014 in flower ex hort at University of Alicante (Spain), M. Martínez-Azorín, A. Martínez-Soler & R. McKenzie MMA828b (GRA! holo.; ABH! iso.).
Austronea hispidoplicata Mart.- Azorín, M.B. Crespo, M.Pinter & M.Á. Alonso in Phytotaxa 365(2): 114 (2018) ≡ Drimia hispidoplicata (Mart.- Azorín, M.B. Crespo, M.Pinter & M.Á.Alonso) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt in Bothalia 49(1): 3 (2019) (Figs 1.4, 10.2). Type:— SOUTH AFRICA. Northern Cape. Hondeklipbaai (3017): ca. 10 km NE of Kotzesrus on the way to Garies, (–DB), elev. 160 m, sandy soil on quartzitic ridge, 20 August 2017 (in leaf), M. Martínez-Azorín, M.B. Crespo, M.Á. Alonso & M. Pinter MMA1788 (GRA! holo.; ABH76973! iso.).
Austronea linearis Mart.- Azorín, M.B.Crespo & A.P. Dold in Phytotaxa 365(2): 116 (2018) (Figs 1.5, 10.3). Type:— SOUTH AFRICA. Western Cape. Ladismith (3321): ca. 3 km E of Calitzdorp, on main road to Oudtshoorn, (–DA), elev. 350 m, 28 September 2011 in flower and fruit, M. Martínez-Azorín, J. Vlok, A.P. Dold & A. Martínez-Soler MMA928 (GRA! holo.; ABH59622! iso.).
Austronea marginata (Thunb.) Mart.-Azorín, M.B.Crespo, M.Pinter & Wetschnig in Phytotaxa 365(2): 108 (2018) ≡ Anthericum marginatum Thunb., Prodr. Pl. Cap. 1: 63 (1794), basionym ≡ Idothea marginata (Thunb.) Kunth, Enum. Pl. 4: 346 (1843) ≡ Drimia marginata (Thunb.) Jessop in J. S. African Bot. 43(4): 295 (1977) (Fig. 10.4). Type:— SOUTH AFRICA. Northern Cape. Calvinia (3119): Hantam, November 1774, Thunberg s.n. (UPS-8393 holo. [digital image!]).
Austronea oblongifolia Mart.- Azorín, A.P. Dold, M.B.Crespo & M.Á. Alonso in Phytotaxa 585(1): 49 (2023) (Figs 1.6, 11.1). Type:— SOUTH AFRICA. Eastern Cape. Fort Beaufort (3226): Normandale farm, Bedford district, 20 km south of Bedford on R350 to Grahamstown, (–CC), elev. 660 m, 11 October 2022 (in flower and fruit), A.P.Dold TD16062 (GRA! holo.).
Austronea olifanta Mart.- Azorín, M.B. Crespo, M.Pinter & M.Á. Alonso in Phytotaxa 365(2): 119 (2018) (Figs 1.7, 11.2). Type:— SOUTH AFRICA. Western Cape. Clanwilliam (3218): ca. 6 km south of Clanwilliam, near Clanwilliam–Citrusdal–Cederberg road crossing, (–BB), elev. 124 m, 23 September 2015 (in flower), M. Martínez-Azorín, M.B. Crespo, M.Á. Alonso & M. Pinter MMA1170 (GRA! holo.; ABH74854! iso.).
Austronea papillosa Mart.- Azorín, M.B. Crespo, M.Pinter & M.Á. Alonso in Phytotaxa 365(2): 121 (2018) (Fig. 11.3). Type:— SOUTH AFRICA. Northern Cape. Gamoep (2918): Naib se Berg, central section, on way to south facing entrance of main kloof, (–AD), elev. 916 m, lower slopes covered with quartz, 28 September 2015 (in flower), M. Martínez-Azorín, M. Pinter, M.B. Crespo & M.Á. Alonso MMA1260 (GRA! holo.; ABH74112! iso.).
Austronea patersoniae Mart.- Azorín, A.P.Dold & M.B. Crespo in Phytotaxa 400(2): 77 (2019) (Fig. 11.4). Type:— SOUTH AFRICA. Eastern Cape. Grahamstown (3326): Alicedale, (–AC), 1 July 1919 (in flower and fruit), F. Cruden 300 (GRA! holo.; PRE iso.).
Austronea phyllopogon Mart.- Azorín, M. Pinter, M.B.Crespo & M.Á. Alonso in Phytotaxa 449(2): 203 (2020) (Fig. 12.1). Type:— SOUTH AFRICA. Northern Cape. Kamiesberg (3018): NE of Garies, Kamiesberg, ca 2 km NW of turn-off to Leliefontein from Studer’s Pass road, near farm house, (–AC), elev. 1123 m, sandy soil, 11 April 2020 (in flower ex hort.), M. Martínez-Azorín, M.B. Crespo, M.Á. Alonso & M. Pinter MMA1817b (GRA! holo.; ABH! iso.).
