Campylocentrum carvalhoi E. Pessoa & M. Alves, 2015

Pessoa, Edlley & Alves, Marccus, 2015, Three new species of Campylocentrum (Vandeae, Orchidaceae) from Brazil, Phytotaxa 217 (3), pp. 265-272 : 265-267

Campylocentrum carvalhoi E. Pessoa & M. Alves , sp. nov. ( Fig. 1A −F )

Type:— BRAZIL, Minas Gerais: Cristais, Propriedade do Sr. Lázaro de Assis Carvalho (Sítio Barreiro), 876m a.s.l., 20 July 2014, fl., fr., B. M. Carvalho 119b (holotype: UFP, isotype, BHCB).

Morphologically related to C. intermedium (Rchf.b. & Warm. in Reichenbach 1881: 91) Rolfe (1903: 245), but differs by shorter floral parts such as sepals (1.3 − 1.8 mm vs. 3.0 mm long), petals (1.2 − 1.3 mm vs. 2.5 − 2.7 mm long), and lip (3-lobed and 1.6 − 1.7 mm vs. entire and 3.0 mm long).

Epiphytic herbs. Roots 1 − 2 mm diam., cylindrical, fibrous, smooth, whitish to grey. Stem elongated, 5.5 − 23 cm long, cylindrical, unbranched. Leaves 25 − 45 × 2.5 − 4.0 mm, greenish, linear, the apex minutely 2-lobed, lobes acute to obtuse, margin entire. Inflorescence 7 − 11 mm long, peduncle 1 − 2 mm long, glabrous, brownish; rachis 6 − 9 mm long, glabrous, brownish; floral bracts 0.5 − 0.9 × 0.5 − 0.7 mm, deltoid, membranaceous, covering the base of the pedicellate ovary, margin minutely denticulate, the apex acute. Flowers 7 − 15 (per inflorescence), pale orange, distichous, ovary pedicellate, 0.7 − 1.0 mm long, glabrous; dorsal sepal 1.3 − 1.5 × 0.7 − 0.8 mm, ovate-oblong, membranaceous, 3-nerved, glabrous, the apex acute, margin entire; lateral sepals 1.6 − 1.8 × 0.7 − 0.8 mm, ovate-oblong, subfalcate, membranaceous, the apex acute, 3-nerved, glabrous, margin entire; petals 1.2 − 1.3 × 0.5 − 0.6 mm, elliptical-lanceolate, membranaceous, the apex acute, 3-nerved, glabrous, margin entire; lip 1.6 − 1.7 × 1.0 − 1.2 mm between the lateral lobes, 3-lobed, 7- nerved, membranaceous, margin entire, producing at base a spur, lateral lobes 1.0 − 1.1 × 0.3 − 0.4 mm, suborbicular, the apex rounded, mid-lobe 0.5 − 0.7 × 0.4 − 0.5 mm, deltoid, the apex acute, glabrous, spur 1.8 − 2.0 × 0.5 − 0.7 mm diam., ellipsoid to sub-conical, patent, the apex obtuse to acute, pale orange, glabrous; gynostemium ca. 0.2 mm long, anther cap apex rounded, pollinia 2, globose. Capsule 4 − 6 mm × 1.5 − 2.0 mm, fusiform, smooth, pedicellate, pedicel 0.5 − 0.8 mm long.

Distribution and Ecology: — Campylocentrum carvalhoi is known only from the type locality in the state of Minas Gerais (southeastern Brazil) ( Fig. 3 ). It grows in the sub-canopy of gallery forests in Cerrado vegetation and is locally rare. Another four species of the genus occur in the area: C. brachycarpum Cogniaux (1906: 512) , C. crassirhizum Hoehne (1939: 44) , C. grisebachii Cogniaux (1906: 522) and C. sellowii ( Reichenbach 1850: 857) Rolfe (1903: 246) . The area is not formally protected and is surrounded by farms. The flowering period is poorly known, fruits and late flowers can be observed in July.

Etymology: —The specific epithet honors the collector of the type specimen, Bruno Moraes de Carvalho, a Brazilian orchidologist from the state of Minas Gerais.

Morphological affinities: —Only eight species of Campylocentrum were known from Cerrado vegetation ( Barros et al. 2015). Generally they prefer areas of gallery forest. Campylocentrum carvalhoi is the ninth species described from this ecosystem, and based on the shape of the spur (ellipsoid to sub-conical with an obtuse to acute apex), it is closely related to C. intermedium , a rare species known only from the type specimen collected by Warming in Lagoa Santa (Minas Gerais). It is distinguished by the shorter length of its floral organs (sepals, petals, and lip) and the shape of the lip.

The vegetative portion, with relatively short and linear leaves, is similar to other Brazilian species found in the Atlantic Forest such as C. pauloense Hoehne & Schlechter (1926: 297) , C. brevifolium ( Lindley 1840: 68) Pessoa & Alves in Pessoa et al. (in press) and the other two species described in this study, C. itatiaiae and C. schlechterianum . The new species differs from them mainly by the shape of the spur (ellipsoid to sub-conical, patent, with an obtuse to acute apex) ( Table 1).

Additional specimen examined (paratype): — BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Cristais, Sítio Barreiro, 814 m alt., 21

July 2013, E. Pessoa & B.M. Carvalho 1190 (fl., fr.) (UFP).

Figures

FIGURE 1. A–F. Campylocentrum carvalhoi. A–B. Habit. C. Inflorescence. D. Flower. E. Lip and spur in profile. F. Dissected perianth. G–L. Campylocentrum itatiaiae. G. Habit. H. Inflorescence. I. Flower. J. Lip and spur in profile. K. Dissected perianth. L. Pollinarium. [A. drawn from Pessoa & Carvalho 1190 (UFP); B–F. drawn from Carvalho 119 (UFP); G–L drawn from Lanstyak s.n. (RB)].

FIGURE 3. Map of the known distribution of the new species. Circle—Campylocentrum carvalhoi; Square—C. itatiaiae; Triangle—C. schlechterianum.