Microlicia luetzelburgii Markgr.

Romero, Rosana, Versiane, Ana Flávia Alves & Woodgyer, Elizabeth M., 2022, Miscellaneous taxonomic and nomenclatural notes on Microlicia D. Don (Melastomataceae), Phytotaxa 559 (2), pp. 99-131 : 116-117

Microlicia luetzelburgii Markgr. in Pilger (1927: 45).

Brasilien [ BRAZIL], Süd-Piauhy, Kakteenlandschaft (sehr trocken) bei S. João, blühend 1914, v. Luetzelburg n. 79 [in the protologue]. Lectotype (designated here):—Brasilia [ BRAZIL]. Bahia [sheet]: (M0032624!, isolectotype M0165707!).

= Microlicia carrasci Markgr. in Pilger (1927: 45). Bom Jesus, Carrasco, blühend Juli 1913, v. Luetzelburg n. 159 [in the protologue]. Lectotype (designated here):—Brasilia [ BRAZIL]. Bahia [sheet]: (M0165688!, isolectotypes K [cibachrome!], M0027803!, NY00229448 !), syn. nov.

Remaining syntype: Brasilia [ BRAZIL]. Carrasco, centro-Bahia, Minas de Conta , 1913, v. Luetzelburg n. 158 (M0027802!) .

Notes:—In the protologue of M. luetzelburgii , the author cited the collection Luetzelburg 79 from Bahia state. Since there are two sheets at M with this number, both determined by Markgraf, we designated as lectotype of M. luetzelburgii the sheet with two branches, which better represents the species.

In the original description of M. carrasci, Markgr. in Pilger (1927) also cited two specimens. The sheet Luetzelburg 159 with Markgraf’s determination corresponds perfectly with the protologue, and it is selected herein as lectotype of M. carrasci .

When describing M. luetzelburgii, Markgr. in Pilger (1927) noted that this species is close to M. carrasci , differing only by the larger leaves. Examination of the types of both binomials and recent collections from Bahia revealed that the variation found is insufficient to recognize them as distinct species. In fact, the type collection of M. carrasci shows branches with lanceolate leaves and smaller (12–15 × 4–5 mm) than in M. luetzelburgii . These characteristics are also found in E. Saar et al. (PCD) 4787 (seen at K). Since both binomials were published on the same page, we choose the name M. luetzelburgii that honors Philipp von Luetzelburg (1880–1948), an early 20th century German botanist and explorer in Northeast of Brazil.

Microlicia luetzelburgii is a shrub 1–2.5 m tall. The branches, leaves, hypanthium, and sepals have a dense indumentum of spherical glands and glandular trichomes. The leaves are sessile, with a central vein lighter and visible. The leaf blades vary from lanceolate to ovate, with ciliate margins. The flowers have campanulate and 5- costate hypanthium, linear sepals, acute apices with a glandular trichome, and dimorphic stamens with yellow and polysporangiate anthers. Although the descriptions of M. luetzelburgii and M. carrasci mentioned yellow petals, there is no information about the petals color on the label of the type collection. All recent collections have white petals, and examinating the dried flowers of the type collection, it is not possible to determine whether the petals are yellow or not. Nevertheless, in some collections from Bahia (G. Hatschbach et al. 56700 and A. Furlan et al. CFCR 1684), the petals became brownish after drying. Therefore, we are considering that M. luetzelbuergii has white petals.