Ameroglossum pernambucense Eb.Fisch., S.Vogel & A.Lopes

Almeida, Erton M., Christenhusz, Maarten J. M., Wanderley, Artur Maia, Cordeiro, Joel Maciel P., Melo, José Iranildo Miranda De, Batista, Fabiane Rabelo Da Costa & Felix, Leonardo P., 2021, An overview of the Brazilian inselberg genus Ameroglossum (Linderniaceae, Lamiales), with the description of seven new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 746, pp. 1-25 : 19-20

Ameroglossum pernambucense Eb.Fisch., S.Vogel & A.Lopes

Fig. 2H

Feddes Repertorium 110: 529–534 ( Fischer et al. 1999).

– Type: BRAZIL – Pernambuco • Brejo da Madre de Deus, próximo ao Brejo do Bituri; 8°09ʹ00ʺ S, 36°22ʹ15ʺ W; ca 800 m a.s.l.; 19 Aug. 1998; S. Vogel 1998-46; holotype UFP!; isotype WU .

Etymology

The specific epithet refers to the state of Pernambuco, where the type material was collected.

Material examined

BRAZIL – Pernambuco • Brejo da Madre de Deus, Propriedade de Bituri ; 15 Sep. 1973; D. de Andrade- Lima 73-7,439; IPA[29,676] ! • Brejo da Madre de Deus ; 31 Oct. 2005; L.P. Felix 10819; EAN[11,302] ! • ibid.; 26 Feb. 2006; L.P. Felix 10989; EAN[12,054] ! • ibid.; 9 Sep. 2008; L.P. Felix 12536; EAN[15,385] ! • Bitury ; 08°11ʹ49ʺ S, 36°24ʹ19ʺ W; 1135 m a.s.l.; 23 Oct. 2008; L.P. Felix 12586-1; EAN[15,778] ! • ibid.; 15 Sep. 2010; L.P. Felix & E.M. Almeida 13150; EAN[16,773] ! • Fazenda Bitury, Divisa da Malhada com Teixeira; 08°12ʹ01ʺ S, 36°24ʹ13ʺ W; 1005 m a.s.l.; 11 Nov. 2003; J.A. Siqueira-Filho 1403; UFP[39,363] ! • São Caetano ; 08°21ʹ51ʺ S, 36°03ʹ44ʺ W; 1020 m a.s.l.; 2 Jul. 2015; L.P. Felix et al. 15687; EAN !

Description

Saxicolous chamaephyte up to 2 m, frequently with secondary branching along the stem. Young branches green to slightly purplish, dull, slightly angular, often narrowly winged, villose, trichomes bifid; cinereous when mature, slightly inclined to decumbent, cylindrical. Leaves verticillate, usually three or four per node, rarely opposite and then only on secondary branches; leaf blade 5.2–7.5 × 1.0– 1.2 cm, green, rarely slightly purplish, dull to lustrous, elliptic to narrowly elliptic, rarely lanceolate, bullate; adaxial side glabrescent, with papillose trichomes; abaxial side villose, with bifidly ramified trichomes; apex acute to acuminate, flat; margin flat to revolute, ciliate. Inflorescence a simple dichasium. Peduncle green to slightly purplish, cylindrical, slightly winged, villose, with trichomes aciculate and bifid; primary peduncle 0.3–1.4 × 0.1 cm, secondary peduncle 0.3–0.5 × 0.1 cm. Pedicel 0.3–0.8 × 0.1 cm, green to slightly purplish, villose, with trichomes aciculate and bifid; ventral side without wings. Bracts 0.15–0.30 × 0.05 cm, green to slightly purplish; abaxial side pubescent, with trichomes aciculate and/or bipinnate, adaxial side glabrescent, with papillose trichomes. Calyx green to slightly purplish, abaxial side pubescent with trichomes aciculate and/or bipinnate, adaxial side densely covered by papillose trichomes, sepals lanceolate, dorsal one 0.50–0.80 × 0.25 cm, lateral ones 0.5–0.8 × 0.2 cm, ventral ones 0.50–0.80 × 0.15 cm. Corolla 2.5–3.5 cm, dorsal and lateral tube orangish with ventral and proximal third yellow, base wide, externally pubescent, with trichomes short, glandular, internally glabrous; tube 2.0– 2.9 cm; upper lip 0.5–0.7 × 0.5–0.6 cm, bilobate; lower lip 0.5–0.6 × 0.4 cm, inner perianth with trichomes conical, yellowish white; lobes involute, median lobe 0.15 × 0.10 cm. Stamens excerted, adnate at the proximal third of the corolla tube; filaments white, dorsal ones 2.8–3.0 × 0.8 cm, ventral ones 2.2–2.6 × 0.8 cm; thecae ca 0.1 cm diam.; staminodium ca 1 cm, adnate at the proximal third of the corolla tube, glabrescent with papillose trichomes. Ovary 0.3–0.5 × 0.2 cm; style up to 3.4–4.0 cm, exserted, glabrous. Capsule 1.1–1.3 × 0.5–0.7 cm, green to slightly purplish. Seeds 0.10 × 0.05 cm.

Distribution

Ameroglossum pernambucense is restricted to the municipalities of Brejo da Madre de Deus and São Caetano, Agreste mesoregion of Pernambuco State. Elevations between 1000 and 1150 m.

Ecology

Plants are saxicolous on tall granite rocks. Flowering from March to October, with flowering peak in July, and pollinated by hummingbirds ( Wanderley et al. 2014 a, 2020).

Population and threats

The populations known typically comprise approximately 50 mature plants. Other populations have been observed on rock outcrops nearby. The fragmented subpopulations are often subjected to trampling by cattle and long periods of drought.

Taxonomic notes

Ameroglossum pernambucense is the type species and differs from the other species proposed here principally in having verticillate, villose leaves (vs opposite leaves); apart from A. xukuruorum sp. nov., which has verticillate, glabrous leaves and the slighty apically trilobed lower lip of the corolla (vs lower lip entire to slightly crenate).

Figures

Fig. 2. Reproductive branches and floral details of different taxa of the genus Ameroglossum Eb.Fisch., S.Vogel & A.V.Lopes. A. A. alatum sp. nov. B. A. asperifolium sp. nov. C. A. bicolor sp. nov. D. A. fulniorum sp. nov. E. A. genaroanum sp. nov. F. A. intermedium sp. nov. G. A. manoelfelixii L.P.Felix & E.M.Almeida. H. A. pernambucense Eb.Fisch., S.Vogel & A.V.Lopes. I. A. xukuruorum sp. nov.