ARS | Publication request: PUCARA (AMARYLLIDACEAE) REDUCED TO SYNONYMY WITH STENOMESSON ON THE BASIS OF NUCLEAR AND PLASTID DNA SPACER SEQUENCES, AND A NEW RELATED SPECIES OF STENOMESSON

Submitted to: Systematic Botany
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: March 12, 2004
Publication Date: September 30, 2004
Citation: Meerow, A.W., Van Der Werff, H. 2004. Pucara (Amaryllidaceae) reduced to synonymy with Stenomesson on the basis of nuclear and plastid DNA spacer sequences, and a new related species of Stenomesson. Systematic Botany.

Interpretive Summary: Using DNA sequences, the genus Pucara, a Peruvian member of the amaryllis family, is shown to actually be a species of the genus Stenomesson, the name Pucara leucantha is transferred to Stenomesson as S. leucanthum. A related species, new to science, is described as Stenomesson chloranthum.

Technical Abstract: Pucara, a monotypic genus of Amaryllidaceae from Peru is transferred to Stenomesson as S. leucanthum, based on the phylogenetic position of Pucara resolved by nuclear and plastid DNA sequences. An allied species, Stenomesson chloranthum, is described from the Departments of Amazonas and Cajamarca in Peru, but at lower elevation. Both of these species release their pollen in tetrads, unique within Amaryllidaceae, and have tri-lobed stigmas, unique within Stenomesson.