Couepia monteclarensis Prance, Fl. Neotrop. Monogr.

Barros, Natália, Menezes, Luis Fernando Tavares de, Sothers, Cynthia & Peixoto, Ariane Luna, 2025, Flora of Espírito Santo: Chrysobalanaceae, Rodriguesia (e 00872024) 76, pp. 1-39 : 9

2.3. Couepia monteclarensis Prance, Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 9S: 66, f. 14. 1989. Fig. 3

Trees, up to 11 m tall, DBH 20 cm, stem up to 7 m tall, young branches pubescent, becoming glabrous with age, conspicuously lenticellate. Leaves elliptic, 7.9–12.1 × 3.2–4.3 cm, chartaceous, discolorous, base cuneate, apex acute to acuminate, acumen up to 3 mm long, adaxially glabrous, abaxially arachnoid, midrib plane adaxially, prominent abaxially, glabrous, primary veins 10–11 pairs; petiole 0.6–1 cm, glabrous, terete, eglandular; stipules 2, ca. 8 mm long, linear, chartaceous, glabrous, caducous. Inflorescence terminal, paniculate, pubescent; bracts caducous (not seen); bracteoles 2, triangular, ca. 1 mm long, pubescent. Flowers white, ca. 2.1 cm long, pubescent, pedicel ca. 2 mm; receptacle subcampanulate, 5–6 mm, glabrous, except at throat; sepals rounded with acute apex, ca. 3 mm long, pubescent, not reflexed, eglandular; petals with acute apex, glabrous, with ciliate margin; stamens 14–16, in 3/4 circle, filaments 0.8–1 cm long, glabrous, united at base; ovary 1–1.5 mm, tomentulose, style 1.5–2 cm long, 1/2 tomentulose. Drupe ellipsoid, sessile, 2–2.3 × 1.7–1.8 cm, epicarp smooth, glabrous.

Selected material examined: Águia Branca, Rochedo, propr. Ailton Corteletti, 7.VI.2006, fr., V. Demuner 2434 ( MBML). Aracruz, M-71 na virada para entrar no carreador, 4.III.1993, fl., R.N. Oliveira 445 ( VIES). Linhares ,

Reserva Natural Vale , saindo da Estrada do Flamengo sentido a Estrada da Mantegueira , 7.V.2009, fl., P.J.M.Maas 9807 ( CEPEC, CVRD, K, L); 31.VIII.2009, fr., G.S. Siqueira 478 ( CVRD, K). Santa Maria de Jetibá, Rio Santa Maria da Vitória, 23.XI.2000, fr., O.J. Pereira 6645 ( VIES) . Santa Teresa , São Lourenço, mata fria, terreno de Clério Loss, 9.IX.1998, fr., L. Kollmann 482 ( CEPEC, MBML) .

Couepia monteclarensis is similar to C. carautae (see comments under this species). However, it can be distinguished by the chartaceous leaves, terete petiole, subcampanulate receptacle and ciliate petals. Collected with flowers in March to May and fruits in June to August and November.

This species is also endemic to Atlantic Forest, recorded in Bahia, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and EspÍrito Santo states ( Fraga et al. 2019; Sothers & Prance 2023b). In the latter, it occurs in Ombrophilous forests and Mata de Tabuleiro, in Águia Branca, Aracruz, Linhares, Santa Maria de Jetibá and Santa Teresa municipalities. This species was classified as “Least Concern” ( LC) when analyzed for the country by Amorim & Aragão (2021), and “Endangered” ( EN) in a regional assessment by Fraga et al. (2019). It was recorded in three protected areas: Estação Biológica de Santa Lúcia, Reserva Biológica Augusto Ruschi and Reserva Natural Vale.

The common names for this species are milhotorrado-amarelo (P.J.M. Maas 9807) and milhotorrado-folha-lisa (G.S. Siqueira 478).