Journal of Threatened
Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 February 2022 | 14(2): 20666–20671
ISSN 0974-7907
(Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print)
https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.7810.14.2.20666-20671
#7810 | Received 29
December 2021 | Finally accepted 01 February 2022
Aldama macbridei (Heliantheae:
Compositae): notes on its distribution and vulnerable
habitats in central Peru
Daniel B. Montesinos-Tubée 1 &
Federico García-Yanes 2
1 Botanic Garden and Botanical
Museum Berlin (BGBM), Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 6 – 8, 14195
Berlin, Germany.
1 Instituto Científico
Michael Owen Dillon, Av. Jorge Chávez 610, Cercado, Arequipa, Perú.
1 Escuela Profesional
de Ingeniería Ambiental, Universidad Nacional de
Moquegua. Pacocha, Ciudad Jardín
s/n, Moquegua, Perú.
2 Herbario Nacional Colombiano,
Instituto de Ciencias Naturales,
Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Carrera 30 # 45-03, Bogotá, Colombia.
1 dbmtperu@gmail.com (corresponding
author), 2 fgarciay@gmail.com
Editor: Anonymity
requested. Date of
publication: 26 February 2022 (online & print)
Citation: Montesinos-Tubée,
D.B. & F. García-Yanes (2022). Aldama macbridei (Heliantheae:
Compositae): notes on its distribution and vulnerable
habitats in central Peru. Journal of Threatened Taxa 14(2): 20666–20671. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.7810.14.2.20666-20671
Copyright: © Montesinos-Tubée
& García-Yanes 2022. Creative Commons Attribution
4.0 International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproduction, and
distribution of this article in any medium by providing adequate credit to the
author(s) and the source of publication.
Funding: J.S. Ingham
(Oxfordshire, UK).
Competing interests: The authors
declare no competing interests.
Acknowledgements: The authors thank the directors
of the herbaria mentioned in the methods. The botanical collections formed part
of the permits: N°056–2016-SERFOR/DGGSPFFS, N°045–2017-SERFOR/DGGSPFFS and
N°133-2018-MINAGRI-SERFOR/DGGSPFFS issued by the Servicio
Nacional Forestal y de Fauna Silvestre (SERFOR, Ministerio de Agricultura y Riego),
Peru. Two anonymous reviewers helped to improve this manuscript.
Abstract: Aldama macbridei (S.F.Blake)
E.E. Schill. & Panero (Heliantheae: Compositae), endemic
to Peru is updated in terms of its distribution in the Central Andes. Also
presented is a brief description of the species and the environments it
inhabits. It is proposed its conservation status according to IUCN Red List
categories be upgraded to ‘Near Threatened’ (NT).
Keywords: Central Andes, conservation
status, distribution, endemic, IUCN Red List.
The genus Aldama
La Llave (1824: 14) (Heliantheae,
Compositae) is native to tropical and subtropical
areas and comprises 118 species extending from southwestern North America and
Mexico to South America (Schilling & Panero 2011;
Magenta et al. 2017). In Peru, the genus is represented by eight species
(Schilling & Panero 2011) mainly distributed in
subtropical dry and humid montane forests across the Andes.
During ongoing floristic studies
in archaeological sites in the boundaries of the Alto Marañon
region in Central Peru (Montesinos-Tubée 2016, 2017),
some interesting specimens of Aldama were
collected. These plants occur on rock crevices and steep slopes in the
boundaries of Pasco and Huánuco departments at 2,300–2,450 m elevation. After
examination the specimens were identified as Aldama
macbridei (S.F.Blake) E.E.Schill. & Panero, which
is endemic to Peru (Beltrán et al. 2006) and has not
been recorded in the studied region so far. The habitat of the type locality,
near Huacachi, Mito (Blake 1926), has been modified
by agriculture conversion, forestation with exotic species, and burning of the
slopes (Image 1). The objective of this study is to present a brief description
of Aldama macbridei
along with photo plates and other relevant information, to facilitate the
correct identification of this species and define its conservation status in
the light of present field observations and the diminishment of native
ecosystems.
