Montanoa ovalifolia subsp. ovalifolia
Montanoa ovalifolia is roadside shrub that is noteworthy for its abundant, densely clustered heads and the extreme amount of variation in a number of its characters. The leaves in particular very considerably on the individual and populational levels. In one population in Santander, Colombia (SF 5622 A-H) all of the leaf shapes for the entire species were found so there does not appear to be any correlation with locality. The other variable characters, however, do appear to have clinal variation that is here recognized on the subspecific level.
REPRESENTATIVE SPECIMENS: COLOMBIA. BOYACA: Duitama, II Dec 1969, Cuatrecasas 1693 (F,US); Oambita, 20 Oct 1972, Garcia-Barriga 20376 (COL); Chiquinquira, 9 Jul 1964, Espinal 1769 (COL); Oiiican, 18 Sep 1969, Cuatrecasas & Rodriguez 27856 (US); Tunja, 30 .Tun 1971, Guarin &Villarreal 1028 (COL); Cocuy, 14 Sep 1938, Cuatrecasas & Garcia-Barriga 1693 (COL); Tota, I Sep 1951, Yepes-Agredo 3147 (COL); Tabor, Cocuy, I Aug 1957, G/'lIbb, Curry & Fe/'l/andez-Perez 214(COL); 29 km N of Boyacii/Cundinamarca departmental limits, 15.ful 1979, SF 5579* (COL, OS); I km NE of Arcabuco, 16 Jul 1979, SF 5592* (COL, OS); 8 km S of Tunja, 20 Jul 1979, SF 5634 (COL,OS); 16 km S of Tunja, 20 .ful 1979, SF 5635 (COL, OS); 17 km S of Tunja, 20 Jul 1979, SF 5637*(COL, OS); I km S of Boyaca, 20 .ful 1979, SF 5638* (COL, OS); 5 km S of .fenesano on I'd to Tibana, 20 lui 1979, SF 5639* (COL, OS). CALDAS: 2 km N of Nerra, 30 km S of Aranzazu, 29 lui 1979, SF 5699 (COL, OS). CUNDINAMARCA: 19 km NW ofjct of I'd from Zipaquira to Urbate and I'd to Neusa,14 Jul 1979, SDF 5543* (COL, OS); 6 km N of Zipaquira on I'd to Pacho, 14 Jul 1979, SDF 5547*(COL, OS); 29 km N of Boyacii/Cundinamarca departmental limits, 15 .Tul 1979, SF 5579 (COL, OS);ca. I km SSW of Boyacii/Cundinamarca departmental limits, 15 Jul 1979, SF 5578* (COL, OS); near Sesquile, 6 Ju11947, Haught 5931 (COL, NY, US); Bogota Plateau, 27 Dec 1926, Niellleyer 152 (US); Sabana de Bogota, 20 Nov 1949, Dugand 4350 (COL, CM); Zipaquira, 18 Aug 1944, Jaralllillo s.n.(COL); Simijaca, May 1930, Perez 241 (COL); near Bogot~l., Aug 1933, Garcia-Barriga 49 (COL); Zipaquira, 20-24 Oct 1919, Pennell 2620 (OH, NY); Usme, 9 Jan 1946, Diaz 12 (US); Sabana de Bogota, .Tun 1916, Dawe 300 (K, US). SANTANDER: near Tona, 17 Feb 1927, Killip & Smith 19446 (OH, NY, US); btw California and Vetas, 15-22 Jan 1927, Killip & SlIlith 18001 (OH, NY, US); near Vetas, 16 Jan 1927, Killip & SlIlith 17885 (A, OH, NY, US). NORTE DE SANTANDER: 24 km SE of Pamplona, 4 km SE of La Legia, 18 Jul 1979, SF 5622 (OS); Pamplona, 26 Jun 1940, Cuatrecasas & Garcia-Barriga 10245 (COL, F, US).
