Microlicia deflexa R.Romero & Valentim, 2021

Romero, Rosana & Valentim, Rodrigo, 2021, Microlicia deflexa and M. johnwurdackiana (Melastomataceae), two new species from the Brazilian Cerrado, PhytoKeys 181, pp. 113-128 : 113

Microlicia deflexa R.Romero & Valentim sp. nov.

Figs 1 , 2

Type.

Brazil. Minas Gerais: Uberlândia, Clube Caça e Pesca Itororo de Uberlandia , 9 June 2011 (fl, fr), A.F.A. Versiane et al. 20 (holotype: HUFU!; isotypes: BHCB!, HRCB!, OUPR!, UFG!) .

Diagnosis.

Microlicia deflexa is recognised by the deflexed and linear-lanceolate sepals on flowers and immature fruits, long pedicels (3-5 mm long) and indumentum of glandular trichomes, glands sometimes caducous, mixed with spherical, golden glands covering branch, leaf, pedicel, hypanthium and sepal.

Description.

Subshrub or shrub, 0.3-0.8 m tall, erect, multi-branched. Stem terete, glabrous, brownish. Branch fastigiate, younger branch quadrangular, green, densely covered with glandular trichomes 0.4-0.8 mm long and spherical, golden glands, older branch terete, brownish, leafless with age. Leaf ascending, not imbricate; petiole up to 0.6 mm long, leaf rarely sessile; blade 3-18.5 × 1.5-10.5 mm, leaf larger in the main branch, concolorous (when dry), green, sometimes with magenta or yellow-brownish spots on both surfaces, chartaceous, oblong to ovate-oblong, sometimes elliptic, rarely lanceolate, acute at the apex, with a terminal setose trichome 0.1-0.4 mm long, base rounded, margin slightly sinuous to serrate-dentate, glandular-ciliate, both surfaces with a dense indumentum of glandular trichomes 0.4-0.8 mm long, glands sometimes caducous, mixed with spherical, golden or sometimes vinaceous glands, 3-5-veined, veins conspicuously visible on both surfaces, impressed on the adaxial surface, thickened and prominent on abaxial surface. Flower 5-merous, solitary, terminal or lateral, perianth actinomorphic; pedicel 3-5 mm long; hypanthium 1.8-2.3 × 1-2 mm, green, cylindrical, with a dense indumentum of glandular trichomes 0.1-0.8 mm long, glands sometimes caducous, mixed with spherical, golden glands, calyx tube ca. 0.2 mm long, sepal 3-3.2 × 0.5-1.2 mm, longer than the length of the hypanthium, deflexed, green, sometimes magenta at the apex (when dry), linear-lanceolate, acute at the apex, with a terminal setose trichome 0.1-0.4 mm long, with glandular trichomes 0.1-0.3 mm long, glands sometimes caducous, mixed with spherical, golden glands; petal 6-7 × 3-4.5 mm, pinkish, oblong or obovate, acute at the apex, margin entire, glabrous; stamen 10, dimorphic, anther bicolorous, tetrasporangiate; larger (antesepalous) stamen with filament 2.5-3.7 mm long, lilac, pedoconnective 1.5-2.5 mm long, lilac, ventral appendage 0.7-1.2 mm long, yellow, retuse or sometimes slightly bilobed at the apex, anther 1.8-2.2 mm long including beak, pinkish, sometimes with yellow spots, oblong, beak 0.2-0.4 mm long, white; smaller (antepetalous) stamen with filament 2.4-3.7 mm long, lilac, pedoconnective 0.7-1.2 mm long, lilac, ventral appendage 0.2-0.4 mm long, yellow, retuse at the apex, anther ca. 1.5 mm long including beak, yellow, oblong, beak 0.2-0.4 mm long, yellow; ovary 3-5-locular, sub-globose to terete, superior, glabrous; style 3.5-6.5 mm long, terete, slightly curved, pinkish, glabrous; stigma punctiform. Capsule 2.7-4.2 × 1.3-2.7 mm, brownish, globose, dehiscing into 3-5 valves from the apex, hypanthium enveloping the entire capsule and peeling off top to bottom as the fruit mature, columella deciduous; seed 0.2-0.4 × 0.1-0.3 mm, pale brown, oblong, testa foveolate.

Distribution and habitat.

Microlicia deflexa is found in Minas Gerais, in Uberlândia, occurring in campo sujo near vereda, at ca. 860 m elevation and in Catas Altas, in a shaded area of cerrado, at 1085 m elevation. It also occurs in Goiás, in Cocalzinho de Goiás, in campo sujo near vereda, at 1220 m elevation (Fig. 3 ).

Conservation status.

Microlicia deflexa has a restricted area of occupancy (AOO = 12 km2) and should be preliminarily assessed as Endangered [(EN) B2ab (iii)], following the IUCN (2019) guidelines. Only the populations in Cata Altas are protected since it occurs inside the Reserva Patrimônio Natural Santuário do Caraça.

Phenology.

