Vellozia flavida Mello-Silva ex Magri

Magri, R. A., Cabral, A., Prado, J. & Lopes, J. C., 2024, Two new critically endangered species of Vellozia (Velloziaceae) from the Campos Rupestres of Espinhaço Range, Brazil, Phytotaxa 652 (1), pp. 1-9 : 2-4

Vellozia flavida Mello-Silva ex Magri , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 , 2 and 3 ).

Type: — BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Serra de Montevidéu, Morro das Marombas , 15º08’30.7” S, 42º47’29.5” W, 1121 m elev., 01 March 2023, fr., R.A. Magri, R.B. Almeida & J.C. Batista 47 (holotype SPF00255500 !, isotypes to be sent to: K!, RB!, US!).

Diagnosis: Vellozia flavida is similar to Vellozia luteola Mello-Silva & N.L.Menezes (1988: 202) and V. sulphurea Pohl (1828: 120) , the latter is known only from the type collection. All have yellow or yellowish perianth and this floral character differs them from all other Vellozia species ( Fig. 2C ), which have usually purple or white flowers. Among them, they can be distinguished from each other by the emergences on the hypanthium, i.e., subulate in V. luteola vs. capitate in V. flavida ( Fig. 1D ), and by the number of stamens, 15 stamens in V. luteola vs. 22 on V. flavida . Both can be distinguished from V. sulphurea by the presence of glabrous and marcescent leaf blades ( Fig. 2A ) vs. setose on the abaxial surface and deciduous leaf blades on V. sulphurea .

Description. Herbs caespitose or solitary, up to 15 cm tall, stems few branched. Leaves tristichous; lamina 4.5– 6.2 × 0.5–0.75 cm, linear-triangular, arcuate, apex caudate, margins serrate, glabrous, the lamina marcescent and reflexed. Flowers solitary; pedicel evident, 1.2–2.6 cm long, trigonous, subdensely covered by glandular emergences; Hypanthium 0.3–0.5 × 0.3–0.5 cm, globose, densely covered by glandular emergences; Tepals 1.4–2 × 0.45–0.58 cm, yellowish, adaxial surface glabrous, abaxial surface subdensely covered with emergences, subsessile, stipitate on the outer tepals, restricted to the proximal portion on the inner tepals; Stamens 22, filaments ca. 1.6 mm long, anthers ca. 1.1 mm long, appendages absent; Style ca. 1.2 cm long; Stigma ca. 3.5 mm diameter. Fruits loculicidal capsule, 0.45–1 × 0.35–0.8 cm, dehiscent by longitudinal slits. Seeds 0.9–1.3 mm long, brown.

Habitat: Clefts on quartzitic rocky outcrops. Between 1120 and 1200 meters above sea level (a.s.l.) ( Fig. 2A ).

Distribution: Vellozia flavida is restricted to the locality of Morro das Marombas, in the municipality of Monte Azul, on the Northern portion of the Espinhaço Range, Minas Gerais State, Brazil ( Fig. 3 ).

Etymology: The specific epithet refers to the yellowish color of the perianth, a rare character in the genus Vellozia .

Paratypes: BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Serra de Montevidéu, Morro das Marombas , 15°08’13” S, 42°47’29” W, 1150 m elev., 22 October 2018 (fr.), G. Martinelli et al. 20434 ( RB!, SPF!) ; Serra de Montevidéu, Morro das Marombas , 15º08’32” S, 42º47’28” W, 1121 m elev., 07 August 2021 (fr.), R. A. Magri et al. 11 ( SPF!) ; Serra de Montevidéu, Morro das Marombas , sobre rocha em área de mineração de quartzito, 15º08’18” S, 42º47’10” W, 1165 m elev., 04 October 2022 (fl., fr.), R. B. Almeida et al. 841 ( SPF!) ; Serra de Montevidéu, Morro das Marombas, 1165 m elev., 01 March 2023 (fr.), R. A. Magri et al. 50 ( SPF!) .

Phenology: The plants were collected with flowers in October and with fruits in August, October, and March.

Conservation Status: The species has an EOO of 0.177 km ² and an AOO of 8 km ², occurring on a small population in a not protected area that is also coveted by the Quartzite Mining industry. In this way, this species is characterized as Critically Endangered (CR) according to IUCN criteria B2ab (i, ii, iii, iv).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Vellozia flavida Mello-Silva ex Magri. A and B: General aspect of the plant. C: apical portion of the leaf blade. D: detail of the hypanthial emergences. Illustration based on specimen R.B. Almeida 841 (SPF).

FIGURE 2. Vellozia flavida Mello-Silva ex Magri. A: Habit. B: Detail of the fruit. C: Detail of the flower and immature fruit. Credit of photos A: R.A. Magri; B and C: R.B. Almeida.

FIGURE 3. Distribution of Vellozia flavida and V. formosa, restricted to the municipality of Monte Azul, Espinhaço Range, near the border of Minas Gerais (MG) and Bahia (BA) states.