Vellozia filifolia (L.B. Sm.) Mello-Silva, 2017

Mello-Silva, Renato, 2017, New names, species and synonyms in a changing Velloziaceae world, Phytotaxa 309 (1), pp. 35-44 : 42

Vellozia filifolia (L.B. Sm.) Mello-Silva , stat. nov. ( Fig. 3D , 4A – E ).

Basionym :: Vellozia asperula var. filifolia Smith (1962: 263) . Type: — BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Catas Altas , Serra do Caraça , 18 January 1921 (fl.), Hoehne 5025 (holotype, NY [ NY247998 ] image seen; isotype, SP!) .

Etymology: —Named after its very narrow, thread-leaved condition ( Smith 1962).

Distribution: — Vellozia filifolia is endemic to Serra do Caraça, southern Espinhaço Range in Minas Gerais State, Brazil.

Habitat: — Vellozia filifolia inhabits rocky outcrops.

Specimens examined: — BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Catas Altas, Serra do Caraça , 13 November 1975 (fr.), Menezes 523 ( SPF) ; ibid. loc., 2 December 2000 (fl.), Mota 299 ( BHCB, SPF) ; ibid. loc., 17 December 2000 (fl.), Ordones 669 ( BHZB, SPF) ; ibid. loc., Padre Caio , 20 June 2013 (fr.), Ferreira Jr. 1128 ( BHZB, SPF) .

Notes: — Vellozia asperula Martius (1823: 15) inhabits sandy soil in Diamantina Plateau, Minas Gerais, Brazil. It reaches up to 30 cm in height, but most of its stature is due to the leaves, as the stems are short, up to 10 cm long. On the other hand, V. asperula var. filifolia , which is endemic to Serra do Caraça, Minas Gerais, is a very distinct species. For mending this situation, a new status for V. asperula var. filifolia is here presented. Vellozia filifolia is a very distinct species of Velloziaceae as numerous individual stems grow together to form its final unique stem, and the plant probably survives as an epiphyte over itself, as is the case of many other species of Velloziaceae with long stems, in a rather unusual condition among plants. When the plant is old, it gains a shape that much resembles a Xanthorrhoea Smith (1798: 219 , Xanthorrhoeaceae ), a Dasylirion Zuccarini (1838: 258 , Asparagaceae ) or, better, a giant Bulbostylis paradoxa ( Sprengel 1824: 190) Lindman (1900: 17 , Cyperaceae ). In describing it as a variety of V. asperula, Smith (1962) didn’t realized the very different nature of the stem of V. filifolia , as its type-material only bears two single individualized stems, being the flower similar to that of V. asperula , except for the hypanthium, which bears vertical lines of scabrous emergences, whereas V. asperula shows a entirely scabrous hypanthium.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Type material. A. Holotype of Vellozia sellowii (Sellow 1316 [B100243285]). B. Holotype of Vellozia virgata (Glaziou 17832a [L 0041330]). C. Paratypus of Vellozia virgata and holotype of Vellozia linearis (Glaziou 17292). D. Holotype of Vellozia asperula var. filifolia (Hoehne 5025 [NY 00247998]).

FIGURE 4. Vellozia filifolia. A, B. Habit in dry season, with desiccated leaves. C. Branchs at the top of the stem. D. Flower, lateral view. E. Flower, frontal view. A–C, photographs by Maximilian Weigend. D, E, photographs by Luiz Cláudio Marigo.