Cistus ocreatus

Cistus ocreatus is a shrubby species of flowering plant in the family Cistaceae, with purple-pink flowers. It is sometimes treated as synonymous with Cistus symphytifolius or as its subspecies C. symphytifolius subsp. leucophyllus. Its name is sometimes spelt Cistus ochreatus. It is endemic to Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands.

Cistus ocreatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Malvales
Family:	Cistaceae
Genus:	Cistus
Species:	C. ocreatus
Binomial name
Cistus ocreatus C.Sm.[1]
Synonyms[2]
Cistus symphytifolius Lam. subsp. leucophyllus (Spach) G.Kunkel Cistus symphytifolius Lam. var. leucophyllus (Spach) Dansereau

Description

Cistus ocreatus has ovate leaves with three main veins and a short stalk (petiole). The flowers are purple, with styles longer than the stamens.[3] It resembles Cistus symphytifolius, but has smaller flowers,[4] and its leaves have a whitish appearance due to a covering of fine hairs.[2]

Taxonomy and phylogeny

The name Cistus ocreatus originates from Christen Smith,[5] who collected plants in the Canary Islands. Smith died in 1816.[6] In 1819 (i.e. after Smith's death), the name and description were published by Christian Leopold von Buch, attributed to "Dr Smith's notes".[7] Smith differentiated C. ocreatus from Cistus symphytifolius (which he called C. vaginatus), noting that it had smaller flowers.[4]

The specific epithet ocreatus derives from the Latin noun ocrea, "greave",[8] plus the ending -atus, "possessing or resembling".[9] Although the noun may also be spelt ochrea,[8] the spelling ocreatus was used by Buch in publishing Smith's notes.[7]

An alternative name for the taxon derives ultimately from Édouard Spach, who in 1836 published a description of Rhodocistus berthelotianus,[10] including variety leucophyllus. Rhodocistus berthelotianus was later synonymized with Cistus symphytifolius, and Günther Kunkel transferred the variety as the subspecies C. symphytifolius subsp. leucophyllus.[11] Smith's name Cistus ocreatus is considered to be a synonym of C. symphytifolius or its subspecies leucophyllus by some sources;[5][2] others accept it as an independent species.[12][13]

A 2011 molecular phylogenetic study placed C. ocreatus as a member of the purple and pink flowered clade (PPC) of Cistus species, along with some other Canary Island endemics (Cistus asper, Cistus chinamadensis, Cistus horrens, and Cistus symphytifolius).[13]

Species-level cladogram of Cistus species.

Halimium spp.             PPC           Cistus crispus                     Cistus asper         Cistus chinamadensis         Cistus horrens         Cistus ocreatus         Cistus osbeckiifolius         Cistus palmensis         Cistus symphytifolius                 Cistus heterophyllus               Cistus albidus         Cistus creticus                   Halimium spp.         WWPC                 Cistus clusii         Cistus munbyi                 Cistus inflatus         Cistus ladanifer         Cistus laurifolius         Cistus libanotis         Cistus monspeliensis         Cistus parviflorus         Cistus populifolius         Cistus pouzolzii         Cistus salviifolius         Cistus sintenisii             Purple   Pink   Clade   White   Whitish Pink   Clade

Species-level cladogram of Cistus species, based on plastid and nuclear DNA sequences.[13][14][15][12]

Distribution and habitat

Cistus ocreatus is endemic to Gran Canaria,[13] where it is found in pine forests at altitudes of 860–1,400 metres (2,820–4,590 ft), in a climate described as "subhumid" and "temperate-warm".[3]

References

1. "IPNI Plant Name Details for Cistus ocreatus C.Sm.", The International Plant Names Index, retrieved 2015-03-23
2. "Cistus ocreatus C.Sm. in Buch.", Jardín Botánico Viera y Clavijo (in Spanish), Cabildo de Gran Canaria, retrieved 2015-03-13
3. Guzmán, Beatriz & Vargas, Pablo (2010), "Unexpected synchronous differentiation in Mediterranean and Canarian Cistus (Cistaceae)", Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, 12 (3): 163–174, doi:10.1016/j.ppees.2009.09.002, p. 167
4. von Buch (1819), "Petalis [...] minor. quam in C. vagin." (with petals ... smaller than in C. vagin[atus])
5. "Cistus ochreatus", The Plant List, retrieved 2015-03-02
6. "IPNI Author Details for Smith, Christen (1785-1816)", The International Plant Names Index, retrieved 2015-03-21
7. von Buch, L. (1819), "Cistus ocreatus", Algemeine Übersicht der Flora auf den Canarischen Inseln, Abhandlungen der Königlichen Preußischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin 1816-1817 (in German and Latin), Berlin: Realschul-Buchhandlung, p. 380, retrieved 2015-03-21
8. Stearn, W.T. (2004), Botanical Latin (4th (p/b) ed.), Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, ISBN 978-0-7153-1643-6, p. 455
9. Stearn (2004), p. 299.
10. "IPNI Plant Name Query Results for Rhodocistus berthelotianus", The International Plant Names Index, retrieved 2015-03-21
11. "IPNI Plant Name Details for Cistus symphytifolius Lam. subsp. leucophyllus (Spach) G.Kunkel", The International Plant Names Index, retrieved 2015-03-21
12. Guzman, B.; Lledo, M.D. & Vargas, P. (2009), "Adaptive Radiation in Mediterranean Cistus (Cistaceae)", PLoS ONE, 4: e6362, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0006362, PMC 2719431, PMID 19668338
13. Civeyrel, Laure; Leclercq, Julie; Demoly, Jean-Pierre; Agnan, Yannick; Quèbre, Nicolas; Pélissier, Céline & Otto, Thierry (2011), "Molecular systematics, character evolution, and pollen morphology of Cistus and Halimium (Cistaceae)", Plant Systematics and Evolution, 295 (1–4): 23–54, doi:10.1007/s00606-011-0458-7
14. Guzmán, B. & Vargas, P. (2009). "Historical biogeography and character evolution of Cistaceae (Malvales) based on analysis of plastid rbcL and trnL-trnF sequences". Organisms Diversity & Evolution. 9 (2): 83–99. doi:10.1016/j.ode.2009.01.001.
15. Guzmán, B. & Vargas, P. (2005), "Systematics, character evolution, and biogeography of Cistus L. (Cistaceae) based on ITS, trnL-trnF, and matK sequences", Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 37: 644–660, doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2005.04.026, PMID 16055353