Paspalum aspidiotes Trinius (1830: 269)

Delfini, Carolina, Souza, Vinicius Castro & Zuloaga, Fernando Omar, 2017, Taxonomic revision and nomenclatural update of Paspalum sect. Pectinata (Poaceae, Panicoideae, Paspaleae), Phytotaxa 323 (1), pp. 1-26 : 5-7

1. Paspalum aspidiotes Trinius (1830: 269) . Fig. 1A–D

Lectotype (designated here):— BRAZIL. “In campis Serra da Chapada ”, G.H. von Langsdorff s.n. (LE 418.2!, isolectotypes LE 418.1!, US 2942148! (fragment ex LE)).

Paspalum setiglume Chase in Chase & Swallen (1939: 150). Type:— VENEZUELA. Bolívar: Auyan-tepui, 1100 m, December 1937 – January 1938, G.H.H. Tate 1285 (holotype NY 414243!, isotypes MO 2704419! (fragment ex NY), US 1723623!).

Paspalum erectifolium Swallen (1951: 22) . Type:— VENEZUELA. Bolívar: Gran Sabana, bordering forest of Río Karuai, between Santa Teresita de Kavanayen and base of Ptari-tepui, 1220 m, 18 November 1944, J.A. Steyermark 60302 (holotype US 1911668!, isotypes MO 3001316! (fragment ex VEN), NY 414224!, VEN 21477!).

Rhizomatous perennial, 40–100 cm tall. Culms erect, compressed, nodes glabrous to pilose, generally with imbricate, arched, thick and rigid rhizomes, rhizomes pale yellow; aestivation convolute. Sheaths usually longer than the internodes, predominantly basal, striated, glabrous, papillose-pilose to densely hirsute, with hyaline trichomes, 0.5–3 mm long. Ligules 2.2–4 mm long, narrowly ovate, membranous, brown, the margins dentate. Blades 4–30 × 0.8–1.5 cm, lanceolate, flat, glabrous to densely hirsute; the apex acuminate, the margins entire to slightly undulated, papillose-ciliate, hyaline cilia, 1–3 mm long; nerves conspicuous; adaxial and abaxial surfaces glabrous to pilose or densely hirsute, with simple and hyaline papillose-trichomes, 0.5–3 mm long. Inflorescences (5–) 9–15 cm long, 2–6 racemes, racemes (4.5–) 7–14.8 cm long, conjugate to subdigitate, axillary inflorescences absent; peduncle 25–40 cm long, glabrous to slightly pilose, the trichomes hyaline. Rachis 2.9–4.5 mm wide, ending in a naked point, linear to slightly sinuous, glabrous to slightly papillose-pilose, apical spikelet absent. Spikelets 5.5–7.7 × (2.2–) 2.5–4 mm, solitary, arranged into two series along the rachis, pedicellate, pedicels glabrous to sparsely pilose; lower anthecium 1.5–2 mm larger than the upper anthecium; upper glume pale yellow, widely ovate, widely winged, 5–7(–9)-nerved, the nerves conspicuous, midnerve present, the apex ciliate, acute to 1–2-awned (awns 1.7–2.5 mm long), the margins ciliate, hyaline cilia, 0.5–1.5 mm long, the base cordate, the surface usually glabrous, the wings glabrous to papillose-pilose, usually pilose, hyaline trichomes, 0.2–0.3 mm long; lower lemma slightly smaller than the upper glume, pale yellow, ovate, widely winged, 5–7-nerved, nerves conspicuous, midnerve present, the apex ciliate, acute to 1–2-awned (awns 1.7–2.5 mm long), the margins ciliate, hyaline cilia, 0.5–1.8 mm long, the base cordate or less frequently truncated, the surface glabrous to papillose-pilose, hyaline trichomes 0.2–1 mm long; upper anthecium 4–6.5 × 1–1.3 mm, pale yellow, sessile, ovate to elliptic, frequently with a conspicuous tuft of trichomes at the apex of the upper lemma; upper lemma and upper palea minutely papillose, the midnerve absent, the apex acute. Anthers ca. 2 mm long, orange to brown. Styles 2, stigmas plumose, brown. Lodicules 2. Caryopsis 1.5–2.5 mm long, obovate, brown.

Distribution and habitat: — Guyana (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Venezuela (Amazonas and Bolívar), Colombia (cited by Judziewicz 1990 and Zuloaga et al. 2003), Bolivia (Santa Cruz) and Brazil, from Amazonas and Pará to Paraná, between 100 and 1200 meters ( Fig. 2 ). Paspalum aspidiotes is frequently found in savannas, campos rupestres, open fields, roadsides, rocky outcrops, sandy, rocky and humid soils, and less frequent in margins of humid forests.

