A New Species OfVaccinium(Ericaceae) From The Southeastern Klamath Mountains And The Sierra Nevada, California, With Two Subspecies

Abstract

Vaccinium shastense J. K. Nelson & L. Lindstrand III (Ericaceae) is described as a new species from interior California. This new species is most similar to V. parvifolium Smith but differs by its ciliate, inrolled leaf margins, much wider hypanthium scar, dark blue, glaucous, quickly deciduous fruits, greater seed count, and pitted seed surface sculpturing. Moreover, V. shastense and V. parvifolium are allopatric, occur in distinct habitats, and have distinct genetic characters. Two subspecies of Vaccinium shastense are described: Vaccinium shastense subsp. shastense, endemic to the southeastern Klamath Mountains in Shasta County, California, and Vaccinium shastense subsp. nevadense J. K. Nelson & L. Lindstrand III from the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, California. The new subspecies differ from one another in flower color, length of persistent calyx ring, growth habit, geographic range and habitat, and distinct genetic characters. Vaccinium shastense subsp. shastense and Vaccinium shastense subsp. nevadense are compared to morphologically similar taxa in California by inclusion of an updated species key.

Phylogeography and Species Boundaries In theHydromantes shastaeComplex, With Description of Two New Species (Amphibia; Caudata; Plethodontidae)

“…Endemism within this region is indicated by the presence of several endemic plant and wildlife species, including Shasta eupatory, Ageratina shastensis (Taylor and Stebbins, 1978); Shasta snowwreath, Neviusia cliftonii (Shevock et al, 1992); and the Shasta and Wintu sideband snails, Monadenia troglodytes troglodytes and M. t. wintu (Roth, 1981). The documentation of regional endemic taxa continues with recent descriptions of four plant species including Shasta limestone monkeyflower, Erythranthe taylori (Nesom, 2013); Shasta maidenhair fern, Adiantum shastense (Huiet et al, 2015); Shasta fawn lily, Erythronium shastense (York et al, 2015); and Shasta huckleberry, Vaccinium shastense shastense (Nelson and Lindstrand, 2015).…”