Vellozia linearis Mello-Silva, 2017

Mello-Silva, Renato, 2017, New names, species and synonyms in a changing Velloziaceae world, Phytotaxa 309 (1), pp. 35-44 : 39-42

Vellozia linearis Mello-Silva sp. nov. ( Fig. 3C ). Type: — BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Itabirito, Pico do Itabirito [“Pico d’Itabira do Campo”], 12 September 1887 (fr.), Glaziou 17292 (holotype, L!; isotypes, K [ K000400832 ]!, P

[P00712974]!).

Diagnosis:— Proxime affinis est Velloziae tragacanthae, a qua laminis foliorum persistentibus erectisque et emergentiis hypanthii glandulosis seriebus longitudinaliter dispositis optime distincta.

Solitary or caespitose, small ericoid plant, 8 – 16 cm tall. Stem few-branched, 2 – 4 mm diam. at base and ca. 2 mm diam. at apex. Leaves spirotristichous, straight; leaf sheaths light brown, stramineous at apex, margins entire; lamina 1.5 – 4 cm long, ca. 0.5 mm broad, linear, glabrous, with abscission line but mostly for some time persistent, not reflexed, resinous, involute, margins and keel serreate towards apex. Flowers solitary; peduncles 1 – 2 cm long, trigonous, sparsely covered with glandular stipitate emergences; hypanthium 4 – 5 mm long, 3 – 4 mm diam. at apex, obdeltoid, strong trigonous, sparsely covered with short-stipitate glandular emergences in six vertical rows. Tepals ca. 1 cm long, ca. 4 mm broad, elliptic, violet, the outer with small emergences on the veins in abaxial side, otherwise glabrous. Stamens 6, corona absent, filaments ca. 1.5 – 2 mm long, anthers ca. 5 mm long, yellow; style ca. 7 mm long, stigma ca. 0.25 mm diam., pseudo – capitate. Capsule 4 – 7 mm long, 3 – 5 mm diam. at apex, stramineous, indument as in the hypanthium, dehiscent by apical large slits on the loculi. Seeds ca. 0.5 mm long, dark brown, reticulate-foveate.

Etymology: — Vellozia linearis is named after its very narrow leaves and its vertical rows of glandular emergences in the hypanthium.

Distribution: — Vellozia linearis occurs in the southern Espinhaço Range in Minas Gerais State, Brazil, in few isolated mountains from Itabira, at north, to Moeda or, perhaps, Tiradentes (see Notes), at south.

Habitat: — Vellozia linearis inhabits rocky outcrops.

Specimens examined: — BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Itabira, Pico Itabiruçu [“Pic nan(?) Itabirussú”], 1530 m, 11 September 1887 (fr.), Schwacke 5889 ( RB) ; Caeté, Serra da Piedade, 29 January 1977 (fr.), Krieger 14565 ( CESJ n.v., SPF 2 sheets) ; Santa Bárbara, Serra da Gandarela , 20°03’24’’S 43°41’29’’W, 1637 m, 26 December 2007 (fl. & fr.), Carmo 1521 ( BHCB, SPF) ; Igarapé, Pico Itatiaiuçu , 20°07’17’’S 44°21’43’’W, 1340 m, 9 January 2008 (fl. & fr.), Carmo 1604 ( BHCB, SPF) ; ibid. loc., 20°07’12’’S 44°20’27’’W, 1361 m, 15 January 2008 (fl. & fr.), Carmo 1840 ( BHCB, SPF) ; ibid. loc., 20°07’17’’S 44°21’44’’W, 1340 m, 10 May 2008 (fr.), Carmo 3001 ( BHCB, SPF) ; Itabirito, Pico do Itabirito, 29 April 1994 (fl. & fr.), Teixeira s.n. ( BHCB 23914 , SPF) ; ibid. loc., [“ Pico de Itabira do Campo ”], 1560 m, 11 September 1887 (fr.), Schwacke s.n. ( R 6402 ) ; ibid. loc. [“ Pico de Itabira do Campo ”], September 1887 (fr.), Arechavaleta s.n. ( R 6403 ) ; ibid. loc. [“ Pico de Itabira ”], 19 December 1915 (fl. & fr.), Porto 543 ( RB) ; Moeda, Marinho da Serra , 20°20’54’’S 43°56’17’’W, 1544 m, 23 January 2006 (fl. & fr.), Carmo 181 ( BHCB, SPF) ; ibid. loc., 20°19’56’’S 43°56’15’’W, 1540 m, 14 January 2008 (fl. & fr.), Carmo 1949 ( BHCB, SPF) ; Tiradentes, Serra de São José [“Serra de São José d’El Rei”], 28 January 1889 (fr.), Glaziou 17832a p.p. ( K [ K000400831 ], P [ P00712973 ]; s.l., s.d. (fl.), Clausen 150 ( W).

Notes: — Vellozia linearis is closely related to Vellozia tragacantha and is distinct from it and the other species of Vellozia sect. Xerophytoides by the old leaves, whose laminae are for some time persistent but not reflexed, a rare condition among Velloziaceae , where persistent laminae are almost always reflexed, and by its vertical rows of glandular emergences in the hypanthium. The stigma has a very narrow diameter and, because of this, seems to be capitate, a condition also quite rare among Vellozia , which is characterized by horizontal, fused at centre, stigmas lobes ( Mello-Silva et al. 2011). Despite the collection Glaziou 17832a, V. linearis , in the same way as V. sellowii (see above), has never been found again neither at Serra de São José, in Tiradentes, nor in the contiguous Serra do Lenheiro, in São João del Rei. Vellozia linearis has been collected with flowers in December and April, and with fruits from September to April.

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]).