Muilla lordsburgana (Asparagaceae: Brodiaeoideae), a new species found north of Lordsburg, southwestern New Mexico

Abstract

AbstractMuilla lordsburgana P.J.Alexander sp. nov. is described from eastern Lordsburg Mesa in the northwestern fringe of the Chihuahuan Desert, southwestern New Mexico. It is very similar to Muilla coronata, a species known in the Mojave Desert of California and a small area of adjacent Nevada. Compared to Muilla coronata, the style and stigma combined are longer, the anthers are longer, the fruits are larger, and the seeds are larger. It has a short flowering period in March, and is difficult or impossible to find at other times of the year. It is narrowly distributed, limited to a band of deep, coarse, sandy soils derived primarily from granite. Several species that are otherwise uncommon in the area also occur in this habitat, including Logfia depressa, Pectocarya platycarpa, and Plagiobothrys arizonicus. Invasive species, especially Erodium cicutarium in the winter annual flora, are generally dominant. Muilla lordsburgana has probably been overlooked until now because it is not easy to observe and occurs in habitats that are not attractive to botanists.