Microlicia macaubensis Gali, R.Pacifico & Almeda, 2022

Gali, Lorena, Pacifico, Ricardo, Almeda, Frank & Fidanza, Karina, 2022, Two new species of Microlicia (Melastomataceae) from Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Northeastern Brazil, Phytotaxa 544 (1), pp. 52-60 : 56-58

Microlicia macaubensis Gali, R.Pacifico & Almeda spec. nov. ( Fig. 2B , 4 )

Diagnosis: — Microlicia macaubensis can be recognized by its sessile leaves 5.6–10 mm long, margin sparsely ciliate with 1–4 eglandular trichomes 0.3–1 mm long or glabrescent (these trichomes deciduous), both surfaces glandular-punctate, 1-nerved with the vein impressed on adaxial surface and slightly canaliculate on abaxial surface, yellow petals and dimorphic stamens with tetrasporangiate thecae.

Type: — BRAZIL. Bahia: Brotas de Macaúbas, estrada para Buriti , 12 November 1998, G. Hatschbach 67714, M. Hatschbach & E. Barbosa (holotype: MBM!) .

Branched erect shrubs 0.5–1.3 m tall. Branchlets quadrangular, sparsely glandular-punctate and covered with short eglandular trichomes (0.1–0.4 mm long), the stem angles winged (wings ca. 0.7 mm wide). Leaves moderately ascending (when dry), sessile, flat; blades 5.6–10 × 1.1–2.2 mm, lanceolate, coriaceous, glutinous, discolored (when fresh) becoming concolored and blackened (when dry), base cuneate, margin slightly crenulate and sparsely ciliate with 1–4 eglandular trichomes 0.3–1 mm long or glabrescent (these trichomes deciduous), apex acuminate with a terminal eglandular trichome 0.3–0.5 mm long, both surfaces glandular-punctate, 1-nerved from the base, the midvein impressed on adaxial surface and slightly canaliculate on abaxial surface. Flowers 5-merous, solitary, pedicels 0.5–1 mm long; hypanthia 3–3.5 mm long, 3.5–3.7 mm wide at the torus, campanulate, brownish (when dry), externally glandular-punctate; calyx tubes 0.4–0.6 mm long; calyx lobes 2.8–3 mm long, 1.5–1.7 mm wide at the base, triangular, brownish (when dry), margin entire, apex acute terminating in an eglandular trichome 0.4–0.6 mm long, the indumentum like that of the hypanthium; petals 9 –11 × 5–6 mm, obovate, yellow, margin entire, apex acuminate, both surfaces glabrous; stamens 10, dimorphic: larger (antesepalous) stamens with filaments 5.4–5.6 mm long, connectives ventrally prolonged 3–3.3 mm below the thecae, appendages ca. 1 mm long, yellow, apex bilobed, thecae 2.8–3 mm long (excluding the rostra), oblong, yellow, externally smooth (tetrasporangiate), rostra ca. 0.8 mm long, the circular pores ca. 0.3 mm wide; smaller (antepetalous) stamens with filaments 4–4.4 mm long, connectives ventrally prolonged 1–1.3 mm long below the thecae, appendages ca. 0.5–0.7 mm long, yellow, apex truncate, thecae 1.8–2 mm long (excluding the rostra), oblong, yellow, externally smooth (tetrasporangiate), rostra ca. 0.8 mm long, the circular pores ca. 0.2 mm wide; ovaries ca. 1.9 × 1.6 mm, globose, superior, glabrous, 3-locular; styles ca. 8 mm long, linear, glabrous, stigmas punctiform. Capsules ca. 3.8 × 3.8 mm, loculicidal, globose, brownish (when dry), enveloped by the hypanthia, the apex not exceeding the torus, dehiscent from the apex to the base, columellas deciduous. Seeds not seen.

Additional Specimen Examined (paratype): — BRAZIL. Bahia: Brotas de Macaúbas, Alto Alegre , 10 February 2013, L. Campos & M. Alves 30 (ALCB!) .

Distribution, habitat, and phenology: — Microlicia macaubensis is probably endemic to Brotas de Macaúbas, Bahia, Brazil, where it occurs on sandy campo rupestre. It was collected with flowers in February and March ( Fig. 3 ).

Conservation status:— We regard the conservation status of this species as Data Deficient (DD) following IUCN guidelines and criteria ( IUCN 2022), until additional collections are made. The municipality of Brotas de Macáubas is not part of protected areas and until now Microlicia species had not been described for this region.

Etymology: —The specific epithet refers to the Brotas de Macaúbas, the type locality of M. macaubensis .

Affinities: — Microlicia macaubensis is morphologically related to M. sincorensis and M. aurea ( Table 2 ). It resembles M. sincorensis in the leaf size (6.5-7.5 mm in M. macaubensis vs. 5-10 mm in M. sincorensis ), the calyx lobes triangular, glandular-punctate, and the stamens dimorphic, but differs by its yellow petals (vs. magenta), the lanceolate and ciliate leaves (vs. oblong-lanceolate and eciliate), the hypanthia campanulate (vs. urceolate), and tetrasporangiate thecae (vs. polysporangiate). Microlicia macaubensis resembles M. aurea in having yellow petals and leaves of similar size (5.6–10 × 1.1–2.2 mm in M. macaubensis vs. 6.5-7.5 × 2.5-3.5 mm in M. aurea ) but it differs by its lanceolate leaves (vs. elliptic-lanceolate), calyx lobes terminating in a eglandular trichome ca. 04– 0.6 mm long (vs. absent) and tetrasporangiate thecae (vs. polysporangiate). The code for this species in the multi-access key for Bahian species of Microlicia (Woodgyer, 2005) is CDHJOQUVae.

Notes: —To our knowledge, this is the first species of Microlicia to be described as endemic to Brotas de Macaúbas. Harpalyce magnibracteata São-Mateus, D.B.O.S.Cardoso & L.P.Queiroz in São Mateus et al. (2016: 122) (Leguminosae) is an endemic legume that occurs in the same region but extends its distribution range to Bom Jesus da Lapa, Macaúbas, Sento Sé, and Tanque Novo (São Mateus et al. 2016). The local vegetation is little known and apparently consists of floristic elements found in campo rupestre, Cerrado and Caatinga.

Figures

FIGURE 2. A. Microlicia decumbens, photograph of the isotype at US. B. Microlicia macaubensis, photograph of the holotype at MBM.

FIGURE 3. Distribution of Microlicia decumbens and Microlicia macaubensis in Bahia, northeastern Brazil.

FIGURE 4. Microlicia macaubensis. A. habit; B. leaf (adaxial surface); C. flowering branch; D. flowering hypanthium and calyx lobes (androecium and style removed); E. adaxial view of a petal; F. antepetalous (left) and antesepalous (right) stamens; G. gynoecium; H. ovary in cross section; I. detail of the stigma; J. capsule enveloped by the rupturing hypanthium and calyx lobes. Line drawings by Klei R. Souza.