Maschalostachys mellosilvae Loeuille & Roque, 2017

Loeuille, Benoît & Roque, Nádia, 2017, Maschalostachys, a new genus of Vernonieae (Asteraceae) from Brazil, Phytotaxa 295 (1), pp. 35-48 : 42-47

2. Maschalostachys mellosilvae Loeuille & Roque , sp. nov. ( Fig. 4 , 5 , 6 )

Species Maschalostachyi markgrafio simile, sed inflorescentiis spicarum syncephalorum solitariis (raro cymis) (nec paniculis spicarum syncephalorum), capitulis inter 1/4 ad 1/2 pro longitudinem connatis (non adpressis basem versus) et floribus 11–23 (non 4 –5) differt.

Type:— BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Rio Pardo de Minas, estrada Serranópolis-Rio Pardo, trecho da Serra Geral, Serra das Poções, 15° 58’ 06” S, 42° 49’ 09” W, 860 m, 13 May 1998, J.R. Pirani et al. 4298 (holotype: SPF!, isotypes: K, NY e!).

Treelet up to 2.5 m. Stems simple or seldom sparsely branched, ochraceous to brown-greyish densely tomentose to lanate. Leaves sessile, semi-amplexicaul leaf sheath 0.85–1.8 × 0.8–2.1 cm; blade elliptic to wide elliptic, oblong to ovate, 12.4–30.5 × 6.3–14.4 cm, midrib thick and flattened, slightly furrowed, enlarged towards base, prominent abaxially, sunken adaxially, coriaceous, adaxial surface greenish, glabrous, frequently glabrescent to sparsely tomentose towards base, abaxial surface white, greyish or ochraceous lanate, older leaves dark greyish, tomentum of unbranched, long, thin trichomes and branched T-shaped trichomes with unequal size arms, entire or seldom subcrenulate, apex obtuse, base truncate, sometimes obtuse. Capitula organized in loose axillary spikes, rarely cymes, of syncephalia; flowering branch 34–125 cm long, cylindrical, ochraceous to brown-greyish densely tomentose to lanate, leaf-like bracts 2.6–18.5 × 0.9–7.2 cm, mostly at the base, 1–3 upper ovate leaf-like bract subtending each syncephalium. Syncephalium 1.9–3.9 cm tall, 2.2–4.5 cm in diam., spherical, sessile or rarely pedunculate, peduncle 0.6–8.0 (13) cm long. Capitula 20–35, fused in 1/4–1/2 of its length, surrounded by 5–6 sparsely or densely villous spatulate subinvolucral bracts with circinate apices; involucre 4.9–7.7 mm tall, 4.2–6.5 mm in diam., campanulate or sometimes cylindrical; phyllaries weakly imbricate, green with stramineous margins, outer phyllaries narrowly ovate to lanceolate, 3.5–4.5 × 0.9–1.5 mm, sparsely villous, apex villous; inner phyllaries narrowly elliptic to lanceolate, 5.1–8.8 × 1.1–1.8 mm long, glabrous, apex slightly villous; receptacle fimbrillate, with fimbriae up to ca. 0.5 mm. Florets 11–23 per capitulum; corolla purple, later whitish, corolla tube 6.1–7 × 0.6–0.8 mm, glabrous, corolla lobes 2.5–3.6 × 0.3–0.5 mm, glandular-punctate, apex acute, pubescent or glabrous; anther purple, anther base acute; style shaft 7.5–9.2 mm long, purple, glabrous throughout except for pubescence upper ca. 0.4 mm beneath style-arms, style-arms 2.1–2.9 mm long. Cypsela cylindrical, 2.5–3.9 × 0.7–1.4 mm, light-brown frequently with a darker ring at apex, glabrous; pappus light stramineous to purplish, outer series setae 0.7–2.1 mm, slightly fused at base or free, subpaleaceous, simple or serrulate, inner series setae 5.7–7 mm, free, setose, serrulate, deciduous, apex acute, sometimes darker.

Distribution and habitat: — Brazil ( Bahia and Minas Gerais states) ( Fig. 3 ). Caatinga rupestre.

Conservation status: —According to the results obtained through GeoCAT analysis (EOO = 1.762 km 2; AOO = 28.000 km 2; using a cell size of 2 km 2) and criteria B1ab(iii), the species is classified as Endangered ( IUCN 2014). The area is under threat of forestry plantation ( Pinus spp. and Eucalyptus spp. ), livestock production and mining activities ( Maurenza et al. 2015). Several populations are situated within protected areas (Parque Estadual de Grão-Mogol and Parque Estadual de Serra Nova).

Etymology: —The species epithet honors the first collector of the species, Renato de Mello-Silva, a Brazilian botanist at the Department of Botany, USP, São Paulo, Brazil.