Comments: — Paspalum aspidiotes is a highly polymorphic species, with sheaths and blades ranging from glabrous to densely hirsute, inflorescences 2–6-racemose, and upper glume and lower lemma broadly winged, 5–7- nerved and sometimes awned.

When describing P. aspidiotes, Trinius (1830) did not provide any information regarding the type collection in the protologue. Denham et al. (2002) examined a specimen at LE, which holds important sets of plants described by Trinius, and identified it as the holotype, but in fact at LE there are two gatherings of P. aspidiotes made by Langsdorff in Serra da Chapada. The specimen LE 418.2 agrees exactly with the description and is very similar to the illustration in the protologue; we therefore designate this specimen as lectotype of the name P. aspidiotes . The specimen LE 418.1 is an isolectotype, and there are five other possible isolectotypes at LE (6131! and 6132!), B (10 0366192!), K (643578!) and P (697808!); these bear the label information “in campis siccis et locis petrosis montium Serra da Chapada” but were collected by Riedel under the number 1048. According to Renvoize (1978), some grass types described by Trinius from materials of Langsdorff may be variously regarded as collected by Langsdorff, Riedel or both. Thus, some specimens from the same set of plants collected by both may have been distributed to the herbaria under their separate names; nevertheless, these specimens correspond to duplicates of the same collection ( Renvoize 1978).

