A new species of Diplostephium (Asteraceae, Astereae) from the Atacama Desert, Chile

Abstract

A new species, Diplostephium paposanum S.T.Ibáñez & Muñoz-Schick, sp. nov., is described for Chile, extending the southern distribution of the genus. Its position within the genus was confirmed by morphological and molecular data, discussed here. The new species was found in a coastal environment, new to the genus, and is geographically far removed from the other Chilean species, which are from the Andes. The formation where it occurs, known as lomas, acts as a biodiversity refuge in hyperarid environments. The presence of D. paposanum in this environment contributes to the evidence of a floristic connection between the Atacama Desert and the Neotropical Andes.