Cryptanthus guanduensis Leme & L. Kollmann, 2020

Leme, Elton M. C., Ribeiro, Otávio B. C., Souza, Fernanda Vidigal D., Souza, Everton Hilo De, Kollmann, Ludovic J. C. & Fontana, André P., 2020, Miscellaneous new species in the “ Cryptanthoid complex ” (Bromeliaceae: Bromelioideae) from Eastern Brazil, Phytotaxa 430 (3), pp. 157-202 : 161-163

1.2. Cryptanthus guanduensis Leme & L. Kollmann , sp. nov. ( Fig. 2 A–E )

Diagnosis:––This new species can be distinguished from the morphologically closest relative, Cryptanthus robsonianus , by the narrower leaf blades (3.8–5.8 cm vs. 4.5–7 cm), that are narrowly lanceolate (vs. narrowly oblanceolate), green to yellowish green (vs. prevailingly dark purplish-wine), sepals higher connate (11–13 mm vs. 9–11 mm), and lobes densely denticulate (vs. spinulose to entire).

Type:–– BRAZIL. Espírito Santo: Baixo Guandu, at the border with Aimorés, Minas Gerais state, Pedra do Souza, trail to “capelinha”, 212 m elevation, 19º29’42.8” S, 40º58’07.5” W, 21 June 2014, E. Leme 8902, L. Kollmann, A.P. Fontana & V. Leme (holotype RB!).

Description:–– Plants stemless, propagating by short basal shoots. Leaves 6 to 8 in number, slightly arcuate to spreading at anthesis, laxly arranged and forming an open rosette; sheath inconspicuous, greenish to reddish, densely lepidote and distinctly rugose abaxially near distal end; blade narrowly lanceolate, apex caudate, distinctly narrowed toward the base but not petiolate, 20–34 × 3.8–5.8 cm, coriaceous, canaliculate mainly toward the base, nearly flat toward the apex, green to yellowish-green toward the apex, reddish near the base, non-lustrous, abaxially densely and coarsely white lepidote, adaxially glabrous except for the subdensely white lepidote apex, margins slightly undulate, densely spinulose; spines triangular, straight to slightly antrorsely uncinate, reddish, 0.5–1 mm long, 2–4 mm apart. Inflorescence sessile, shortly corymbose, ca. 3.5 cm long, ca. 4.5 cm in diameter, once branched at the base and bearing a conspicuous, simple, central head of densely arranged flowers; primary bracts resembling the leaves; flower fascicles 4–5 in number, inconspicuous, with ca. 2 flowers, complanate; floral bracts triangular, acuminate, ca. 20 × 10 mm, membranaceous, greenish toward the apex, densely and coarsely lepidote mainly toward the apex, densely spinulose, equalling to slightly exceeding the ovary, those of the flower fascicles distinctly carinate. Flowers sessile, odorless, the perfect ones 55–58 mm long (with the petals extended), the staminate ones shorter; sepals 19–20 mm long, connate for 11–13 mm, whitish, densely and coarsely whitish lepidote, lobes ovate-lanceolate, long acuminate, 7–8 × 3.5–4 mm, symmetrical, obtusely carinate, margins densely and inconspicuously denticulate; petals ligulate, apex acute, white except for the slightly greenish apex, exceeding the stamens but spreading-recurved at anthesis and exposing them; those of the perfect flowers 38–39 × 6 mm, connate at the base for 9–10 mm, bearing 2 conspicuous longitudinal callosities at the base of the free lobes; filaments ca. 26 mm long, adnate to the petal-tube and free above it; anthers ca. 2 mm long, dorsifixed near the base, base distinctly bilobed, apex obtuse; stigma conduplicate-patent, lobes ca. 6 mm long, white, margins scalloped, without papillae; ovary narrowly subclavate, trigonous, ca. 16 × 5 mm, whitish, glabrous; epigynous tube lacking; placentation apical; ovules few, obtuse. Fruits not seen.

