Microlicia daneui R.B.Pacifico & Almeda, 2022

Pacifico, Ricardo & Almeda, Frank, 2022, New species of Marcetia and Microlicia (Melastomataceae) endemic to the campo rupestre of Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brazil, Phytotaxa 573 (1), pp. 39-69 : 55-57

Microlicia daneui R.B.Pacifico & Almeda , sp. nov. ( Figs. 16–17 ).

Type:— BRAZIL. Bahia: Mucugê, arredores do Pico da Batávia , Parque Nacional da Chapada Diamantina , 13°18’30.3”S, 41°17’31.2”W, 1603 m, 24 June 2022, fl., fr., R. Pacifico 691, V.E. Bressan & L. Daneu (holotype: HUEM!, isotypes: CAS!, HUEFS!, RB!) .

Diagnosis:—Differs from Microlicia noblickii ( Wurdack 1995: 821) A.B.Martins & Almeda in Almeda & Martins (2001: 4) by its leaves on petioles 4–12 mm long (vs. sessile), longer hypanthia 6–8 mm long (vs. 5–5.2 mm long), calyx lobes oblong to triangular 7–9 mm long (vs. deltoid to triangular, 3.5–4 mm long), petals 19–25 mm long (vs. 14– 16 mm long) that are entirely magenta (vs. pink with a yellow base), antepetalous pedoconnectives with appendages 1–1.3 mm long (vs. ca. 0.5 mm long) and ovaries 3–5-locular (vs. 5-locular).

Erect shrubs 0.5–1.5 m tall, much-branched. Upper cauline internodes 4–7 mm long, light green (when fresh) or reddish, becoming pale brown (when dry) and defoliated with age, obscurely quadrangular to terete, not sulcate, unwinged, densely glandular-punctate and sparsely to densely covered with inconspicuous gland-tipped trichomes 0.1–0.3 mm long, Leaves decussate, ascending, concealing uppermost internodes (when dry), chartaceous to coriaceous, concolored and light green (younger leaves) to vivid green (older leaves when fresh), both leaf surfaces becoming brownish to blackened (when dry); petioles 0.4–1.2 mm long, light green flushed with red (when fresh), rectangular; blades 9–19 × 4–12 mm, narrowly to widely elliptic or slightly obovate, apex rounded or acute, base attenuate, margins entire and glabrous, flat, adaxial surface glandular-punctate to glabrescent, abaxial surface glandular-punctate and covered with inconspicuous gland-tipped trichomes 0.1–0.3 mm long mainly on the veins, eventually becoming glabrescent, 3-nerved from the base (basal acrodromous), venation prominent on the abaxial surface and impressed on the adaxial surface, secondary venation not evident. Flowers 5-merous on short pedicels 0.5–1 mm long, apical, solitary, ebracteolate. Hypanthia (at anthesis) 6–8 mm long, 5–7 mm wide at the torus, light green flushed with red (when fresh) becoming brownish (when dry), campanulate, surpassing the capsule in length at maturity, densely glandular-punctate and sparsely covered with inconspicuous gland-tipped trichomes 0.1–0.3 mm long. Calyx tubes 0.2–0.3 mm long. Calyx lobes 7–8 mm long, 4–5 mm wide at the base, light green flushed with red (when fresh) becoming brownish (when dry), patent at anthesis, oblong to triangular, apex rounded to truncate, margins entire and glabrous to inconspicuously ciliate with gland-tipped trichomes 0.1–0.3 mm long, externally with an indumentum like that of the hypanthia. Petals 19–25 × 14–16 mm, obovate, magenta, the base attenuate, apex acuminate, both surfaces glabrous, margins entire and glabrous. Stamens 10, dimorphic, antesepalous anthers ± horizontal (at anthesis), subparallel and clustered, antepetalous anthers ± erect and clustered near the floral axis; antesepalous (larger) stamens with filaments 7–8 mm long, magenta, glabrous, thecae (excluding rostra) 2.9–3.1 × 0.9–1 mm, yellow becoming brownish after pollination, oblong, slightly corrugate (polysporangiate), rostra 0.7–0.8 mm long, white, the ventrally inclined pores ca. 0.4–0.5 mm wide, nearly circular, pedoconnectives 8–9 mm long, magenta with a yellow apex, appendages 1.4–1.7 mm long, apex emarginate, yellow; antepetalous (smaller) stamens with filaments 6–7 mm long, magenta, glabrous, thecae (excluding rostra) 2.5–2.8 × 0.9–1 mm, yellow becoming brownish after pollination, oblong, slightly corrugated (polysporangiate), rostra 0.6–0.7 mm long, white, the ventrally inclined pores ca. 0.4–0.5 mm wide, nearly circular, pedoconnectives 3–3.5 mm long, magenta with a yellow apex, appendages 1–1.3 mm long, apex emarginate, yellow. Ovary (at anthesis) ca. 4 × 3 mm, superior, subglobose, glabrous, 3–5-locular, adnate to the hypanthium basally for ½ of its length; style 11–12 mm long, magenta, glabrous, sigmoid, stigma punctiform. Fruit at maturity a subglobose loculicidal capsule ca. 5–6 × 5–6 mm, pale brown, glabrous, 3–5-valvate, enveloping hypanthia rupturing and flaking away with age, dehiscent from the apex to the base (basipetal), columellas deciduous. Seeds ca. 1 × 0.5 mm, yellow, oblong, testa foveolate, raphal zone nearly circular, ca. 20–30% the length of the seed.

