Gilliesia taguataguensis Espinoza & Nic. Garcia 2026, sp. nov.

Gilliesia taguataguensis Espinoza & Nic. García sp. nov. Figs 9, 10 Diagnosis. Gilliesia taguataguensis differs from Gilliesia isopetala Ravenna by its flowers with two stamens and four staminodes (vs. three stamens and three staminodes), and all inner floral appendages reaching the tip of the staminal tube (vs. only frontal pair of inner floral appendages reaching the staminal tube, four lateral-dorsal less than half of the staminal tube’s length or lacking). Type. Chile • Región del Libertador General Bernardo O’Higgins: Provincia de Cachapoal, Comuna de San Vicente de Tagua Tagua, El Naranjal, sector Poza Bruja, 306 m a. s. l., 27 August 2023, N. García, C. Ulloa, M. M. Espinoza, C. Olea, J. A. Hernández & R. A. Alarcón 6809 (holotype: EIF 18606; isotypes: CONC, SGO). Description. Terrestrial herbs. Bulbs ovoid to narrowly ovoid, 27–30 × 9–15 mm, external cataphylls light brown, veins prominent. Leaves one, lorate, ~ 25–70 × 0.5–1.3 cm. Scapes one, cylindrical, hollow, 17–48 × 0.2–0.4 cm. Spathe 2 - valvate, herbaceous, purplish to green, veins inconspicuous, free, outer valve lanceolate, 21–35 × 6–7 mm, veins 9–13, inner valve linear to lanceolate, 15–16 × 2–3 mm, veins four. Inflorescence a pseudo-umbel with 9–14 flowers; pedicels unequal, 3.0– 6.7 cm long (with open flowers), usually with strongly recurved apical portions. Tepals six, free, membranous, vinaceous (purplish red) to greenish and tinged purplish, lanceolate to ovate, acute to acuminate, papillose on adaxial side, outer 8–10 × 3.8–4.5 mm, 5–11 veins, inner 4.5–8.0 × 2.5–3.0 mm, 1–3 veins. Floral appendages light green, sometimes with vinaceous tips and margins, mostly attached to the staminal tube, outer (tepaliferous) 2–4, awl-shaped to linear, attached to the base of inner tepals, 0.4–1.8 mm long, middle (staminal?) six, falcate to lanceolate, with apical half bent downwards, sometimes bifid, two lateral and two frontal pairs, 1.5–2.0 mm long, inner (staminal) six, flabellate to ovate, frontal pair with adjacent sides imbricate and apical half recurved 90 °, 2.2–2.5 mm long. Stamens two, filaments triangular, 0.4 mm long, rarely three aborted anthers; staminal tube contiguous to filaments, greenish, sometimes with frontal vinaceous vein leading to frontal staminode, papillose, 2.0–3.0 mm long, staminodes four, triangular tips on apex of staminal tube, frontal solitary between functional stamens, 0.4 mm long, three towards back, median smaller (~ 0.1 mm) than lateral pair (~ 0.3 mm); anthers two, rarely three but smaller and sterile, yellow, dorsifixed near base, bent> 90 ° with apertures pointing outwards, 1.0– 1.4 mm long. Ovary superior, spherical, 1.0– 1.5 mm long, trilocular, 4–6 ovules per locule, biseriate; style straight to ascending, 0.9–1.7 mm long, reaching the anthers to slightly exerted in mature flowers; stigma capitate, terminal. Capsules spherical, 3 - valved, 8 × 9 mm. Seeds not seen. Distribution and habitat. Gilliesia taguataguensis has been recorded in five locations in the eastern portion of the coastal mountain range that lies between the Cachapoal and Tinguiririca rivers (~ 34.5°S) at elevations between 300 and 960 m a. s. l. (Fig. 1 A). In its type locality, it grows on a north- to northeast-facing slope in organic soils close to a creek and between rocks. The surrounding vegetation corresponds to a sclerophyllous arborescent scrub and forest, where the most abundant species are Peumus boldus, Cryptocarya alba, Lithraea caustica (Molina) Hook. & Arn., and Retanilla trinervia Hook. & Arn. Phenology. Gilliesia taguataguensis has been recorded in flowers from late August to early October. Mature fruits have not been seen, but it has been recorded fruiting from late September to October. Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the locality of Taguatagua, which currently corresponds to the municipality of San Vicente de Tagua Tagua, located to the southwest of the city of Rancagua in the O’Higgins region of Chile. Vernacular name. Although no popular common name is known for Gilliesia taguataguensis, we propose to name it “ brujita de Taguatagua, ” which means Taguatagua’s little witch, in reference to the name of the locality it was first noticed in (Poza Bruja, meaning Witch Pond). Conservation status. Gilliesia taguataguensis can be considered Endangered (EN) under criteria B 1 ab (iii), because its EOO is 15.2 km 2 (