Specimens examined: — BOLIVIA. Santa Cruz: Velasco , Parque Nacional Noel Kempff Mercado. Serranía Huanchaca I. N y NE de la pista Noel Kempff M., cerrado abierto, 400 m, 8 May 1994, B. Mostacedo 1862 et al. (MO) ; Parque Nacional Noel Kempff Mercado. Serranía Huanchaca I. N y NE de la pista Noel Kempff M., cerrado, 360 m, 8 June 1994, B. Mostacedo 2115 et al. (MO); Parque Nacional Noel Kempff Mercado, Las Gamas, camino hacia las cataratas, 825 m. s.m., 13 June 1994, E. Gutiérrez 1400 et al. (US). BRAZIL. Amazonas: Barcelos , Serra Araçá , campo a margem da floresta, 3 February 1978, N.A. Rosa 2369 (INPA) ; Humaitá, Estrada Humaitá–Jacarecangá , km 62, 17 June 1982, L.O.A. Teixeira 1197 (INPA) ; Transamazônica km 150, sudeste de Humaitá, 4 km leste de Bodocó, savana inundável, 25 October 1993, T.M. Sanaiotti 293 (INPA). Novo Aripuanã, Parque Nacional dos Campos Amazônicos , campo sujo ca. 0, 4 km, a direita da estrada do Estanho , sentido trevo do Bodocó , 0, 5 km antes do trevo, 162 m, 29 July 2013, L.L. Giacomin 1881 et al. (BHCB). No municipality identified: “Estrada do Estranho”, road to Igarapé Preto, ca. 60–62 km SE of Transamazon Highway, common in “campos” or open area of savanna, 3 July 1979, C.E. Calderón 2760 et al. (MO, SI, US) ; Platô da Serra Araçá , parte SE da Serra Norte, campo rupestre, 1150–1250 m.s.m., 21 February 1984, A.S. Tavares 111 et al. (MO) ; Southern extreme of Northern mountains of Serra Araçá , open rock outcrop on cliff top, 16 February 1984, G.T. Prance 29114 et al. (MO) ; Platô da Serra Araçá, parte SE da Serra Norte, campo rupestre, 1150-1250 m, 21 February 1984, Tavares 111 (MO). Distrito Federal: Brasília, Reserva Ecológica do IBGE, brejo na nascente do córrego escondido, 14 June 1988, D. Alvarenga 63 (UEC). Mato Grosso: Diamantino, Serra do Tombador , estrada do Diamantino, campos e várzeas de chapada, March 1918, J.G. Kuhlmann 1671 (RB, US) ; Em terras indígenas, Campo Novo do Parecis-Sapezal, cerrado, 1 June 2007, F.J.M. Caporal 457 (CGMS). Mato Grosso do Sul : Sidrolândia , Rodovia BR 163, orla de brejo, 27 October 1970, G. Hatschbach 25281 (UEC). Minas Gerais : Poços de Caldas , Campo do Saco , 30 November 1982, H.F. Leitão-Filho 1749 et al. (UEC). Pará : Conceição do Araguaia , Redenção , area of cerrado vegetation about 4 km west of town center along highway PA 150, 200 m.s.m., 20 February 1980, T.C. Plowman 8949 (INPA) ; Marabá , Serra dos Carajás, caminho para o azul, campo pedregoso, 3 April 1977, M.G. Silva 3024 (NY) ; Serra dos Carajás , mina norte 1, vegetação rupestre sobre lajeados de ferro, 650 m. s.m., 19 April 1985, N.A. Rosa 4688 & M.F.F. Silva (NY) ; Parauapebas , campo graminoso sobre canga, 692 m. s.m., 27 March 2012, P.L. Viana 5345 et al. (BHCB). Paraná: without additional data, s.d., G. Hatschbach 12730 (MBM, MO) ; without additional data, s.d., G.H. von Langsdorff s.n. (MO 211837). Tocantins: Couto Magalhães, 16 km west of Piquizeiro along GO 70, in cerrado savanna, 400 m. s.m., 25 February 1980, T.C. Plowman 9133 (INPA). GUYANA. Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Imbaimadai savanna, upper Mazaruni river, Ayanganna plateau, s.d., Fraser 397 (US). VENEZUELA. Amazonas: Atapo, Herbazal tepuyano en Altiplanicie (Cerro-Parú), 1160 m, February 1992, A. Chaviel 450 (MO). Without additional data, 800 m, 3 March 1979, O. Huber 3598 (MO, NY, VEN) ; without additional data, 710 m, 5 October 1979, O. Huber 4380 (MO, VEN). Atures, Serranía Parú, planicie central, SW sector, open savanna and forest patches, 1200-1250 m, 5–7 March 1991, P.E. Berry 4975 et al. (MO). Bolívar: Ciudad Piar , sobre rocas de arenisca, 900 m. s.m., 11 December 1994, O. Huber 9898 et al. ( US) ; Gran Sabana, Serrania del Kako, sector norte ( Sorochoroyen ), 1200 m, 22 February 1987, O. Huber 12032 (MO) ; Icabaru , 26.5 km al este de Icabaru, 750 m, 18 December 1978, J.A. Steyermark 117852 et al. (MO) ; La Gran Sabana, km 145 along highway, 2 km S of La Ciudadela, open savanna with a narrow zone of gallery forest along river, soil with top 20 cm sand and organic material mixture, 1 m of white sand below which is yellow sand, 1300 m, 3 December 1973, G. Davidse 4708 (MO, NY, US). Piar, Guayaraca, between escarpment and Rio Guayaraca , southern base of Auyan-tepui, open area, 950 m, 26 November 1982, G. Davidse 22726 & O. Huber (MO, NY, VEN) ; At top of Salto Aicha near eastern base of Uaipantepui , 1100 m, 27–28 November 1982, G. Davidse 22944 & O. Huber (MO, NY). Roscio, sabanas y arbustales sobre afloramientos rocosos de arenisca al S de Cantarana, aprox. 20 km al NE de Ikabarú (aprox. 95 km al W de Santa Elena de Uairén), 850 m, 14 August 1984, O. Huber 9643 & C. Alarcón (MO). Santa Teresita de Kavanayen , Rio Karuai , between Santa Teresita de Kavanayen and Ptaritepui, 1220 m, 18 November 1944, J.A. Steyermark 60302 (MO, NY, VEN). Without additional data, December 1937 – January 1938, G.H. Tate 1285 (MO, NY, VEN) ; Without additional data, 20 June 1977, J.A. Steyermark 113165 et al. (MO, VEN) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. A–D: Paspalum aspidiotes: A. Upper glume; B. Spikelet, view of the lower lemma; C. Upper lemma; D. Upper palea. E–J: Paspalum cachimboense: E. Habit; F. Node detail; G. Spikelet, view of the upper glume; H. Lower lemma; I. Upper anthecium, view of the upper lemma; J. Upper palea. K–N: Paspalum cordatum: K. Upper glume; L. Lower lemma; M. Upper lemma; N. Upper palea. O–R: Paspalum imbricatum: O. Upper glume; P. Spikelet, view of the lower lemma; Q. Upper lemma; R. Upper palea. S–V: Paspalum lanciflorum: S. Spikelet, view of the upper glume; T. Lower lemma; U. Upper lemma; V. Upper palea. W–Z: Paspalum pectinatum: W. Upper glume; X. Spikelet, view of the lower lemma; Y.Upper lemma; Z. Upper palea. A’–D’: Paspalum reticulinerve: A’. Upper glume; B’. Spikelet, view of the lower lemma; C’. Upper lemma; D’. Upper palea. [A–D: N.A. Rosa 2369 (INPA); E–J: M.N. Silva 24 et al. (RB); K–N: H.M. Longhi-Wagner 8963 et al. (ICN); O–R: T.S. Filgueiras 970 (IBGE); S–V: A. Chase 11402 (RB); W–Z: A. Rizzo 4470 (RB); A’–D’: T. Killeen 4824 et al. (SI)]. Drawn by Maíra Mezzacappa.

FIGURE 2. Distribution map of Paspalum aspidiotes.