Additional specimens examined:— BRAZIL. Bahia: Mucugê [“Ibicoara”], Serra da Batávia , 13°18’26”S, 41°17’31”W, 1578 m, 23 June 2012, fl., fr., H.A. Ogasawara et al. 222 ( ALCB!, HUFU-online image!) . Mucugê. Arredores do Pico da Batávia , Parque Nacional da Chapada Diamantina , 13°18’30.3”S, 41°17’31.2”W, 1603 m, 24 June 2022, fl., fr., R. Pacifico et al. 690 ( CAS!, HUEM!, HUEFS!, RB!) .

Distribution, habitat and phenology:— Apparently endemic to the campo rupestre of Serra da Batávia in Mucugê, Bahia , Brazil ( Fig. 12 , Appendix 2). It was collected at elevations of 1578–1603 m, in areas exposed to full sun, flowering and fruiting in June.

Etymology:— The epithet honors our friend and colleague Lukas Halla Daneu (b. 1983–). During the last decade, Lukas has been a valued field assistant on several botanical expeditions to the interior of Bahia that have resulted in the collection of many new species and a significant increase in the floristic sampling for little-explored regions.

Notes:— Microlicia daneui seems to be related to Microlicia noblickii (see diagnosis; Fig. 5E ) and Microlicia mucugensis Wurdack (1988: 294) Almeda & A.B.Martins (2001: 4) . These two putative relatives have sessile leaves and were initially described in Lavoisiera Candolle (1828: 102) by Wurdack (1988, 1995). Names in Microlicia for both species were later provided by Almeda & Martins (2001).

Microlicia mucugensis shares with M. daneui the glandular-punctate indumentum on branches, leaves and hypanthia, somewhat elliptic leaf blades that are rigid and become blackened when dry, magenta petals and dimorphic yellow stamens. Microlicia daneui differs by the laxly imbricated leaves (vs. not imbricated) on petioles 0.4–1.2 mm long (vs. sessile), modally longer blades 9–19 mm long (vs. 5–10 mm long), longer hypanthia 6–8 mm long (vs. 4.5– 4.8 mm long), calyx lobes 7–8 mm long (vs. 3.5–4.2 mm long), petals 19–25 mm long (vs. 12–14 mm long), stamens with filaments 6–8 mm long (vs. 4.3–5.5 mm long), and polysporangiate anthers (vs. tetrasporangiate). Microlicia daneui is probably parapatric with the compared species. Both M. noblickii ( Fig. 5E ) and M. mucugensis have never been reported for Serra da Batávia ( Appendix 1).

Suggested conservation status:— Data Deficient (DD; see Appendix 2).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Selected photos of species compared to new taxa described in this study. A–B. Marcetia nummularia. A. Habit. B. Flower close up. C. Microlicia obovatifolia, flower close up. D. Microlicia cryptandra, flowering branch. E. Microlicia noblickii, flower close up. F. Microlicia parvula, flowering branch. G. Microlicia sulfurea, flowering branch. H. Microlicia juniperina, flowering branches. Photos: A–B, E, H, by R. Pacifico; C–D, F, by F. Almeda; G, by J.A. Siqueira Filho (HVASF herbarium).

FIGURE 12. A. Brazil with Bahia state highlighted. B. Bahia with the study area outlined (dashed line). C. Distributions of Microlicia ascendens, Microlicia daneui and Microlicia piatensis in the Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brazil.

FIGURE 16. Microlicia daneui, photos of living individuals. A. Habit. B. Fruiting branch. C. Branch terminating in a flower in lateral view. B. Close up on a flower.All photos by R.Pacifico. Voucher: R. Pacifico et al. 691.

FIGURE 17. Microlicia daneui, photos of dry specimens. A. Habit. B. Detail of branchlet. C. Leaf adaxial surface. D. Leaf abaxial surface. E. Floral bud. F. Antepetalous stamen. G. Antesepalous stamen. H. Capsule after the hypanthium fell away. I. Seed in lateral view. Scale bars: A, 2 cm; B–H, 2 mm; I, 0.2 mm. Voucher: R. Pacifico et al. 691.