Abolboda killipii

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Abolboda killipii

Description

Diminutive, tufted, rosulate annual or perennial; foliage dimorphic. Early rosette leaves stubby, 3-5 mm, triangular or slightly lingulate to terete, tips blunt to acute, mucronulate or subulate, later leaves longer, narrowly linear, 3(-4) cm, midrib strong dorsally, apex terete, tip blunt, short-conic, subulate or subulate-aristate, both surfaces of all leaves from smooth to quite granular-papillose, even scabridulous, rarely rugulose-tuberculate. Spikes usually with at least base hidden by leaves, flowers 1-2 per inflorescence, only corolla limb exserted, scape lacking, its bracts spiralled at sessile spike base. Sepals 2, excentrically lateral to ovary, 4.5-8 mm, keel curved, variously papillose, tip variously subulate; corolla 10-13 mm long, pale blue or white; anthers ca. 1 mm; stylar appendages narrowly claviform, reflexed, ca. 1 mm. Capsule ellipsoid, ca. 2 mm, valves papillate at narrowly rounded tip; seeds obovoid, ca. 0.7 mm, red-brown to black, with 56 strong ribs per side.

Distribution

Amazonian Brazil present, Bolivar present, Southern America: Brazil North (Amazonas present); Venezuela (Venezuela present), Suriname present
Amazonas E through Bolivar, Venezuela to Suriname, S into Amazonian Brazil.

Notes

A. killipii is plainly nearest A. americana, as evidenced by the type of leaf dimorphism, the general habit, character of bracts and lateral sepals and floral pigmentation. In fact one specimen (Zanderij Savanna, Mori et al. 8339 (NY)) has short scapes and is intermediate in some other characters. Particularly distinctive in all other material seen of A. killipii is, however, the sessile spike, the papillose-tuberculate keel of lateral sepals, and the roughness of some or all leaves.