Orthophytum brejoense Leme, E.H. Souza & Vidigal, 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 : 182-184

4.2. Orthophytum brejoense Leme, E.H. Souza & Vidigal , sp. nov. ( Fig. 11 A–I )

Diagnosis:—This new species is morphologically close to O. elegans , but differs by having leaf blades longer and narrower (22–29 × 2.7–3.3 cm vs. 19–21 × 4 cm), inflorescence longer (14–24 cm vs. 12–13 cm), floral bracts larger (20–21 × 10–15 mm vs. 9–10.5 × 7 cm), and flowers longer (23–24 mm vs. 17–19 mm).

Type:— BRAZIL. Bahia: Brejões, Igrejinha, 5 km to the left after the city on BR 116, turn left after the first village, 541 m elevation, 12°59’05.8” S, 39°53’29.1” W, 20 February 2019, E. Leme 9582, E. Hilo de Souza, Fernanda Vidigal & A. Toscano de Brito (holotype RB!, isotype SEL!).

Description:— Plants saxicolous, stemless, 30–58 cm long when flowering, propagating by slender basal stolons of 10–15 × 0.4–0.5 cm. Leaves 10–15 in number, subspreading-recurved at anthesis, densely arranged; sheath subtrapeziform, ca. 2 × 3.4 cm, densely and coarsely white lepidote toward distal end; blade narrowly lanceolate, apex attenuate-caudate, 22–29 × 2.7–3.3 cm, thick coriaceous, ca. 2 mm thick near the base, slightly canaliculate, green to bronze colored, abaxially densely and coarsely white lepidote with trichomes completely obscuring the blade color, distinctly nerved, adaxially subdensely to densely and coarsely white lepidote of the trichomes completely or partially obscuring the blade color, margins laxly spinose; spines triangular, straight or the upper ones slightly antrorsely uncinated, densely and coarsely white lepidote at the base, the basal ones 3–5 × 2–3 mm, 3–8 mm apart, the upper ones 2–2.5 × 1.5 mm, 10–16 mm apart. Inflorescence (fertile part) 14–24 cm long, 5–6 cm in diameter, lax mainly toward the base, once branched of flower fascicles, the distal end simple, with 10–15 sparsely to densely arranged flowers; peduncle 12–22 × 0.6–0.8 cm, green to reddish-bronze colored, densely white lanate mainly toward the base, glabrescent toward distal end at late anthesis, nearly straight to flexuous; peduncle bracts resembling the leaves, laxly arranged, not concealing the peduncle, spreading-recurved; primary bracts the basal ones resembling the upper peduncle bracts, distinctly exceeding the flower fascicles, the upper ones narrowly triangular, acuminate-caudate, densely and coarsely white lepidote mainly abaxially, greenish to bronze colored, exceeding to shorter than the flower fascicles, laxly spinose, spines 1–2 mm long, straight or retrorsely curved; flower fascicles 5–7 in number, laxly arranged, sessile, rosulate-capitate to subcylindrical, excluding the petals 2–4.5 × 3–3.5 cm, 8–11-flowered, floral bracts broadly ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, strongly recurved, ecarinate or carinate, green, salmon-reddish to red, densely white lepidote abaxially, glabrous near the base and subdensely white lepidote toward the apex adaxially, thin coriaceous, finely nerved, subdensely to laxly spinose of spines 1–2 mm, 20–21 × 10–15 mm, exceeding the sepals. Flowers sessile, 23–24 mm long (with the petals extended), odorless; sepals ovate-lanceolate, attenuate to caudate, 12 × 4–4.5 mm mm, free, green, salmon-rose to red toward the apex, inconspicuously white lepidote along the keel, glabrous elsewhere, entire, the abaxial one ecarinate, the adaxial ones carinate; petals narrowly spathulate, apex obtuse and slightly cucullate, 19–20 × 4–4.5 mm, greenish except for the white apex, forming a corolla with basal tubular portion distinctly longer than the length of the suberect distal portion, bearing 2 longitudinal callosities about equalling the filaments; petal appendages echinatiform, ca. 4 mm above the base, irregularly long fimbriatedigitate with ornamentation downwardly oriented; filaments unequal in length, the antesepalous ones 15–16 mm long, free, the antepetalous ones 11–13 mm long, adnate to the petals for ca. 4 mm; anthers 2–2.5 mm long, dorsifixed at the middle, base and apex obtuse, strongly complanate at anthesis; ovary 3.5–5 × 4–4.5 mm, greenish, glabrous; epigynous tube lacking; stigma simple-dilated, lobes broadened, lip-shaped, spreading, ca. 1 mm long, white, margins inconspicuously crenulate, papillate; placentation apical; ovules many, obtuse. Fruits globose, greenish, ca. 5 × 6 mm, persistent sepals ca. 1.3 times longer than the fruits; seeds ovoid, proximal part subacute, distal end obtuse, ca. 1.2 × 0.8 mm, ca. 120 in number.

