ISSN 0016-5301 EULYCHNIA CASTANEA GEOGRAPHICAL (CACTACEAE): PHIL. AND DISTRIBUTION VARIATION EULYCHNIA CASTANEA (CACTACEAE): DISTRIBUCIÓN GEO- PHIL. GRÁFICA VARIACIÓN Y & Urs Eggli Beat Ernst Leuenberger 1 n geográfica de ¡mia £;</v< , Los resultados s i. un -ida a área li Chile. e 1 interpreted as being ( smce and ger. a large \ peligro" a base de una población extendida y viable d A Fray Jorge National Park. ca tro del Parque Nacional Fray Jorge. Se mencic gression from Eidxvhua acida so de posible introgresión de Eidyt hnia acida. i* KEYWORDS: Eulychnia, conserv; INTRODUCTION nes produced from the areoles of the pericarpel, and the spiny were compared with fruits the The genus Eulychnia is a small genus of sh- fruits of the chestnut by Philippi (Lat. castaneus = rubby arborescent columnar and 4 of Although to cacti, the chestnut). Philippi did not publish an presumably 5 speeies are restricted to Chile (the illustration of E. castanea, and despite some pro- exception being E. ritteri from southern Perú). blems associated with the type material, the iden- The two speeies Eulychnia acida and E. iqui- of the taxon does not present any problems, tity form quensis a conspicuous element in the vege- catión was recently resolved (Leuen- & tation of the semi-arid and arid Norte Chico. The berger Eggli, 1998). history and typification of Eulychnia taxa, as some on Geographical well as preliminary notes possible sy- Distribution: The type locality nonymies, have been the subject of a recent con- of Eulychnia castanea Los Molles at (32°14'S, is & (Leuenberger Región tribution Eggli, 1998). de Valparaíso, Prov. Petorca), where the was Eulychnia castanea described by R. A. taxon can be observed today on the coastal still Philippi in 1864, based on a collection by Land- rocks below the houses. The northern of limit the beck from the coast near Los Molles (then in range of this strictly coastal taxon given as 'Ta- is tovince, today in Petorca Province). linay" in the literature (Ritter. 1980; Hoffmann, for the diagnostic pungent thin spi- 1989), and this taken to represent the región of 1 is Quebrada the Talinay and Cerro Talinay (c. 30°5rS, Región de Coquimbo. Liman) Prov. (the N "Altos de Talinay" further cannot q E. castane.a ha.s a. coastal strictly distribution). CH-8002 quai 88, Zürich, Switzerland. •<-.- Museum Berlín a study of the Cactaceae for the "Proyecto Flora Dahlem. D-14191 Kónigin-Luise-Strasse 6-8, Berlín now de Chile" have considerably extended the Los known geographical range for E. castanea to in moderately disturbed áreas, e.g. at Molles, wards the North, just into Prov. Elqui. Togethei Pichidangui. in the Quebrada del Teniente, and al- we growing hedges Huentelauquen. Moreo- have so w several additional collections, esta in at ith MMied more ver, a very vigorous population consisting of a or a number of indidivuals located within Fray large is South and near Puerto Aldea on the Len- Jorge National Park. and E. castanea therefore en- in the W gua de Vaca península of the Bahia Tongoy (30°18.5rS)in the North (Map status as "out of danger" seems to be a sound inter- 1). Whether represents the true geographi- pretaron, and survival does not seem to be im- this its cal rango oí the taxon remanís open to debate, mediately threatened as a whole. Populations in Id however, scarches n the southern part of the natural range are, v c v tii Our own observations indícate under some pressure as outlined above, and nal localities. thai it would good landowners and vastanea does neither oceur to the north of the be a idea to suggest to E. N known La range Punta Teatinos of Serena. populations as a at 1 propágate ) A A1I our observations as well as remarks on the plant at appropriate sites, e.g. in hedgerows. the labels of the few available herbarium speci- study of the biology of this species by a local bio- mens indícate that E. castanea is a strictly coa-tal logist would seem very promising for a more de- taxon, occupying but a narrow fringe along the coast. Its ecological amplitude appears to be consi- and Hybridization involving Eulychnia castanea: derable, ed plants can apj be observed