Three new species of Lachemilla (Rosaceae) from South America

Abstract

Three new species of Lachemilla (Rosaceae), two from Colombia and one from Peru, are described and illustrated. Lachemilla rothmaleriana is characterized by its stout stems, sericeous-villous indumentum, and wide ascending sheaths with trilobate lateral lobes. Lachemilla argentea presents a unique combination of tripartite basal leaves with an adaxial silvery villous indumentum, and decumbent branches with verticillate lobed sheaths. Finally, Lachemilla cyanea has distinctly basal reniform leaves with a blue-green color and hirsute pubescence. Phylogenetic analyses of the nuclear ribosomal cistron and multiple regions of the plastid genome revealed the allopolyploid origin of the three new taxa.