Fosterella chiquitana Ibisch, R.Vasquez & E.Gross[as Fosterella chiquitana Ibisch, Vasquez & Gross]Diagnose: —Fosterella chiguitana leviter similis est F. villosula (HARMS) L.B. SMITH sed differt ab ea in characteribus sequentibus: folia longiores angustioresque; scapus et inflorescentia leviter lepidoti ad paene glabrati, non floccosi; bracteae florum 8-11 mm longae, non 7 mm; .sepala solum ad dimidium longitudinis petalorum, non quasi aequantes; petala 9-10 mm longa, non 7 mm. Observations: —This new species is somewhat similar to F. villosula (HARMS) L.B. SMITH but differs in the following characters: leaves longer and narrower, scape and inflorescence sparsely lepidote to almost glabrous, not flocculose lepidote, floral bracts 8-11 mm, not 7 mm, sepals only half as long as petals, not almost as long as petals, petals 9-10 mm, not 7 mm .
Detail from Selbyana 23(2): 204-219. 2002
Preliminary molecular data suggest that Fosterella chiquitana is related to F. penduliflora and F. latifolia, together forming a well-supported group in a neighbor joining analysis (Rex 2001, Rex et al. 2001, see FIGURE1). A plant collected nearby the type locality by C. Nowicki differed morphologically (e.g., shorter floral bracts, plants less lepidote), but preliminary molecular data suggest that this plant is close to the type of F. chiquitana.
Specimen examined: BOLIVIA. Dpto. Santa Cruz: between San Javier and Concepcion, on granitic rocks, 22 Apr. 2000, C. Nowicki 2221 (LPB).
The small, white, and not conspicuously fragrant Fosterella flowers have made it difficult to determine the pollinators. Small flies have been observed on flowers (Ibisch et al. 1999), and fly pollination may still be possible with some species. More recently, however, we observed regular and frequent visitation by an unidentified species of a small bee (FIGURE 2) on a cultivated specimen of the above-cited collection, at Santa Cruz de la Sierra (not far from the wild populations). This may be the first documentation of bee-visitation in Fosterella. Kromer (1997) concluded from F. micrantha nectar analysis that because of the high relative hexose importance, small bees could be pollinators.
Tab. 1: Comparison of characters of Fosterella. chiquitana s p. nov. and F. villosula
F. chiquitana s p. nov. F. villosula
Leaf blades 40 cm long, to 2,5 cm wide, 20-30 cm long, to 4 cm wide,
not narrowed narrowed
Scape lepidote to glabrous floccose-lepidote
Inflorescence almost glabrous floccose-villose
Floral bracts 8-11 mm long 7 mm long
Sepals 4-5 mm long 4-5 mm long
Petals 9-10 mm long 7 mm long
Localities Bolivia; pre-Cambrian shield, 500 m Bolivia; Andes, 500-1600 mEdited from : Ibisch 1998. (protologue) Conservation status of the Bolivian species of the genus Puya, applying a new method of evaluation .