Distribution, habitat and conservation:–– Cryptanthus guanduensis was found growing as a terrestrial species in a hill known as Pedra do Souza, an isolated, granitic inselberg situated on the banks of the Doce River, in the county of Baixo Guandu, Espírito Santo state, at the border with the county of Aimorés, Minas Gerais state. In the type population, the isolated individuals were scattered or formed small groups on the partially shaded forest floor in the fragments of semideciduous Atlantic Forest that partially covers the hill ( Fig. 2 A–B ). The vegetation of Pedra do Souza is additionally composed by extensive areas of rupicolous species that predominate on the rock outrops.

According to the “B.1.a” and “B.2.a + b” criteria adopted by IUCN (2012), C. guanduensis must be considered a critically endangered species (CR).

Etymology:––The name of this new species is a reference to the county of Baixo Guandu, Espírito Santo state, where C. guanduensis was found.

Observations:— Cryptanthus guanduensis is morphologically close to C. robsonianus Leme (2014: 150) , but differs from it by the narrower leaf blades (3.8–5.8 cm vs. 4.5–7 cm), that are narrowly lanceolate (vs. narrowly oblanceolate), green to yellowish green (vs. prevailingly dark purplish-wine), and adaxially glabrous except for the subdensely white lepidote apex (vs. densely and coarsely white lepidote near the base and glabrescent toward the apex), sepals higher connate at the base (11–13 mm vs. 9–11 mm), lobes densely denticulate (vs. spinulose to entire), petals smaller (38–39 × 6 mm vs. ca. 45 × 8 mm), higher connate at the base (9–10 mm vs. 5–6 mm), and stigma wider (ca. 2 mm vs. ca. 1 mm wide).

On the other hand, this new species is morphologically close to C. argyrophyllus Leme (2001: 12) , differing by leaf blades without a protruded thicker median zone (vs. bearing a slightly protruded thicker median zone), adaxially glabrous except for the subdensely white lepidote apex (vs. densely and coarsely white lepidote throughout), floral bracts triangular (vs. suboblong) and larger (ca. 20 × 10 mm vs. ca. 15 × 6 mm), sepal lobes densely denticulate (vs. entire), and stigma lobes broader (ca. 2 mm vs. ca. 1 mm wide). Another more distantly related species is C. capitellatus Leme & L. Kollmann (Leme et al. 2010: 29) , but C. guanduensis can be distinguished by leaf blades not petiolate (vs. petiolate to subpetiolate), comparatively broader (3.8–5.8 cm vs. 1.5–4.5 cm), floral bracts triangular (sublinear lanceolate or narrowly triangular), broader (ca. 10 mm vs. 3–7 mm), flowers longer (55–58 mm vs. 32–40 mm), sepals longer (19–20 mm vs. 14–15 mm), with broader lobes (3.5–4 mm vs. 2–2.5 mm), and petals acute (vs. subacute to obtuse and emarginate-cucullate), larger (38–39 × 6 mm vs. 24–30 × 4–5 mm), which are more connate (9–10 mm vs. ca. 2 mm).

Finally we compare C. guanduensis with the morphologically poorly known C. minarum L.B. Smith (1955: 24) , which is the single representative of the genus growing in the geographical range of Hoplocryptanthus in the Iron Quadrangle of Minas Gerais state. It is known from the type locality only based on a single collection from 1902, in Pico do Itabira area, half way between Ouro Preto and Belo Horizonte. Cryptanthus minarum was never collected again and its type locality was completely destroyed by mining activities. However, it is possible to distinguish this new species from C. minarum by the broader leaf blades (3.8–5.8 cm vs. 2.8–3.5 cm), inflorescence bearing a conspicuous, simple, central head of densely arranged flowers (vs. without a noticeable central head of flowers), and longer sepals (19–20 mm vs. ca. 15 mm), with ovate-lanceolate and long acuminate lobes (vs. broadly elliptic and apiculate).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Cryptanthus guanduensis from Pedra do Souza, trail to “capelinha”, Baixo Guandu, Espírito Santo state, (Leme 8902 et al.): A. Small group of plants at type locality. B. General view of the vegetation along the trail to “capelinha”. C. Habit. D. Details of the inflorescence highlighting the distinct central head of staminate flowers and a single hermaphrodite flower of the lateral flower fascicle. E. Conduplicate-patent stigma type.