Zephyranthes sarae J.M.Watson & A.R.Flores

Place of Publication

Int. Rock Gard. 122: [figs.40, 43-46] (2020)

Type citation

CHILE. Atacama Region, Huasco Province, 1 km S of Huasco town towards Playa Brava, 28º28'47"S 71º14'11"W, 65-90 m, 12 Jan 2001, leg. J.M. Watson & A.R. Flores, F.& W. 9586 (holotype SGO).

References

Hoffmann et al. (2015)

Hoffmann J., A.E. , Watson, J.M. and Flores Q., A.R. 2015. Flora Silvestre de Chile; Cuando El Desierto Florece Vol. 1 Monocotiledóneas y otros taxones. 261 pp.
Watson & Flores (2019a)

Watson, J.M. and Flores, A.R. 2019. When did you last see your Dad? A new Chilean Zephyranthes and Argentinian Olsynium gifted to Darling Daughters by their step-mum and often absent father. International Rock Gardener 120: 25-76
Watson & Flores 2020b

Watson, J.M. and Flores, A.R 2020. Sarah meets her namesake. Zephyranthes sarae is still alive and kicking at Tambillo. International Rock Gardener 123:

Regions

Atacama and Coquimbo

Habitat

Desert, Coastal desert and semidesert and Desert fog oases (Lomas)

Distribution and habitat

Comprises two adjacent populations to the north at Huasco in the Atacama Region where most plants occur and one population south of La Serena in the Coquimbo Region.

Conservation status

VU, vulnerable (Watson & Flores (2019a))

Habit

Coastal desert and mattoral with regular dense sea fog. The overall associated species are low to dwarf xerophytic shrubs including a wide range of cacti and drought resistant geophytes

Key characteristics

It is characterized by free spathe valves, (usually) multi-flowered spathes and, with one exception, a trifid stigma. The unique aggregate of characters includes: bulb symmetrically globose, not ovoid or pyriform; anthesis always proteranthous: scape usually 2-flowered (rarely 1- or 3-flowered); perianth with subfree tepals distinctly narrow, widely spreading, and reflexed: tepal colour and markings uniformly pink and longitudinally striped; mature anthers long (Watson & Flores 2019)

Notes

Zephyranthes sarae was included in Hoffmann et al. 2015: 52, (fig. 6) as Myostemma species. See painting reproduced here.