Chromolaena ulei (Hieronymus)

Christ, Anderson Luiz & Ritter, Mara Rejane, 2019, A taxonomic study of Praxelinae (Asteraceae-Eupatorieae) in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, Phytotaxa 393 (2), pp. 141-197 : 190-191

2.16. Chromolaena ulei (Hieronymus) . King & Robinson (1970c: 207).

Eupatorium ulei Hieronymus (1897: 751) . Lectotype (designated by Christ & Ritter 2018: 113):— BRAZIL. Santa Catarina: Campo D’Una to Laguna, March 1889, E.H.G. Ule 1150 (HBG! [HBG523345], isolectotypes HBG! [HBG523355], CORD! [00005366]). ( Fig. 25F–I ).

Subshrubs, to shrubs up to 1.5 m tall, erect, xylopodium present, branched only in capitulescence; stems glabrous to strigose, eglandular, leafy until capitulescence. Leaves 1.3–3.2 × 0.2–0.6 cm, opposite, petiolate, 1–3-veined, leaf blade lanceolate to linear, sometimes elliptic, papyraceous to chartaceous, apex acute to obtuse, base acute to attenuate, margins entire, sometimes sparsely serrate, adaxial surface glabrous, eglandular, abaxial surface glabrous to strigose only on veins, glandular, magins ciliate, petioles 2.3–5 mm long, glabrous to strigose, eglandular. Primary capitulescences corymbose. Secondary capitulescences paniculate, axis strigose, eglandular, bracteate, bracts 0.6–3.2 × 0.1–0.8 cm, petioles 1.1–6 mm long, glabrous to strigose, eglandular. Capitula pedunculate to long pedunculate, peduncles 0.6–3.2 cm long, puberulous, eglandular, involucres cylindrical to campanulate, 7–9.8 × 3–4.4 mm, involucral bracts 28–45, 6–8-seriate, outer ovate to oblong, 1.4–3.7 × 1–1.5 mm, apex rounded, rarely acute or obtuse, stramineous or rarely vinaceous, ciliate or eciliate, glabrous, eglandular, appressed, abaxial surface stramineous, 3–5-veined, glabrous, inner linear, 5.9–8.7 × 0.6–1.1 mm, apex acute to rounded, stramineous or rarely vinaceous, non-petaloid, ciliate or eciliate, glabrous, eglandular, appressed, abaxial surface stramineous, 1–3-veined, glabrous, receptacles epaleate or rarely paleate, paleae 1–3, linear, 6.1–8 × 0.4–0.6 mm, 1-veined, apex and abaxial surface stramineous, eciliate, eglandular. Florets 19–27, corollas 3.7–5.5 × 0.4–0.8 mm, lilac, lobes glabrous, glandular or eglandular. Cypselas obconical, 3–3.9 × 0.5–0.8 mm, 3–5-ribbed, ribs and sinuses glabrous, eglandular, pappus setae ca. 28–42, white, 4–5.2 mm long.

Distribution: — Brazil, in the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. In Rio Grande do Sul, it occurs only in the physiographic region of Litoral ( Fig. 26 , triangles).

Habitat: —Restinga formations, usually in secondary dunes or grasslands close to the coast, in the Atlantic Forest biome.

Phenology: —Flowers during summer, with a flowering peak in February and March.

Etymology: —The specific epithet is a homage to Ernst Heinrich Georg Ule, german botanist and collector of the type specimen of this species.

Comments: — Chromolaena ulei was considered by Matzenbacher (1979) as endemic to the litoral of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, where it occurs mostly around the municipality of Torres. We agree with this author about the endemism of this species, but, since then, C. ulei has been recorded further south than it was previously accounted by Matzenbacher (1979), being found as south as the municipality of Osório. This species can be easily recognized by the densely arranged leaves along the stems, usually 1-veined and with both surfaces glabrous (or strigose only on veins in the abaxial surface) and by the large, densely bracteate paniculate secondary capitulescence.

Chromolaena pedunculosa is the most similar species to C. ulei to occur in Rio Grande do Sul. The differences between them were indicated under the description of the former.

Specimens examined: — BRAZIL: Rio Grande do Sul: Capão da Canoa: Lagoa dos Quadros, 21 February 1950, Rambo, B. 45969 ( ICN). Cidreira: Lagoa da Fortaleza , 11 March 2012, Valduga, E. 352 ( HUCS, HURG). Osório: próximo à Lagoa das Traíras [29°50’08’’S, 50°11’13’’W], 28 November 2014, Valduga, E. 520 ( HUCS) ; estrada entre a BR-101 e o canal entre as lagoas do Peixoto e Pinguela [29°51’01’’S, 50°14’28’’W], 19 April 2015, Gonzatti , F. & Valduga, E. 1809 ( HUCS). Terra de Areia : Banhado Jajá, 07 March 2002, Azevêdo-Gonçalves, C. F. & Gonçalves, C. N. 425 ( ICN). Torres: Butiazal a 15 km de Torres, 21 March 1976, Matzenbacher, N. I. 454 ( ICN) ; Capão de Vanilla , 18 January 1978, Hagelund, K. 12146 ( ICN) ; Lago de Vanilla , 28 January 1978, Hagelund, K. 12149 ( ICN) ; s.l., 11 January 1983, Hagelund, K. s.n. ( ICN197195 ) ; Parque da Guarita , 05 March 2005, Marchett, F. 131 ( HUCS) ; Butiazal , 26 February 1985, Hagelund, K. 15468 ( ICN) ; Parque Estadual de Itapeva , 08 May 2017, Christ, A. L. 459 ( ICN) .

Figures

FIGURE 25A–E: Chromolaena squarrulosa. A. Fertile specimen. B. Capitulum. C. Involucral bracts. D. Floret. E. Palea. F–I: Chromolaena ulei. F. Fertile branch. G. Capitulum. H. Involucral bracts. I. Floret.

FIGURE 26: Distribution of C. ulei (triangles) and C. verbenacea (circles) in Rio Grande do Sul.