Notes on the taxonomy of the Cistanthe philhershkovitziana Hershk. species complex (C. sect. Cistanthe; Montiaceae)

The Cistanthe philhershkovitziana Hershk. species complex (C. sect. Cistanthe; Montiaceae) here is informally circumscribed to include four named species, its namesake plus C. behacheliana Hershk., C. gbifiana Hershk., and C. reshetiana Hershk. The species occur in coastal Chile in the littoral and adjacent riparian zones, coastal plains, and coastal range matorral, extending some 600 km in between Cardenal Caro Province (Libertador O’Higgins Region) and Huasco Province (Atacama Region). These species share a geophytic (to scarcely hemicryptophytic) rather than the chamaephytic to phanerophytic life form of other C. sect. Cistanthe species, and also are much smaller in maximum height. The present work provides a consolidated review of the characteristics of the species, as well as complete revised descriptions of each. The significance of the relatively recent discovery of not merely a new species, but a new and widespread species complex, is discussed in the context of botanical research in Chile. Evidence for phylogenetic relations of the species also is evaluated.