on coastal rocks. among coastal peb- At the N-most limit, R. Kraus (pers. comm.) obser- bles (e.g. near Pichidangui) or in coastal semi-sta- ved typical Eulychnia castanea as well as plants N dune bilized sands (e.g. just of Puente El which appear intermedíate between E. castanea and Teniente). In only one place (near Huentelauquen) one of the larger growing species of the genus. jud- we could observe E. castanea planted as compo- ging from the woolly-bristly indumentum of the pe- nent of a "li\ ing de up by one ricarpel and the larger stature of the plants (R. of the numerous fornis hinnpsis chiloensis. Kraus photos nos. 1988 and 1989, ZSS). Similar /:"< plants were also collected back in 1947 by B. Spa- Conservation: Since the coast strip northwards rre (Sparre 1974). While E. castanea cannot be dis- from Papudo and Zapallar is of easy access from tinguished \egetatively from either E. acula or E. s -.... ... "•. hreviflora (the only other species of the gen us !ikel> '. .;> ' . ; . be to present in the área), the pericarpel spinatíon is atea- between the Panamencan Highway and the denser and more bristly instead of pungent, as coas! are alit ¡Jed into lots would be typical for E. castanea (Figs. 2). 1, According our observations, the range of to sufters from gra/ing impact and there are also scat- E. hreviflora does not extend significantly to the \soiEuca ptus and or Pinas. As a south of Coquimbo, while E. acida was found consequence, the already narrow distribution of with a few individuáis growing in the i Eulxclinia castanea appears to be under severe pression from these developments. ¡u con-er\ation Fray Jorge National Park mear 30° 37.94' S 71° / we status needs to be assessed. although Benoit 1989) 42 .45* W). In the absence of better evidence, ( classified as out oí danger without interpret the oceurrence of the densely bristly flo- it . Hoffmann comment details. 1989) does not on wers castanea mtmgression from the in E. as E. aci- ( of whose is this species. da, flowers are characterised a short by, number le the of populations of cas- E. unknown. map nains the distribution im- lore or less continuous oceurrence along Material Examíned: CHILE: IV Región: Prov. Despite the threats posed by the increa- Elqui: 2 km E of Puerto Aldea. 20 50 m, 31-X- . - EGGLI & LEUENBERGER 1997. 3083 (B, CONC. SGO. ZSS): Liman: Parque Nacional Prov. Fray Jorge, coastal plain. 20-100 m. -XI- 1997, 1 I.m ..v -<¿:E(;<;i.i.l lí.E. ,f</„ l & LEUENBERGER EGGLI 3086d ZSS: pho- (B. boca Río Liman. 1-X- tos only); Fray Jorge, del 1 N SPARRE 2974 (SGO); of the 1947, tirst hill mouth of Quebrada San Pedro. 80 140 m. 18- the - & LEUENBERGER EGGLI 2945 X-1997. (B. CONC. SGO. ZSS): Prov. Choapa: Caleta Oscuro (oí- ie¡d w rk in Chile l.i- W km o Research Oscuro (Panamericana 20 KM) the of Puerto 3 - i. & LEUENBERGER EGGLI 3088 Committec oí Caetu an Sueei ent Socfet) oi the m. 2-XI-1997. 1 km CONC. SGO, ZSS); Fundo Corral de Julio, (B, ZSS 315 de -2 km desde mar, 6-XI- nection with the abane ect B tnd h ive la Carretera. el 1 km pnnided and we 1976. Muñoz 921 (SGO); 7.3 on Panamericana kindh viippon u id intrasti ucture. SGO md N of tumoff from Panamericana to Los Vilos, on are t'urther «rateful to he curator s at & CONC EGGLI top of coastal rocks, 40 m, 10-XI-1991, to allow us Iree ac totheircollections LEUENBERGER SGO. 1669 ZSS): Los Vüos, (B, REFERENCES (SGO. 24\ Ritter loe. s.a., i 1 .17- & LEUENBERGER EGGLI 2933 X-1997. (CONC, SGO. ZSS): Pichidangui. Ritter B, s.a.. V 1-1.5 HoHMWV 241 (SGO); Región: Prov. Petorca: c. loe. siheMiv A. E. l>S4. Cactácea^ en la llora l - N km S of Los Mofles, side of Puente El Chivato. de Chile. Santiago. pp.(Cactaceae). : :. i & LEUENBERGER 20 m, 10-XI-1991, EGGLI JACQUEZ. G. M. 1995. Geodut. a ¿eoguphic datábase. Ann Amor BioMcduaiv Versión MI): 2.0. S: 16561 (B, SGO. ZSS); Los Molles, coastal rocks i l & LEUENBERGER. EGGLI. U. 1998. The genus B. E. & EGGLI below houses. 10 80 m. 17-X-1997. - Notes on Eiilxchiiia iCai-taccLie) in Chile: the ta- LEUENBERGER 2932a ZSS: photos only). (B. Hasel- . ACKNOWl.í ; Lamben A/.imuthal a I ^Pr Fecha de publicación: 07 de mayo de 1999