Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

The pollen morphology of eight Macroptilium species occurring in Mexico and Central America is described by means of light and scanning microscopy. In this region, members of the genus have pollen grains 3-colporate, medium-sized, with polar shapes from prolate-spheroidal, suboblate to oblate-spheroidal. Differences in ectoaperture (length, apex shape and membrane), ornamentation, margo, and the outline in polar side identify two pollen types: Type I. Pollen with small colpi (brevicolpate), margo thickened, apex of the ectoaperture round, membrane granular, polar outline convex angular, exine tectate or semitectate, apocolpium punctate or rugulate, and mesocolpium microreticulate or rugulate. Species of section Microcochle, including M. gibbosifolium, M. pedatum, and M. supinum are characterized by this pollen type. Type II. Pollen with long colpi (longicolpate) margo non-thickened, apex of the ectoaperture acute, membrane granular, pollen outline circular to semi-angular, exine tectate or semitectate, apocolpium punctate to foveolate, and mesocolpium microreticulate to foveolate. Species of section Macroptilium comprising, M. atropurpureum, M. erythroloma, M. gracile, M. lathyroides, and M. longipedunculatum are distinguished by this pollen type. Palynological descriptions of five species of Macroptilium are provided for the first time.

We describe and illustrate two new taxa of Bursera from the Cape Region in the southern sector of the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico. One is named B. littoralis and the other B. rupicola. The former is morphologically related to B. filicifolia and B. laxiflora of the southern peninsula and still with B. ribana of western Mexico, but differs in its smaller leaves and leaflets, the shrubby habit with dense and intricate branching, and in its habitat on the coastal dunes. The second taxon is related to B. epinnata of the southern peninsula, differing from it in its almost always unifoliolate, shiny, and membranaceous leaves with scattered simple and glandular trichomes, short inflorescences with few flowers and particularly in its shrubby growth habit with pendent branches. Both species belong to the Bullockia section, having a bilocular ovary, bivalvate fruit, well developed cataphylls, 4(5)-merous flowers, and non-exfoliating bark.

Se proponen tres nuevas combinaciones nomenclaturales en compuestas mexicanas, consideradas como necesarias para ajustar el rango taxonómico de: Acourtia dugesii (A. Gray) Reveal & R. M. King var. veracruzana (B. L. Turner) Villarreal & A. E. Estrada, Acourtia dugesii (A. Gray) Reveal & R. M. King var. queretarana (B. L. Turner) Villarreal & A. E. Estrada y Chaptalia lyratifolia Burkart var. estribensis (G. L. Nesom) Villarreal & A. E. Estrada.

Calceolaria dichotoma subsp. colimana is described and illustrated as a new subspecies from the state of Colima in western Mexico. C. dichotoma belongs to subgenus Cheiloncos and section Micranthera, previously only known from the Andes, from Colombia to the north of Argentina. The finding of the taxon in Colima increases thousands of kilometers to the north the known distribution of the subgenus, section and species.

Over 70 years after its original description, Sedum morganianum E. Wather, the “donkey tail”, has been at last found wild in two ravines at Tenampa county, in central Veracruz, in eastern Mexico. It grows on vertical cliffs of igneous rock in the Tropical Deciduous Forest zone. For its restricted geographic distribution it should be regarded as a micro endemic species.

The Agave potatorum complex, of group Hiemiflorae, is revised. Two new taxa from Oaxaca, Agave nussaviorum and A. nussaviorum subsp. deltoidea, are described and illustrated. The new species is compared with Agave seemanniana Jacobi and A. potatorum Zucc. Information concerning its distribution, ethnobotany, and phenology, and an identification key to the taxa of the complex are provided.

Perymenium rogmacvaughii is described as new and illustrated on the basis of a specimen collected in the western extremity of the State of Mexico. The species is probably related to P. hintonii McVaugh, known from Michoacán, and to P. pringlei B.L. Rob. & Greenm. var. pringlei, reported from Jalisco and Sinaloa.

The tree known as Indian lavender (Bursera delpechiana, Burseraceae) is a source of linalool. It was introduced to India from Mexico at the beginning of the 20th century for the exploitation of its essential oil. Its origin from Mexico was not well understood because the name B. delpechiana has been taxonomically obsolete for many years. We used molecular, phylogenetic, and chemical data to determine which currently recognized species it belongs to. This evidence regarding the Indian Lavender Tree’s identity all points to the Mexican species, Bursera linanoe. Our chemical analysis also revealed that linalyl acetate is the primary constituent of Indian Lavender oil as well as of Mexican B. linanoe rather than linalool as previously believed.

Bio.

Hechtia epigyna Harms is reported for the first time from the state of Hidalgo, Mexico. This species was previously known only from Tamaulipas. A complete morphological description, photographs of male and female individuals, and a distribution map are given.