Shrubs 1.5-5.0 mm tall. Stems terete, brown, herbaceous parts essentially glabrous to sparsely glandular and pubescent, hairs less than 0.5 mm long. Leaves variable; petioles 2-17 cm long with or without partial wings and auricles, moderately to densely glandular and pubescent, hairs 0.5- 1.0 mm long; blades ovate to triangular or pentagonal (Fig. 45 A-J), 4.5- 23.0 cm long, 2.2- 27.0 cm wide, apex acute to acuminate, margin serrate- dentate, unlobed to shallowly 3-lobed, adaxial surface moderately pubescent, hairs pustular, abaxial surface moderately to densely glandular and pubescent, hairs 0.5-1.0 mm long. Peduncles 1.0- 3.5 cm long, densely glandular and pubescent, hairs 0.5-1.0 mm long. Heads erect, 0.9- 1.2 cm diam in flower, ca. 2.0 cm diam in fruit, few to many in open cymose synflorescences in oppositely and alternately branched compound corymbs. Phyllaries 4-9, uni- or biseriate, when biseriate the inner row somewhat shorter, ovate-lanceolate, 4.5-12.0 mm long, 1.0-2.5 mm wide, green, apex acute to acuminate, margin ciliate, entire, abaxial surface densely glandular and pubescent, hairs 0.5-1.0 mm long, adaxial surface sometimes pubescent on distal half, hairs 0.5-1.0 mm long. Ray florets 8-15; corollas white, ligules ovate- lanceolate, 12-25 mm long, 4-8 mm wide, apex acute to 2-notched, adaxial surface essentially glabrous, abaxial surface sparsely glandular and pubescent especially on veins, hairs less than 0.5 mm long, tube 0.5-1.0 mm long, 0.5-1.0 mm wide, glabrous. Disc florets ( Fig. 45k) 50-135; corollas yellow, tube 0.6-1.0 mm long, 0.5 mm diam, glabrous to moderately glandular and pubescent, hairs less than 0.5 mm long, throat cylindrical, 1-2 mm long, 1.0 mm diam, essentially glabrous to sparsely glandular and pubescent, hairs less than 0.5 mm long, lobes 5 (rarely 4), 0.5-0.75 mm long, 0.5 mm wide, apex acute, sparsely pubescent hairs thick, less than 0.5 mm long; stamens with filaments 1.0-1.5 mm long, 0.25 mm wide, anthers not fully exserted from corolla thecae brown, 1.0-1.25 mm long, 0.5 mm wide, apical appendages yellow, acute, 0.5- 1.0mm long, 0.25-0.5 mm wide, abaxial surface of apical appendage with or without glands; styles U(Fig. 45k) yellow, 3.25-4.0 mm long, enlarged at base, stigmatic surface brown or yellow, 0.75 mm long, apical appendage yellow, short acute, 0.25 mm long, 0.25mm wide. Pales at anthesis obtrullate to obdeltoid (Fig. 45L), 3.5-4.0 mm long, 2.0 mm wide, light yellow with dark bands near midrib and on distal half, apex long-acuminate, yellow, indurate, margin ciliate, glandular, entire, abaxial surface,densely glandular and pubescent near center, hairs 1.0 mm long, adaxial surface glabrous; pales at fruiting (not quiet mature) deciduous, obtrullate (Fig. 45M),ca. 10.0 mm long, 5.0 mm wide, papery with netted venation, stramineous with dark bands near midrib, apex acuminate, apiculate, dark, margin moderately glandular, ciliate on distal half but not apical, abaxial surface sparsely glandular and pubescent, hairs 0.5-1.0 mm long, adaxial surface glabrous. Achenes (not quiet mature) brown-black, 2.5-3.0 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, smooth. Chromosomenumber, n= 19.
Involucral bracts (6-)7-9 and 5-12 mm long; ray florets 10- 15, 18-25 mm long; dusc fkirets 90- 135.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Tribe: Heliantheae
Genus: Montanoa
Sub- Genus: Acanthocarphae
Species: Montanoa ovalifolia
Subspecies: ovalifolia
Colombian states of Boyaca, Caldas, Cundinamarca, Santander and Norte de Santander; wet transitional forests and sub-paramo areas; 1900-3100 m.
Flowering period: May- January, primarily June-September.