Lantana speciosa Salimena & T. Silva, 2017

Silva, Tânia Regina Dos Santos, Salimena, Fátima Regina Gonçalves & Lima, Carla Teixeira, 2017, Two new species of Lantana (Verbenaceae) from Brazil, Phytotaxa 299 (1), pp. 125-131 : 126-128

Lantana speciosa Salimena & T. Silva , sp. nov., Fig. 1 A–J

Type —: BRAZIL. Bahia: Jacaraci, Morro do Chapéu, 14º53’21”S, 42º31’06”W, 1200 m, 24 April 2010, V. A. O. Dittrich 1654 & T. C. Novais (holotype CESJ 56854, isotype HUEFS 219208).

L. lundiana Schauer planta indumento villoso denso omnino vestita, bracteis vinaceis, corolla lilacina similis, sed bracteis apicibus obtusis fructibus castaneis cum mesocarpo tenui siccoque differt.

Shrubs 1.0– 1.3 m tall. Branches tetragonal, sulcate, greyish when young, sericeous, covered with sparse, sessile gland hairs, internodes 1.0– 2.2 cm long. Leaves decussate, patent; petiole ca. 1.0 cm long, caniculate, glandular sericeous, with sessile glandular hairs; blade 4.5–5.0 × 3.5–4.5 cm, coriaceous, ovate, base obtuse to heart-shaped, apex obtuse, margin crenate, purplish-red in younger leaves, revolute, adaxial side dark green, greyish, sericeous, bullate; abaxial side greyish, sericeous, with sessile glandular hairs, veins prominent. Inflorescences axillary, one per node, peduncles sulcate, enlarged at the apex, 2.5–4.0 cm long, greyish, sericeous, with sessile gland hairs, partial florescences capituliform, hemispherical, ca. 1.0 × 1.5 cm; bracts ovate-elliptic, 0.5–1.0 × 0.5–0.7 cm, 5-nerved, apex obtuse; adaxial side glabrous in the proximal third, sericeous close to the apex; abaxial side greyish, with sparse sessile gland hairs, purplish-red at the margin, close to the apex; calyx inconspicuous, ca. 1.0 mm long, campanulate, 2-lobed, margin ciliate; corolla hypocrateriform, lilac, tube 5.0–7.0 mm long, slightly curved, narrow at the proximal third, enlarged at the distal third, throat yellow, limb 4.0–5.0 × 5.0 mm, posterior lobe obovate, ca. 1.0 ×3.0 mm, lateral lobes ovate, acute, ca. 1.0 × 1.0 mm, anterior lobe emarginate,1.5–2.0 × 5.0 mm; ovary oblong, ca. 1.0 mm long, style ca. 2.5 mm long. Fruit ovate, dull brown, ca. 3.0 × 2.0 mm, calyx acrescent, mesocarp thin, dry.

Additional specimens examined (paratypes):— BRAZIL: Minas Gerais: Mato Verde, estrada para Montezuma, Serra da Mandaçaia , 15º23’03”S, 42º46’27”W, 1100 m, 17 March 1994, N. Roque et. al. CFCR 15142 ( K, MBM, SPF) ; Retiro, ca. 11 km em direção a Mato Verde, 15º 22’41”S, 42º. 41’54” W, 1000 m, 17 March 1994, C. M. Sakuragui, et al. CFCR15115 ( K, SPF) ; Bahia: Jacaraci, subida para Morro do Chapéu , 1336m, 23 February 2014, N. Roque et al. 4223 ( ALCB) .

Distribution and habitat:—Known from the states of Minas Gerais and Bahia, occurring between 1100 and 1300 m a.s.l. in campos rupestres, adjacent to rocky cerrado habitat ( Figure 2A ).

Conservation status:—This species has been collected in only three localities so far, with an extent of occurrence of ca. 200 km 2, no part of which lies within a protected area. We therefore propose here that L. speciosa should be considered endangered (EN), based on criteria B1a ( IUCN 2015). The mountain range in which this species was collected is poorly sampled. However, the rocky outcrops above 1,100m in which it occurs occupy very small areas, and are surrounded by lowlands that are not suitable.

Etimology:—The specific epithet means “showy”, “splendid”, referring to the beauty of the whole plant.

Discussion:— Lantana speciosa can be recognized by the leaf margins with purplish-red hairs and inflorescences with purplish-red bracts. Among the known species of Lantana , L. speciosa is similar to the non-sympatric L. lundiana Schauer (1847: 605) with which it shares the purplish-red color of the bracts and a dense, villous indumentum allover. However, they can be differentiated by features of the fruits and bracts, summarized in Table 1.

Figures

FIGURE 1. A–J. Lantana speciosa. A. Habit. B. Leaf. C. Leaf, details of indumentum on adaxial surface. D. Leaf, details of indumentum on abaxial surface. E. Inflorescence; F. Internal bract, adaxial view. G. External bract, adaxial view. H. Calyx; I. Corolla; J. Fruit. (N. Roque et al. 4223)

FIGURE 2. Distribution map. ▲ Lantana speciosa. ● Lantana restingensis. MG. Minas Gerais, BH. Bahia. SE. Sergipe