Reyesia

Annuals or subshrubs (possibly also biennials) clad in sticky trichomes, the plants between 0.3 and 0.8 m in height, greatly dichotomously branched or with only one branched main stem, terminal branches spine-like. One species almost leafless: the others with lower leaves with large (circa 40 mm) pinnatifid – almost pinnatisect – blades decurrent on conspicuous petioles, or forming a basal rosette of broad leaves with long petioles. Upper leaves small, almost sessile, uppermost often reduced to tiny thread-like scales. Flowers solitary, terminal, small, pedicels 10–20 mm, calyces 2–4 mm, strongly glanduliferous – like the pedicels – with five short, equal, acute teeth; corolla zygomorphic, 6–13 mm, tubulose to funnel-shaped, violet, blue or yellow, with or without violet stripes, lobes five, of which four equal (the remaining anterior lobe slightly larger), lobes much shorter than tube; stamens included and somewhat curved towards the larger anterior corolla lobe; stamens four, in two pairs of different lengths, the posterior pair fertile with larger anthers, the lateral pair with smaller anthers, fertile (in R. chilensis) or sterile (in R. parviflora). Anthers with filaments hairless or hairy, thecae usually unequal, anthers basifixed, pollen grains free or in tetrads; Nectary pelviform, bilobed; style thread-like, hollow or solid, almost as long as longest stamens, the stigma spoon-shaped. Capsules small (circa 3–4 mm) hidden in bases of persistent calyces; seeds between two and twenty-five in number, depending on species. Testa reticulate or granulate, embryo of seed curved.[3]

Portrait of Chilean statesman Antonio García Reyes, after whom the genus Reyesia was named; artist: Alessandro Ciccarelli Manzoni a.k.a. Alejandro Ciccarelli

Claude Gay a.k.a. Claudio Gay Mouret, pioneer in the study of the natural history of Chile and editor of Flora Chilena, in which the genus Reyesia was described. ( Photographic portrait by Pierre Petit ).

The genus was described in 1849 by pioneering French botanist, illustrator and explorer of Chile, Claude Gay ( a.k.a. Claudio Gay Mouret ) in Flora Chilena 4(4): 418–420, t. 52. The type species is Reyesia chilensis. The genus name Reyesia commemorates Chilean politician and journalist Antonio García Reyes (1817–1855).[4]

The four accepted species are found in Andean northern Chile in Antofagasta Region, Tarapacá Region, Arica y Parinacota Region, Atacama Region and Coquimbo Region.[3][6]

The three species R. cactorum, R. juniperoides and R. parviflora are xerophytes growing at rather high altitudes of between 2900 m and 3500 m. The fourth species, R. chilensis, by contrast is found at much lower altitudes of between 200 m and 800 m, not far from the Pacific coast of Chile.[3]

Although all four species are to be found in Chile, the genus is not endemic to that country, since the species Reyesia parviflora is found also in neighbouring Argentina, in Andean areas of the provinces of San Juan and Mendoza.[3][7]

Roskov Y., Kunze T., Orrell T., Abucay L., Paglinawan L., Culham A., Bailly N., Kirk P., Bourgoin T., Baillargeon G., Decock W., De Wever A., Didžiulis V. (ed) (8 mars 2014). http://www.catalogueoflife.org/annual-checklist/2014/browse/tree/id/17272181 Species 2000: Reading, UK. Retrieved 19.15 on 8/3/19.