Cathissa villasina (Hyacinthaceae), a new endemic species from the southeastern Iberian Peninsula

Abstract

A new species, Cathissa villasina, endemic to the Sierra de Las Villas (Jaén province, Eastern Andalusia, Spain), is described, illustrated and compared to its closest relative (C. reverchonii), with which it was initially confused in this area. A comparative morphometric study (quantitative and qualitative) of both species including a statistical analysis of 39 macroscopic characters and the detailed microscopic observation of stigma, seminal testa and pollen was performed. In terms of its ecology and phytogeography, C. villasina grows in pockets of clayey soils on limestone pavements on terrain with little or no incline. Humidity levels in these soils are high and they can become temporarily waterlogged. This species is a narrow endemic to the Cazorlense biogeographical district. By comparison, C. reverchonii is clearly a rupicolous species that grows in the shade of vertical or steeply sloping limestone rocks, and is found in numerous scattered localities in the biogeographical Rondense district.