![]()
FIELDIANA
THE LIBRARY OF THE
,i -V > i 1973
MAY
UNIVEKSITY OF ILLINOIb
AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN
Published by Field Museum of Natural History
Volume 36, No. 3 January 9, 1973
Eplingia, A New Genus of the Labiatae
from Mexico
Louis O. WILLIAMS
CHAIRMAN, DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY
FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
The attractive labiate described here and dedicated to the mem-
ory of Dr. Carl Epling, long time student of the Labiatae, was first
collected in Oaxaca by Dr. Robert W. Cruden. Dr. Cruden showed
the specimens to Dr. Epling who disowned them, saying that they
were not Labiatae.
Dr. Epling knew the genera of the American Labiatae intimately
and when he looked at these specimens I think that he did not rec-
ognize the genus and never gave it a second look — simply because if
he did not recognize the plant it could not be a labiate!
Dr. Cruden went back to Oaxaca five years later and got more
ample material, including pickled flowers and color photographs.
These he showed to me at the time I was preparing the manuscript
for the Labiatae for the "Flora of Guatemala." The genus was not
known to me but proves to be a quite distinct new one.
How this attractive plant could have escaped detection in the
relatively well-known area of Oaxaca is difficult to understand.
Eplingia belongs in the Tribe: Satureineae. subtribe Lepechinieae
of Bentham's treatment of the Labiatae in Genera Plantarum (2:
1160-1223. 1876). The outstanding characteristics of this genus
which seem to distinguish it from all others are: campanulate calyx
with the lobes subequal and the nerves 10, with the median nerves
prominent and the sinus nerves inconspicuous; the inflorescence
(usually) 3-flowered determinate cymes in axils of upper leaves;
stamens long exserted, of about equal length, the anthers with di-
vergent cells and joined across their apices; the nutlets somewhat
connate into two usually equal pairs; the plant a shrub.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 72-97566
Publication 1159 17
VOLOGY
![]()
18 FIELDIANA: BOTANY, VOLUME 36
I wish to thank Dr. Cruden for sharing with me his material from
which Miss Pahl has prepared the accompanying plate.
Eplingia L. Wms., gen. nov. Labiatarum.
Frutices; foliis oppositis integerrimis glabris; inflorescentiae e cymis trifloris
aut paucifloris efformatae; calyx quinquelobatus campanulatus, lobis leviter
inaequalibus lanceolatis acutis decemnerviis; corolla bilabiata, tubo saepius longe
exserto, labio postico reflexo integro obovato, labio antico patente, trilobate, lo-
bulis rotundatis, tubo angusto ad basem obscure inflate; stamina 4 subdidynama
aequalis longe exserta; antherae biloculares loculis junctis; stylus bifidus, lobis
subaequalibus; nuclae ovoideae aut ovatae reticulatae.
Low shrubs. Leaves opposite, ovate to lanceolate-ovate, acute, entire, gla-
brous or the margin obscurely ciliate, with raised glandular dots below; inflores-
cences borne one in the axils of the upper leaves, short pedunculate determinate
cymes, each usually with only 3 flowers; calyx 5-lobed, campanulate, lobes slightly
unequal, lanceolate, acute, about as long as the tube, 10 nerved with prominent
median nerve in each calyx lobe and an inconspicuous nerve at each sinus, becom-
ing broadly campanulate in fruit; corolla bilabiate, the tube at least twice as long
as the calyx, dorsal lip reflexed, entire, obovate and somewhat cuneate to the base,
the ventral lip spreading, prominently trilobate, the lobules rounded, ciliate ex-
cept mid-lobe prominently bilobulate and twice the size of the lateral lobes, the
tube narrow, 1.5-2 mm. in diameter, obscurely inflated at the base, about twice
or more the length of the calyx, puberulent inside at the base of the filaments;
stamens 4, in two pairs, equal, attached near the base of the corolla tube, filaments
glabrous except at the base, twice as long as the corolla, equal or nearly so, an-
thers two-celled, the cells divergent and joined across the apex; style slender and
reaching to the stamens, bifid at the apex into subequal linear lobes; fruit of 4 nut-
lets in two subequal pairs, each pair connate to near the middle, the nutlets ovoid
or ovate, the surface obscurely reticulate.
Eplingia saxicola L. Wms. sp. nov.
Frutices usque ad 1 m. alti; folia ovata vel ovato-lanceolata subsessilia integra
glabra; inflorescentia cymatosa triflora axillaris; calyx campanulatus, 5-7 mm.
longus; corolla rosea bilabiata, labio postico reflexo integro obovato-cuneato, labio
antico trilobato, tubo gracili ad basem obscure inflate; stamina subaequalibus;
stylus gracilis bifidus, lobis linearibus; nuclae 4-5 mm. longae.
Low shrubs to about 1 m., the stems and branches woody, puberulent above»
the older stems glabrous. Leaves ovate or ovate-lanceolate, acute, nearly sessile,
entire, glabrous, obscurely glandular below, 10-30 mm. long and 5-10 mm.
broad ; inflorescences usually 3-flowered determinate cymes in axils of upper leaves,
puberulent, peduncles slender, 10-15 mm. long, usually bibracteate at the apex,
pedicels to 8 mm. long, usually 1-2 bracteolate near the apex; calyx campanulate,
5-7 mm. long, sparsely pubescent along the 5 principal nerves and the margin of
the lobes, lobes lanceolate, acute or subacuminate, 3-4 mm. long, 1.5-2 mm. broad
at the base, somewhat accrescent in fruit; corolla rose, bilabiate, 2-2.5 cm. long,
the posterior lip entire, obovate-cuneate, 8-10 mm. long and 5-6 mm. broad near
the apex, the anterior lip trilobate with the mid-lobe bilobulate, 8-10 mm. long,
the lateral lobes rounded, about 5 mm. long, the mid-lobe 10-12 mm. broad,
![]()
FIG. 1. Eplingia saxicola. A, habit of plant from color photographs and the
type, X >/«; B, flowering apex of a stem, from the type, photographs and material
in liquid, X %', C, two flowers in natural position, from material in liquid, X 2;
D, a flower dissected, X 2; E, nutlets in situ, one pair aborted, X3|^; F, nutlets,
one dissected, X 5; G, anthers, back and front, X 8.
19
![]()
20 FIELDIANA: BOTANY, VOLUME 36
retuse and bilobulate, the corolla tube 10-14 mm. long, slender, 1.5-2 mm. in
diameter, obscurely enlarged at the base; stamens 4 in 2 subequal pairs, the fila-
ments attached near the base of the corolla tube, 35-40 mm. long, anthers versa-
tile, 2-celled, the cells divergent, joined across their apices, about 1.5 mm. long;
style slender, bifid at the apex into linear lobes, as long as the filaments; nutlets
large, ovoid, the surface obscurely reticulate, 4-5 mm. long and 1.5-2 mm. broad.
Mexico: flowers rose-pink, plant a shrub to almost a meter high,
steep rocky hillside with many bromeliads, Echeveria, Selaginella,
route 15 at K 376, ca. 13.5 km. northwest of Tamazulapan, Oaxaca,
elevation ca. 2,260 m., 21 July 1966, Cruden 1094 (UC); low bush,
flowers pink, stamens exserted, at base of rock wall with Sal via, Ruta
190, between K. 72 and 73, ca. 5.5 km. N.W. of Yanhuitlan, Oaxaca,
alt. ca. 2240 m., 7 September 1971, Cruden 1950 (type, F; IA, UC).