Austronea pinguis Mart.- Azorín, M.B. Crespo, M.Pinter & M.Á. Alonso in Phytotaxa 365(2): 123 (2018) ≡ Drimia pinguis (Mart.- Azorín, M.B. Crespo, M.Pinter & M.Á.Alonso) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt in Bothalia 49(1): 3 (2019) (Figs 1.8, 12.2). Type:— SOUTH AFRICA. Western Cape. Montagu (3320): Rooinek Pass, ca. 18 km south of Laingsburg on R323, (–BD), elev. 759 m, ex hort at University of Alicante on 4 May 2018 in flower, M. Martínez-Azorín, M. Pinter, M.B. Crespo & M.Á. Alonso MMA1342b (GRA! holo.; ABH! iso.).
Austronea pulchromarginata (J.C.Manning & Goldblatt) Mart.- Azorín, M.B. Crespo, M. Pinter & Wetschnig in Phytotaxa 365(2): 108 (2018) ≡ Drimia pulchromarginata J.C.Manning & Goldblatt in Bothalia 37(2): 185 (2007), basionym (Fig. 12.3). Type:— SOUTH AFRICA. Northern Cape. Kamiesberg (3018): Farm Draaiklip, (–AA), 31 October 1983, C.H. Stirton 9226 (NBG0127044! holo.).
Austronea pygmaea (A.V.Duthie) Mart.-Azorín, M.B.Crespo, M.Pinter & Wetschnig in Phytotaxa 365(2): 108 (2018) ≡ Urginea pygmaea A.V.Duthie in Ann. Univ. Stellenbosch sect. A, 6(2): 10 (1928), basionym ≡ Fusifilum pygmaeum (A.V.Duthie) Speta in Phyton (Horn, Austria) 38(1): 69 (1998). Type:— SOUTH AFRICA. Western Cape. Cape Town (3318): ‘Stellenbosch Flats’, (–DD), 3 June 1926, A. Duthie s.n. STE1603a (NBG0197707-0! lecto. designated by Martínez-Azorín et al. 2015: 169: the eleven bulbs with leaves on the left hand side of the label, under the collecting number 1603a).
Austronea trichophylla (Mart.-Azorín, A.P.Dold & M.B.Crespo) Mart.- Azorín, M.B.Crespo & A.P. Dold in Phytotaxa 365(2): 108 (2018) ≡ Drimia trichophylla Mart.- Azorín, A.P.Dold & M.B. Crespo in Syst. Bot. 41(4): 944 (2016), basionym (Fig. 12.4). Type:— SOUTH AFRICA. Eastern Cape. Grahamstown (3326): Cradock Road, ca. 6 miles from BRU [Botanical Research Unit, currently Selmar Schonland Herbarium], Grahamstown, (–AD), 13 November 1979, C. Vosa & E. Brink s.n. (GRA! holo.).
Austronea vermiformis (J.C.Manning & Goldblatt) Mart.-Azorín, M.B.Crespo, M.Pinter & Wetschnig in Phytotaxa 365(2): 108 (2018) ≡ Drimia vermiformis J.C.Manning & Goldblatt in Taxon 63(6): 1330 (2014), basionym ≡ Drimia vermiformis J.C.Manning & Goldblatt in Bothalia 37(2): 184 (2007), nom. inval. (Fig. 12.5). Type:— SOUTH AFRICA. Western Cape. Clanwilliam (3218): Clanwilliam Dam, picnic site along N7 near wall, (–BB), 3 August 1987, P.L. Perry 3587 (NBG0149721! holo.: the leaf only).
Austronea virens (Schltr.) Mart.-Azorín, M.B.Crespo, M.Pinter & Wetschnig in Phytotaxa 365(2): 108 (2018) ≡ Urginea virens Schltr. in J. Bot. 35: 433 (1897), basionym ≡ Drimia virens (Schltr.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt in Strelitzia 9: 712 (2000). Type:— SOUTH AFRICA. Western Cape. Wuppertal (3219): Cold Bokkeveld, Tweefontein, (–CD), 24 January 1897, R. Schlechter 10127 (BOL140324! lecto. designated by Manning & Goldblatt 2007: 184; E00193963!, GRA0000456!, BM000911790!, K000257373!, L0041410!, P02156319!, PRE0049748!, S06-4413!, Z-000027559! isolecto.). Epitype (designated here):—ibidem (E00193963! epi.). Note:—We designate an epitype based on the presence of leaves, a crucial character for species identification.
description: Published as part of Martínez-Azorín, Mario, Crespo, Manuel B., Alonso-Vargas, María Ángeles, Pinter, Michael, Crouch, Neil R., Dold, Anthony P., Mucina, Ladislav, Pfosser, Martin & Wetschnig, Wolfgang, 2023, A generic monograph of the Hyacinthaceae subfamily Urgineoideae, pp. 1-143 in Phytotaxa 610 (1) on pages 23-29, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.610.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/8308556