Comanthera lanosa L.R.Parra & Giul., 2011

Parra, Lara Regina & Giulietti, Ana Maria, 2011, Two new species of Comanthera (Eriocaulaceae) from Bahia, Brazil, Phytotaxa 27, pp. 1-7 : 2-4

Comanthera lanosa L.R.Parra & Giul. , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1A–L )

Comanthera mucugensi subsp. mucugensi affinis sed caulibus lanatis, foliis canaliculatis et margine sparse ciliata, supra glabris et subtus adpresse pubescentibus, margine vaginae sparse ciliata, capitulis minoribus (6–8 × 10–14 non 6–15 × 18–20 mm), floribus masculinis longi-pedicellatis, sepalis et petalis minoribus differt.

Type:— BRAZIL. Bahia: Abaíra, Catolés, Serra da Tromba, on the sides of the Serra do Atalho , “gerais” vegetation (low shrubby savanna), 1350 m, 18 June 1992, Ganev 528 (holotype SPF!, isotypes HUEFS!, K!) .

Plants 20–43 cm tall. Stem 1.5–3.0 × 1.5–3.0 cm (including the persistent leaf bases), erect or prostrate, branched, densely lanate, hairs filamentous, white, ca. 2 mm long. Leaves 3.0– 7.5 cm × 1.5–2.0 mm, spirally arranged, erect in young plants, later becoming deflexed or reflexed, linear-lanceolate with acute apex, coriaceous, canaliculate, abaxial surface with thickened veins, sparsely adpressed-pilose with malpighiaceous trichomes, later becoming glabrescent, margins sparsely ciliate, adaxial surface glabrous; leaf base expanded, 5–7 mm wide, persisting after abscission of the blade, chartaceous with membranous base, margins sparsely ciliate to glabrescent. Spathes 2–5 cm long, membranous and lacerate at apex, from middle to apex densely adpressed-pilose to glabrescent, with malpighiaceous and, rarely, filamentous trichomes. Scapes (14–) 20–42 cm long, erect, weakly adpressed-pilose, with malpighiaceous trichomes and, rarely, filamentous trichomes, later becoming glabrescent. Capitulum 6–8 × 10–14 mm, campanulate, later becoming hemispherical.

Involucral bracts in 5–9 series, the innermost involucral bract series equal to the flowers; bracts of the outer series light brown, elliptic, apex acute to rotund, sparsely pilose on the abaxial surface; bracts progressively changing towards the inner series to cream colour, obovate, apex obtuse to round, and glabrous surface; bracts of the innermost series narrowly spathulate, apex acute. Floral bracts absent. Staminate flowers 3.5–4.0 mm long, including pedicels of 1–1.8 mm; sepals 1.5–2.0 mm long, united up to a third of their length from the base, concave, obovate with apex rotund or elliptic with apex obtuse, hyaline and membranous, base opaquewhitish and thicker; anthophore short; petals 2.0– 2.2 mm long, united up to the middle of their length, elliptic, apex rotund, hyaline and membranous in the upper half, opaque-whitish and thicker in the bottom half; pistillode 0.5–0.6 mm long. Pistillate flowers 3–4 mm long, including pedicels of 0.6–0.8 mm at anthesis, pedicels elongating up to 2 mm in fruit during seed dispersal phase, at the same level or slightly above the internal involucral bracts; sepals ca. 2 mm long, imbricate, concave, elliptic, apex acute to obtuse, hyaline and membranous; petals 2.2–2.5 mm long, hyaline and membranous, upper middle abaxial surface ciliate and pilose, lobes with round apices; styles united ca. 0.2 mm long, stigmatic and nectariferous portions both inserted at apex, stigmatic portion ca. 2 mm long, nectariferous portion ca. 0.5 mm long.

Distribution and habitat: —So far only known from the “Serra do Atalho”, in the municipalities of Piatã and Abaíra, in the Espinhaço range, Bahia, northeastern Brazil, where it grows in “campo rupestre” vegetation, on sandy soils, between 1350 and 1550 m elevation.

Etymology: —The specific epithet refers to the lanate indumentum of the stems.

Conservation status: —This species is at present known only from a single mountain situated at the boundary two municipalities in Bahia. The distance between the two areas where the plants were collected is less than 20 km long (area of occupancy <500 km 2). Therefore, the species is here considered as Endangered A3c; B2ab(iii) ( IUCN 2001).

Comanthera lanosa is morphologically similar to Comanthera mucugensis (Giul.) L.R.Parra & Giul. subsp. mucugensis , also endemic to the rocky outcrops (campos rupestres) of Bahia. Plants of both taxa have linear-lanceolate, coriaceous leaves with thickened veins on the abaxial surface, as well as involucral bracts light-brown, progressively changing towards the inner series to cream-coloured. However Comanthera lanosa can be distinguished by its canaliculate leaves (instead of flat), with margins sparsely ciliate (instead of densely ciliate), adaxial surface glabrous (instead of adpressed-pilose), and sheaths with margins sparsely ciliate (instead of glabrous). Additionally, the species bears smaller capitula, and staminate flowers with longer pedicels and smaller sepals and petals than C. mucugensis .

Additional specimens examined (paratypes): — BRAZIL. Bahia: Abaíra, Ascent of the Serra do Atalho , trail to the Ribeirão de Baixo Piatã , 13º14’S 41º 50’ W, 1550 m, 29 November 1992, Ganev 1593 ( HUEFS, K, SPF); Piatã , Serra do Atalho , near the Garimpo da Cravada , 1350 m, 11 June 1992, Ganev 464 ( HUEFS, K, SPF) . Piatã, Piatã–Inubia road, ca. 25 km NW of Piatã, Serra do Atalho , 13º04’S 41º55’ W, 1450 m, 23 February 1994, Sano et al. CFCR 14457 ( SPF) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Comanthera lanosa. A. Habit, showing persistent leaf bases on the stem. B. Stem densely lanate. C. Abaxial surface of the canaliculated leaf with thickened veins and malpighiaceous trichomes. D. Adaxial surface of the canaliculated leaf without thickened veins and glabrous. E. Segment of one scape. F. Malpighiaceous and filamentous trichomes of spathes. G. Malpighiaceous trichomes of scapes. H. Staminate flower with base of sepals opaque-whitish and thicker. I. Sepal of the staminate flower (adaxial surface). J. Staminate flower with sepals removed showing petals opaque-whitish and thicker in the bottom half. K. Pistillate flower with two sepals removed. L. Fruit and remains of pistillate flower with sepals removed and elongated pedicel at seed dispersal phase. Sano et al. CFCR 14457 (SPF .