Additional specimens examined (paratypes): — BRAZIL. Bahia : Licínio de Almeida, Garimpo dos Areiões , 14° 32’ 29.6” S, 42° 32’ 11.6” W, 863 m, 14 July 2011, F. A. Santana et al. 21 ( HUEFS!) ; ibdiem, Serra Geral , Garimpo das Ametistas, 14° 31’ 52’’ S, 42° 32’ 01’’ W, 786 m, 14 July 2011, N. Roque et al. 3156 ( ALCB!) ; ibidem, Fazendo Jambeiro , 14° 35’ 12.3” S, 42° 32’ 24.5” W, 905 m, 15 September 2011, F. A. Santana et al. 53 ( HUEFS!) ; ibidem, Trilha do Cascarrento , 14° 33’ 5.9” S, 42° 33’ 51.7” W, 994 m, 16 September 2011, F. A. Santana et al. 74 ( HUEFS!) ; ibidem, Serra do Salto, Riacho Fundo , 14° 35’ 11.6” S, 42° 32’ 25.3” W, 849 m, 10 May 2012, F. A. Santana et al. 122 ( HUEFS!) ; ibidem, 14° 35’ 11’’ S, 42° 32’ 25’’W, 849 m, 10 May 2012, N. Roque et al. 3484 ( ALCB!) ; ibidem, Trilha ao lado da Cachoeira das Sete Quedas, 14° 31’ 01’’ S, 42° 32’ 00’’ W, 756 m, 22 May 2013, M. Alves et al. 144 ( ALCB!): ibidem, Caminho para Riacho Fundo, 16 October 2014, M. L. Guedes et al. 22659 ( ALCB!). Minas Gerais: Grão Mogol, ibidem, nascente do Rio Ventania , 12 June 1991, Mello-Silva et al. 450 ( K, SPF!, UEC!) ; ibidem, Serraria , 16° 25’ S, 42° 55’ W, 11 March 1999, Rapini & Kawasaki 741 ( SPF!, UB) ; Mato Verde, na estrada para Rio Pardo de Minas , a 12 km de BR 122 , 13 June 1991, Mello-Silva et al. 463 ( SPF!, UEC!) ; ibidem, na estrada para Montezuma, Serra do Mandaçaia , 15° 23’ 03” S, 42° 46’ 27” W, 1100 m, 17 March 1994, Roque et al. CFCR 15168 ( K, SPF!) ; ibidem, estrada para Santo Antônio do Retiro , 15° 23’ 13.9” S, 42° 46’ 29” W, 1010 m, 9 March 2013, Loeuille & Siniscalchi 827 ( SPF!) ; Monte Azul, 9 km da cidade em direção a Serra , 15° 11’ 35” S, 42° 48’ 39” W, 1037 m, 6 November 2002, Araújo et al. 58 ( ESA!) ; Rio Pardo de Minas, Parque Estadual da Serra Nova , 12 March 2007, Salino et al. 11682 ( BHCB!) ; ibidem, do areal ao açude, 15° 39’ 14”–38’ 57.5” S, 42° 43’ 52.7”–44’ 10.8” W, 812–897 m, 20 March 2012, Lombardi et al. 8992 ( HRCB!, UEC!, UPCB) ; ibidem, Areinha , 15° 39’ 14” S, 42° 43’ 52” W, 852 m, 20 March 2012, Araújo et al. 2011 ( BHCB!) .

Discussion: — Semir (1991) referred to a new undescribed species of Lychnophora , closely related to L. markgrafii , from Rio Pardo de Minas and named it “ L. mellosilvae ” but the author did not intend to publish this name at that time. The features that distinguish it from M. markgrafii are discussed under the latter species. Age-related variations in the habit have been noted: older individuals tend to form a larger woody trunk with pseudo-rosette of leaves and flowering branches towards the apex, whereas younger individuals display a poorly woody stem with the pseudo-rosette of leaves and flowering branches close to the base of the plant ( Fig. 5A,C and 6B,D ). Maschalostachys mellosilvae occurs in Espinhaço Range of mountains in northern Minas Gerais (Serra de Grão-Mogol and Serra Nova) and in southern Bahia (Serra Geral de Licínio de Almeida) . It is sympatric with M. markgrafii in Serra de Grão Mogol and Serra Nova ( Fig. 3 ).

Populations from Serra Geral de Licínio de Almeida ( Bahia ) and from Minas Gerais show some morphological differences. Individuals from the Bahian population tend to have longer peduncles (up to 13.9 cm vs. 2.9 cm), a higher degree of fusion among heads (1/2 vs. 1/4–1/3 of its length), phyllaries densely villous (vs. poorly villous), a smaller number of florets per head (11–14 vs. 11–23) and rarely more ramified inflorescences. However, more field work is necessary to clearly understand how this morphological variation is spatially distributed, and at the moment it would be hasty to recognize this quantitative morphological variation at a taxonomic rank.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Distribution of Maschalostachys markgrafii (red star) and M. mellosilvae (blue circle)

FIGURE 4. Maschalostachys mellosilvae. A. Flowering branch. B. Syncephalium. C. Head. D. L.s. head (florets removed). E. Outer phyllary. F. Inner phyllary. G. Subinvolucral bract. H. Receptacle. I. Corolla, androecium and style. J. Magnified apex of corolla lobe. K. Anther. L. Style. M. Cypsela and pappus. N. Outer pappus seta. O. Inner pappus seta. P. Apex of cypsela with part of pappus removed. A-P. Roque et al. 3156 (ALCB).

FIGURE 5. Maschalostachys mellosilvae. A.–B. Habit of older individuals. C.–D. Habit of younger individuals. A.–B. by B. Loeuille; C.–D. by A. Salino.

FIGURE 6. Maschalostachys mellosilvae. A. Semiamplexicaul leaf sheath. B. Monopodial trunk with axillaries flowering branches. C. Syncephalium. D. Flowering branch. A. by B. Loeuille; B., D. by A. Salino; C. by N. Roque.