Flowers have been collected in April and from July to September and fruits from July to October.

Etymology.

The specific epithet " Microlicia deflexa " refers to the sepal characteristically deflexed on flower and immature fruit i.e. turned abruptly downwards.

Discussion.

Microlicia deflexa is morphologically similar to M. serpyllifolia D.Don, which occurs in Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Goiás, Bahia and Distrito Federal ( Silva and Romero 2008, as M. fulva ; Romero and Woodgyer 2015; Romero et al. 2020) in campo rupestre, campo limpo and cerrado. Both species have long pedicel and sepal, dimorphic stamen with bicolorous and tetrasporangiate anther. Microlicia serpyllifolia differs in having a very peculiar velutinous indumentum composed of thin, short and soft trichomes covering branch, leaf, pedicel, hypanthium and sepal mixed with spherical glands (vs. glandular indumentum mixed with spherical, golden glands in M. deflexa ). The sepal in M. serpyllifolia is triangular and ascending (vs. linear-lanceolate and deflexed). Microlicia deflexa also bears some resemblance to Microlicia helvola (Spreng.) Triana, which occurs in Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso and Minas Gerais States ( Romero et al. 2020; Versiane et al. 2020) in campo limpo, campo sujo and the edges of vereda and swamp areas ( Bacci et al. 2016; Versiane et al. 2016) and less frequently in cerrado rupestre ( Machado and Romero 2020). Microlicia deflexa and M. helvola are subshrub or shrub with sessile leaf or with a short petiole, acute at the apex, rounded at the base and 3-5-veined. Furthermore, both species have pinkish petal and dimorphic stamens with bicolorous anthers. However, M. helvola differs in having an indumentum of setose trichomes mixed with spherical glands (vs. glandular trichomes mixed with spherical glands in M. deflexa ), urceolate and 10-striate hypanthium (vs. cylindrical and not striate), sepal shorter than the hypanthium length (vs. sepal longer than the hypanthium length) and polysporangiate anther (vs. tetraesporangiate). Microlicia deflexa also resembles M. phlogiformis (DC.) Versiane & R.Romero, which also occurs in the Clube Caça e Pesca Itororó de Uberlândia, in campo úmido or inside the vereda on waterlogged soil ( Bacci et al. 2016). The indumentum, the sepals and the long pedicel of both species are similar; however, M. phlogiformis differs in having flowers in dichasia (vs. solitary) and ascending sepals (vs. deflexed). Table 1 includes additional features comparing M. helvola , M. phlogiformis and M. serpyllifolia to M. deflexa .

Additional specimens examined (paratypes).

Brazil. Goiás: Cocalzinho de Goiás, estrada para plantação de eucalipto final da estrada, 26 April 2012 (fl), J.N. Nakajima et al. 5083 (BHCB!, HRCB!, HUFU!, NY!, RB!, UFG!, US!). Minas Gerais: Catas Altas, Reserva Patrimônio Natural Santuário do Caraça, trilha para a cascatinha, 18 October 2016 (fr), M. Castro et al. 180 (BHCB!, HUFU!); Uberlândia, Clube Caça e Pesca Itororó de Uberlândia, 21 March 2011, A.F.A. Versiane et al. 2 (HUFU!, SP!, UEC!); idem, 6 April 2011 (fl), A.F.A. Versiane 10 (HUFU!, NY!, OUPR!, RB!); idem, 12 July 2011 (fl, fr), A.F.A. Versiane et al. 29 (HUFU!, HRCB!); idem, 12 July 2011 (fl, fr), A.F.A. Versiane et al. 30 (HUFU!, K!, P!); idem, 12 July 2011 (fl, fr), A.F.A. Versiane et al. 32 (HUFU!); idem, 26 August 2015 (fl, fr), R. Romero et al. 8690 (HUFU!, OUPR!); idem, 9 September 2015 (fl, fr), R. Romero et al. 8693 and 8695 (HUFU!); idem, 4 February 2017 (fl), A.P.S. Caetano 52 (HUFU!); idem, 10 May 2018 (fl, fr), R.V. Brito et al. 37 (HUFU!).

Figures

Figure 1. Microlicia deflexa R. Romero & Valentim A flowering branch B leaf abaxial surface (up) and adaxial surface (down) C floral bud D larger (antesepalous) stamen (on the left) and smaller (antepetalous) stamen (on the right) E immature fruit enveloped by the hypanthium with deflexed sepals (A, E R. Romero 8690 B-D A. F. A. Versiane 20).

Figure 2. Microlicia deflexa R. Romero & Valentim A cerrado landscape at Uberlandia, Triangulo Mineiro, Brazil, the type locality of M. deflexa B habit C details of the deflexed sepals on the flower and immature fruits D flower bud E flower in frontal view F flower in lateral view G immature fruit. Photos: Rosana Romero.

Figure 3. Geographical distribution of Microlicia deflexa and Microlicia johnwurdackiana in Minas Gerais and Goias States, Brazil.