Materials and Methods
This contribution is the result
of a review of the published bibliography, field work in southern Peru, and the
revision of Peruvian herbarium specimens. Additionally, digital specimens from
USA herbaria were studied. Herbarium acronyms follow Thiers (2020). Frequent
field surveys were carried out during the period from 2016–2017 in Marañon region in Central Peru (South America) and
specimens of Aldama macbridei
were collected, identified using relevant literature (Magenta et al. 2017; Pruski & Robinson 2018), and also compared with
specimens from different herbaria (CPUN, COL, F, GH, HSP, HUT, K, MH, MOQ, OXA,
TX, US). All voucher specimens are deposited in the herbaria of Cajamarca
University (CPUN), Michael Dillon Institute (HSP), La Libertad-Trujillo
National University (HUT), Moquegua National University (MOQ), and San Marcos
National University (USM). Pictures of living individuals are presented.
Sampling strategy
After the study of herbarium
specimens from Huánuco (Macbride 4078), Huancavelica
(Tovar 1884), and Ancash (Cerrate 2135 & 3746),
several expeditions to those provinces and neighboring
areas allowed us to collect individuals from a population located 60 km from
the type locality of Aldama macbridei. Based on data from sheet labels we were able
to contrast the current variability of some morphological characters in the
field, and to observe the typical habitats and ecological features for this
taxon. Early and reproductive stages were measured for vegetative characters to
assess phenotypic plasticity associated with soil characteristics and slope
inclination. Juvenile, sexually immature but well-developed plants (>1.5 m
tall) and adults, sexually mature plants, and flowering individuals were
characterized at least once. An estimation of the number of individuals
composing the population sampled was done. The species has been assessed for
its conservation status based on the 14th version of the IUCN Red
List (IUCN 2019). The locality sampled was recorded by Garmin Global
Positioning System, allowing the first georeferenced population of Aldama macbridei.
Results and
Discussion
The description of the species
with notes on its distribution, phenology, ecological aspects, details of
specimens examined and conservation status along with colour photographs to
facilitate accurate identification are given below.
Taxonomic treatment and amplified
description
Aldama macbridei (S.F.Blake)
E.E.Schilling & Panero
(Figure 1; Images 2 & 3)
in Bot. J. Linn. Soc.
167(3): 324 (2011). Viguiera macbridei S.F.Blake. in J.
Wash. Acad. Sci. 16: 218 (1926).
Synonym
Rhysolepis macbridei (S.F.Blake)
H.Robinson & A.J.Moore
in Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington 117(3): 429 (2004).
Holotype: 4078, 20.v.1923–1.vi.1923,
Peru, Huánuco, Pachitea, Huacachi,
near Muña, at about 1,980 m, coll
J.F. Macbride (F-535145!). Isotypes: GH barcode
00014012 image!, S-R6483 image!, US-1191485 image!.
Perennial herbs with multiple
stems, densely ramified at the base, 0.5–2 m tall. Stems and leaves densely
covered by sericeous trichomes of about 2 mm long. Alternate arrangement of leaves, sessile,
narrowly lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, blades 2–11 cm long, 3–15 mm wide, subcoriaceous, upperside bright
dark green to yellowish-green at maturity, shallowly bullate, mostly glabrous except by a few, scattered glandular trichomes
resembling resinous dots, underside densely sericeous, base truncate, apex
acute, margins revolute, subentire. Capitulescences
in paniculiform cymes, pedicels 3–15 cm long, densely
sericeous. Capitula radiate, 2.8–5 cm wide including ray corollas. Involucre
campanulate with phyllaries arranged in 4 or 5 series, lanceolate, 2–3 mm long,
acute-mucronate, fimbriate, underside densely pubescent and upperside
glabrous except at the margins. Ray florets 8–18,
corolla 13–26 mm long, 40–75 mm wide, limb oblong, bilobulated
or trilobulated (slightly curved towards the tip),
golden yellow, bearing 11–13 dark yellow parallel veins; disk florets fertile
ca. 55–65, 1.2–1.8 long, tubular, tube shortly pubescent; stamens 4–5.5 mm
long, anthers black, styles 2.5–3.5 mm long, bifurcated, yellow, apex glabrous and acute. Cypselae 4 mm long, narrowly obovate,
black, pappus of 2 awns, unequal, and several squamellae
in between.
