Montanoa echinacea S.F.Blake
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Authority
Funk, Victoria A. 1982. The systematics of Montanoa (Asteraceae, Heliantheae). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 36: 1-133.
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Family
Asteraceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Shrubs 1-4 m tall. Stems terete, light brown, herbaceous parts glandular and pubescent, hairs 0.8 mm long. Leaves very consistent; petioles 1.6 cm long, densely hispid, hairs 1-2 mm long; blades ovate to cordate (Fig. 41A), 7-15 cm long, 3-12 cm wide, apex long-acuminate, base below the juncture of the 3 main veins with 3-4 lateral veins, margin sparsely serrulate to entire, adaxial surface densely pubescent, hairs pustular, abaxial surface densely glandular and pubescent, hairs 1.0 mm long. Peduncles 2-11 cm long, densely glandular, hispid hairs 1.0 mm long. Heads erect, 2 cm diam in flower, 3 cm diam in fruit solitary to few in open cymose synflorescences. Phyllaries 12, reflexing in fruit biseriate subequal, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 9-18 mm long, 3-5 mm wide dark green apex acute with mucronate tips, margin entire, abaxial surface densely pubescent, hairs 0.5-1.0 mm long, adaxial surface glabrous. Ray florets 12-15 (usually 14); corollas white tinged with purple, ligules obovate, 9-16 mm long, 2.0-4.5 mm wide, apex acute to rounded or 2-notched, sometimes indurate, adaxial surface glabrous, abaxial surface moderately glandular and sparsely pubescent on veins, tube 2.0 mm long, less than 1.0 mm diam, glabrous. Disc florets (Fig. 41B) 100— 150; corollas yellow and gray-black, tube 3.0 mm long, 0.5 mm diam, densely glandular; throat cylindrical, gray-black and yellow, 4.0 mm long, 0.75 mm diam, densely glandular and pubescent near the distal half, lobes 5, 0.75 mm long, 0.75 mm wide, shallow, apex acute, black and densely glandular and pubescent, hairs less than 0.5 mm long; stamens (Fig. 4IB) with filaments yellow, 3.5 mm long, 0.2 mm wide, anthers not fully exserted from corolla, thecae black, 2-3 mm long, apical appendage black, acuminate, 0.6 mm long, 0.4 mm wide, glabrous; styles yellow, 7.5 mm long, 0.2 mm wide, enlarged at base, stigmatic surface yellow, 1.0 mm long, apical appendages black, acuminate, 0.5 mm long, 0.3 mm wide. Pales at anthesis triangular (Fig. 41C), 6-8 mm long, 1.2 mm wide, yellow with a dark base, apex long-aristate, yellow, indurate, up to 5.5 mm long, margin ciliate, entire, abaxial surface densely glandular near center and moderately pubescent, hairs 2.0 mm long, adaxial surface glabrous; pales at fruiting persistent, more or less triangular (Figs. 32B; 41D), 15-22 mm long, 3.0-4.5 mm wide, indurate with prominent parallel veins, stramineous, apex long-acuminate, erect or slightly recurved, margin glabrous, entire, abaxial surface sparsely glandular and pubescent, hairs 1-2 mm long, adaxial surface glabrous. Achenes brown-black, 4.5-5.0 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, smooth. Chromosome number unknown. Flowering (and Fruiting) Period: September-October (November-December).
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Discussion
Type: GUATEMALA, Huehuetenango, above Chiantla, 10,000 ft, 16 Sep 1934, A. F Skutch 1276 (holotype, A!; isotypes, F! LL! NY! US!). Montanoa echinacea is a striking plant with large, solitary, dark-colored heads with long spiny pales. Members of this species have 100-150 disc florets and mature pales that are 15-22 mm long (Fig. 41D), resulting in a fruiting head the size of a spiny golf ball (Fig. 32B). The leaves are equally unique with a more or less cordate shape, dark green color, blades that have 3-4 lateral veins below the junction of the 3 main veins, and with hispid petioles. Montanoa echinacea is most closely related to M. liebmannii, under which this relationship is discussed.
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Distribution
Distribution and Habitat: Collected from only two localities, one in Chiapas, Mexico and the other in Huehuetenango, Guatemala (Fig. 40); pine-oak forests, along roadsides and on steep mountain slopes; 2000-3000 m.
Mexico North America| Guatemala Central America|