Distribution, habitat and conservation:— Orthophytum brejoense grows in the place known as "Igrejinha", county of Brejões, southern part of Recôncavo region, Bahia State, limited to the east by the counties of Amargosa and Ubaíra, to the south by Santa Ines, to the west by Nova Itarana and north by Milagres.

The individuals form dense groups growing on a thin layer of organic matter deposited on rocky outcrops in inselberg areas about 500-600 m elevation ( Fig. 11 B–C ).

Regarding conservation status of O. brejoense , it is known from the type collection only, where it grows on rocky outcrops on inselbergs associated to the Caatinga domain, in a geo-ecological unit denominated “Sertaneja Depression”. The region of occurrence of the species is under severe risk due to frequent fire and grazing by goats and cattle. On the basis of habitat decline, levels of exploitation and inferred population reduction this new species is considered vulnerable (VU) according to the “A.1.d” and “B.1.a + b.iii” criteria adopted by IUCN (2012).

Etymology:—The name chosen for this new species is a reference to the county of Brejões, state of Bahia, Northeastern Brazil, where this it was discovered.

Additional specimens examined (paratypes):–– BRAZIL. Bahia: Brejões, Igrejinha, 5 km to the left after the city on BR 116, left turn after the first village, 541 m elevation, 12°59’05.8” S, 39°53’29.1” W, 20 February 2019, E. Leme 9583, E. Hilo de Souza , Fernanda Vidigal & A. Toscano de Brito (RB! SEL!) ; ibidem, 12º 59’05” S, 39º53’29” W, 1 July 2017, E.H. Souza 783 (HURB!).

Observations:— Orthophytum brejoense is morphologically closely related to O. elegans Leme (2010: 142) , from the region of Uruçuaí to Coronel Murta, Minas Gerais state, but differs from it by its leaf blades longer and narrower (22–29 × 2.7–3.3 cm vs. 19–21 × 4 cm), subdensely to densely coarsely white lepidote adaxially (vs. glabrescent to glabrous toward the apex adaxially), peduncle shorter (12–22 cm vs. 40–47 cm), inflorescence longer (14–24 cm vs. 12–13 cm), floral bracts larger (20–21 × 10–15 mm vs. 9–10.5 × 7 cm), flowers longer (23–24 mm vs. 17–19 mm), sepals larger (12 × 4–4.5 mm vs. 7.5–8 × 3 mm), and petals longer (19–20 mm vs. 14–15 mm).

This new species can be also confused with O. toscanoi Leme (2003: 23) and O. argentum Louzada & Wanderley (2011: 27) . However, O. brejoense clearly differs from the first one—originally collected in the region of Cordeiros, Bahia, close to the border with Minas Gerais —by its longer leaf blades (22–29 cm vs. ca. 10 cm), which are laxly spinose (vs. densely spinose), floral bracts larger (20–21 × 10–15 mm vs. 10–11 × 7 mm) and with larger spines (1–2 mm vs. ca. 0.5 mm), flowers longer (23–24 mm vs. ca. 16 mm), sepals larger (12 × 4–4.5 mm vs. ca. 7 × 3 mm), inconspicuously white lepidote along the keel and glabrous elsewhere (vs. white lanate), and petals larger (19–20 × 4–4.5 mm vs. 11 × 2–3 mm). In relation to O. argentum , which was originally described from Rio de Contas, Bahia, this new species can be also distinguished by its longer leaf blades (22–29 cm vs. 10–20 cm), peduncle green to reddish-bronze colored (vs. dark vinaceous), larger floral bracts (20–21 × 10–15 mm vs. ca. 15 × 10 mm) and finely nerved (vs. prominently nerved), exceeding the sepals (vs. about equalling the sepals), flowers longer (23–24 mm vs. ca. 17 mm), sepals green, salmon-rose to red (vs. dark vinaceous), and petals longer (19–20 mm vs. ca. 13 mm).

Figures

FIGURE 11. Orthophytum brejoense from Igrejinha, county of Brejões, Bahia state: A. General view of rock outcrops vegetation of an inselberg at the type locality. B. Detail of the vegetation with a group of O. brejoense in the foreground. C–G. Orthophytum brejoense (Leme 9582 et al.). C. Dense group of flowering individuals. D. Details of the habit. E. Flower fascicles, highlighting the prevailing chromatic pattern at the type locality. F. Simple-dilated stigma type. G. Petal, with the echinatiform appendages highlighted. H–I. Orthophytum brejoense (Leme 9583 et al.). H. Flower fascicles, highlighting the distinct chromatic pattern from the type locality. I. Dense group of flowering individuals.