Flowering: Flowers and fruits were observed
between March and May.
Ecology: This species was found on the
lower mountain slopes close to the Huertas river,
tributary of the Huallaga river, between the cities of Ambo (Huánuco) and Yanahuanca (Pasco) at an altitudinal range of 2,320–2,410
m. The species inhabits the tropical dry low montane forest (bs-MBT, MINAM 2009), considered a life zone located in the Meso-Andean region and characterized by the predominance of
mountainous steep slopes. The prevailing climate is characterized by its
dryness during several months of the year. The total annual precipitation
fluctuates between 500 and 600 mm. The vegetation cover is deciduous as well as
evergreen shrub species, and there is evidence of fire occurrence (mostly by
anthropic action), influenced by the dominance of grasses. The following
species were observed in the environment of Aldama
macbridei in the boundary of the Huánuco-Pasco
departments: Caesalpinia spinosa (Molina) Kuntze
(Fabaceae), Dodonaea viscosa
Jacq. (Sapindaceae), Espostoa
huanucoensis H. Johnson ex F. Ritter (Cactaceae), Furcraea andina Trel. (Asparagaceae), Heliotropium
arborescens L. (Boraginaceae),
Myriopteris myriophylla
(Desv.) J. Sm. (Pteridaceae),
Schinus molle
L. (Anacardiaceae), Spermacoce
remota Lam. (Rubiaceae),
Tillandsia usneoides (L.) L. (Bromeliaceae), among others. Three additional specimens
were observed at USM herbarium, two of them are from Bolognesi
province, Ancash department, between 2,900 and 3,060 m in tropical dry low
montane forest (bs-MBT). The other specimen corresponds
to the Colcabamba district, Tayacaja
province, Huancavelica department, in humid montane forests (bh-MT, tropical montane humid forest), at 2,300 m. An
altitude of 1,980 m is indicated on the label of the type specimen, in Pachitea, Huánuco. Considering new collections, it is
therefore concluded that the altitudinal distribution range for Aldama macbridei is
from 1,980 to 3,060 m in tropical dry low montane forests (Figure 1).
Distribution: Central Peru, new to Ancash,
Huancavelica and Pasco departments. Prospections on herbaria out from Peru
(example COL) allow us to reaffirm that the taxon does not surpass the Peruvian
territory and is endemic to the mountains of the Central Andes. According to
our ongoing expeditions in these geographic high-altitude systems, the species
distribution boundaries lie between Huánuco province to the north, and Huancavélica province to the south, and is limited to the
high altitude plateaus or Andes mountains.
Specimens examined: 4078 (F), Peru, Huánuco, Pachitea, Huacachi, near Muña, 1,980 m, 20.v.1923–1.vi.1923, coll. J.F. Macbride; 1884 (USM), Peru, Huancavelica,
Tayacaja, Colcabamba, Hacienda Villa Azul, abajo de Colcabamba, 2,300 m,
17.iv.1954, coll. O. Tovar;
2135 (USM), Peru, Ancash, Bolognesi,
Pacllon, Mashcash, punto de unión de los ríos Llamac y Chiquián,
3,060 m, 18.v.1954, coll. E. Cerrate;
3746 (USM), Peru, Ancash, Bolognesi,
Huaraumapata, 2,900 m, 15.iv.1961, coll. E. Cerrate (USM); 7357
(CPUN, CUZ, HSP, HUT, TX), Peru, Huánuco, Ambo, San
Francisco, road between San
Francisco de Mosca and Parcoy, Lat. 10.27, Long. 76.33, 2,317 m, 14.v.2018, coll. D.B. Montesinos & G. Sancho; 7537 (CPUN, HSP, HUT, MOQ, OXA, USM, TX), Peru, Pasco, Daniel Alcides Carrión, Santa Ana de Tusi, Centro Poblado de Antapirca, roadside vegetation, Lat. 10.308, Long. 76.32, 2,406 m, 25.iv.2019,
D.B. Montesinos (Figure 2).
