Lychnophora uniflora Schultz-Bipontinus (1863: 347)

Loeuille, Benoît, Semir, João & Pirani, José R., 2019, A synopsis of Lychnophorinae (Asteraceae: Vernonieae), Phytotaxa 398 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

22. Lychnophora uniflora Schultz-Bipontinus (1863: 347) . Type:— BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: in editis campis ad Tejuco alibi in districto adamantino et Serra do Grao Major , C.F.P. von Martius s.n. (517) (holotype: M e! [ M0029488 ]; isotype: P [ P00710113 (fragment)]) ( Fig. 23 E–F ).

Distribution and habitat: — Brazil ( Bahia , Minas Gerais?). Campo rupestre; 900–1800 m.

Taxonomic notes: —A striking species, easily recognized by its rosette-like habit and heterophyly. Very similar to Lychnophora grisea : see that species for a discussion of the differences. Some individuals of L. polhii show a similar habit but have a different number of florets per capitulum (1 vs. 3–4). Most collections (including the type material) consist only of secondary branches without the base of the plant, in which cases they look like L. rosmarinifolia , but L. uniflora differs from that species by the leaf shape (subulate to linear-lanceolate with rounded base vs. lanceolate with cordate to auriculate base) and by the number of florets per capitulum (1 vs. 1–5). The label on the holotype of L. uniflora indicates Minas Gerais, while all other known collections come from Bahia . The question remains whether that species has a wider distribution, or if it is truly endemic to Bahia , with the citation to Minas Gerais a matter of mistake on the type label. The same problem is found with another Martius collection (the type of Paralychnophora bicolor ) ( Loeuille et al. 2012d).

Representative specimens: — BRAZIL. Bahia : Abaíra, Gerais do Pastinho , estrada velha Abaíra–Catolés, 13°15’S, 41°45’W, 900–1000 m, 31 January 1992, D. J. N. Hind et al. H51414 ( CEPEC, HUEFS, K, SPF, US); Barra da Estiva , Morro do Ouro, 9 km ao S da cidade na estrada para Ituaçú, 13°42’S, 41°18’W, 1100–1300 m, 16 November 1988, R. M. Harley et al. 26459 ( K, MO, NY, SP, SPF, UEC); Rio de Contas, aeroporto, arredores, 17 March 1998, G. Hatschbach et al. 67864 ( MBM, US) .

Figures

FIGURE 23. Lychnophora grisea. A. Side-branches. B. Syncephalium. C. Rosette. D. Syncephalium. L. uniflora. E. Habit. F. Syncephalium. A., D. by I.M. Franco. B.–C., E. by B. Loeuille. F. by N. Roque.