Miersia nahuelbutensis Nic. Garcia 2026, sp. nov.

Miersia nahuelbutensis Nic. García sp. nov. Figs 3, 4 Diagnosis. Miersia nahuelbutensis differs from Miersia chilensis Lindl. by its nodding flowers, us / ually with upper tepals and stamens pointing downwards (vs. pointing to the front); upper and lower tepals closer, forming a right angle (vs. tepals wide open); and its longer tepals, 19–20 mm long (vs. shorter tepals, 5–15 mm long). Type. Chile • Región de La Araucanía: Provincia de Malleco, Comuna de Angol, camino a Vegas Blancas, 801 m a. s. l., 11 August 2023, N. García 6794 (holotype: EIF 18603; isotypes: CONC, SGO). Description. Terrestrial herbs. Bulbs subglobose to ovoid, external cataphylls light brown, (11 –) 15–25 (– 33) × 7–17 mm. Leaves 2–3 (– 4), linear, 10–16 (– 28) × 0.1–0.4 cm. Scapes 1 (– 3), cylindrical, hollow, (57 –) 70–115 (– 130) × 0.6–1.5 (– 2.0) mm. Spathe 2 - valvate, herbaceous, lanceolate, 10–16 × 4–5 mm, fused on their basal ½ (~ 4–6 mm), whitish to greenish with 8–11 veins inconspicuous or purple spotted. Inflorescence a pseudo-umbel with 2–4 strongly zygomorphic flowers; upper tepals usually forming 90 ° angle with respect to lower tepals, flowers usually nodding with stamens pointing downwards; pedicels unequal, 1.5–3.0 (- 4) cm long in open flowers, apex curved in a right angle (~ 90 °). Tepals six, free, membranous, light green to purplish, lanceolate, caudate, straight, outer 19–20 × 1.4–1.6 mm, 3–5 acrodromous veins; inner 19–20 × 1.0– 1.1 mm, three acrodromous veins; on both whorls only the central is well marked and runs throughout the complete length; cauda 0.4–0.5 mm wide, comprising ~ ¹ / 5–² / 5 of the tepal’s length (4–8 mm). Floral appendages purplish, flat, lateral (tepaliferous) four, bifid, rarely trifid, one pair on each side, with linear to linear-lanceolate segments, distal half curved downwards, attached to the base of inner tepals, 2.5–3.0 × 0.4–0.8 mm, each segment ~ 1.0–2.0 mm long; upper (staminal) two, bifid, rarely entire, with lanceolate to short unequal segments, attached to the base of the staminal tube, 2.5–3.5 (– 4) × 0.4–0.5 mm. Stamens six, filaments 0.4–0.5 mm long, adnate internally to the staminal tube; staminal tube urceolate, purplish with three longitudinal folds on its upper side, single longitudinal fold on the lower side, apex entire, papillose, 2.5–3.0 × 1.2–2.0 mm; anthers yellow (purple when dry), 0.5 mm long, exerted. Ovary superior, spherical to obovoid, 1.5 mm long, trilocular, 12 ovules per locule, biseriate; style straight, exerted, 1.3–2.0 mm long; stigma capitate, terminal. Capsules obovoid to spherical, 3 - valved, 12 × 11–14 mm. Seeds (immature) obovoid, 2.3 × 1.5 mm, testa coppery, surface vesicular. Distribution and habitat. Miersia nahuelbutensis was initially recorded in two localities along the eastern side of the Nahuelbuta coastal mountain range in the Malleco Province (Fig. 1 B). In both locations it grows in the understory of second-growth forests dominated by Nothofagus obliqua (Mirb.) Oerst. (Nothofagaceae), on south- to southwest-facing slopes between 100 and 800 m a. s. l. A codominant species shared by both stands is Persea lingue (Ruiz & Pav.) Nees (Lauraceae); other common co-occurring tree species include Peumus boldus Molina (Monimiaceae) and Cryptocarya alba (Molina) Looser (Lauraceae) in Lumaco, Gevuina avellana Molina and Lomatia hirsuta (Lam.) Diels (both Proteaceae) in Angol. During the final writing stage of this manuscript, M. nahuelbutensis was recorded 100 km north of Angol, close to Florida in the Province of Concepción, Biobío Region, approximately 40 km north of the Biobío River (Fig. 1 B), also in a shady forest fragment dominated by Nothofagus obliqua. Phenology. This species has been seen flowering between July and August. Fruits have been recorded during October. Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the coastal mountain range known as Cordillera de Nahuelbuta, where this species was first recorded. Vernacular name. Although no popular common name is known for Miersia nahuelbutensis, we propose to name it “ hadita de Nahuelbuta, ” which means Nahuelbuta’s little fairy. Conservation status. Miersia nahuelbutensis can be considered Endangered (EN) according to criteria B 1 ab (iii). It has been recorded in four locations, with an estimated EOO of 836.6 km 2 (