Conservation status: With nearly 724 endemic
Composite species, Asteraceae is the second biggest family in terms of
endemicity, in Perú (León et al. 2006). Endemism is a significant attribute of
any taxon with reference to its restricted distribution, and endemic species of
Peruvian Andes mountains located between Huancabamba
deflection, an important biogeographic boundary, and Atacama Desert, hold
immense significance. An assessment of their geographical distribution within
remote Andean areas is of great conservation concern. Assessments are always
done using the best available information, however, there is a dearth of
knowledge in the case of the distribution pattern for many high-altitude
endemic species, especially those in some Andean mountains with difficult
access, as those explored as part of the ongoing prospection of Asteraceae from
Perú.
The study by Beltrán
et al. (2006) regarding conservation status on Peruvian Asteraceae has provided
valuable information for most of endemic Composites in the country. In the
present survey, an attempt has been made to assess the population and
conservation status of one of the species omitted from this work (Aldama macbridei), because of the
scarce exploration of some remote Andean areas, as those considered and sampled
here.
Also, a perusal of herbarium
consultation in local (CPUN, HSP, HUT, MOQ, OXA, USM, TX) and international
herbaria has revealed interesting new information about the species
distribution. A new record from Huancavelica province (Tovar 1884) allows us to
broaden the current knowledge for the distribution of the species, thought to
be limited to Andean high-altitude plateaus located to the North of Lima, the
Capital city (provinces of Ancash, Huánuco, and Pasco).
According to the criteria and
categories of IUCN (2019), it is proposed as ‘Near Threatened’ (NT) following
Red List criteria. This taxon has a reduced distribution area (less than 10,000
km²). For the locality sampled, less than 500 individuals were counted for the
whole population at this site. Only four other populations are known, and the
absence of other collections allow us to consider that the species may be
restricted to the localities referenced in this work. Nevertheless, one of
these populations is located near the Huayhuash
reserve, in a private protected area (Sernanp 2021),
so the category NT is defined preliminarily, to move to an eventual threatened
category (ex. EN B1-b) if future assessments of population dynamics firmly
establish a high risk of extinction. Suitable habitats for Aldama
macbridei are regarded as near threatened because
of slope burning in all the areas where its occurrence is known. Also,
agriculture expansion, changes in annual rainfall, landslides, and forestation
with exotic species are quite common ongoing processes outside the protected
area where one occurrence is registered. These factors, together with
exploitation of natural resources (especially mining in Ancash, Huanuco, and Pasco provinces) and the expansion of roads
(MTC, 2020) due to the explosive demographic growth of Lima’s vicinities (the
capital city) may all potentially reduce the current extent of Aldama macbridei’s populations. Interestingly,
several degraded areas with steep slopes (the current habitat for Aldama macbridei,
ex. Figure 3B) documented during our expeditions, present a potential for
reforestation with native species for watershed protection purposes.
Notes: Aldama
macbridei, was originally described by Blake
(1926) under the species Viguiera macbridei S.F.Blake from Pachitea region, Huánuco province. According to Schilling
& Panero (2011), Aldama
macbridei was better placed into Aldama group than within Viguiera
traditional concept. Aldama macbridei is allied to
Aldama linearifolia
(Chodat) E.E.Schill.
& Panero (2011: 324), differing by the glabrous stems, narrower leaves, glabrous
pedicels, larger phyllaries and ray limbs, and by the distribution of the
latter in Brazil and Paraguay. Aldama macbridei also differs from Aldama
linearis (Chodat) E.E.Schill. & Panero (2011:
324), another similar species, by its relatively shorter leaf size, hispidolous pubescence of leaves, broader phyllaries,
shorter capitules and by the distribution of the latter
in Mexico. Lastly, it differs from Aldama tenuifolia, (Gardner) E.E.Schill.
& Panero (2011: 325), a brazilian
representative of the genus, by the narrower leaves, glabrous
underside of the leaf blades, glabrous stems, and
pedicels.
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