Anthurium bellissimum K.M. Pimenta & Mayo

Pimenta, Karena M., Marinho, Lucas C., Amorim, André M. & Mayo, Simon, 2024, Two new species of Anthurium sect. Urospadix (Araceae) endemic to the restinga vegetation of Bahia, Brazil, Phytotaxa 641 (2), pp. 138-148 : 139-143

Anthurium bellissimum K.M. Pimenta & Mayo , sp. nov. ( Figs 1 , 2 )

Anthurium bellissimum shares the following characters with A. bellum Schott (1859:100) : creeping stem, persistent cataphylls, leaves with midrib flattened adaxially and prominent abaxially. The species can be distinguish hede specially by the size and quantity of structures: geniculum size A. bellissimum (3–4.5 × 0.9–1.5 cm vs. A. bellum (0.7–1.5 × 0.3–0.6 cm), leaf blade length (28.1–47.4 cm vs. 12.9–29 cm), peduncle size (30–34(–50) × 0.5–0.8 cm vs.(9–)14–29 × 0.3–0.4 cm), spadix size (9.5–17.7 × 0.9–1.3 cm vs.4–10 × 0.7–1.2 cm), stipe length (1.4–3(–7.2) cm vs.0.4–2(–3) cm), and flower number in the primary spiral (6 vs.3).

Type: — BRAZIL: Bahia: Município Itacaré, trilha de acesso à prainha na praia da Ribeira , 14º17’24”S 38º59’8,1”W, 25 February 2019, fl., K.M. Pimenta & L.C. Marinho 897 (holotype HUEFS no. 262395!, isotypes CEPEC!; K!, RB!) .

Herb; terrestrial or embedded in organic material over rock outcrop. Stem creeping, red in cross-section and exuding red sap when cut; internodes 0.5–2.0 × 1.0– 1.5 cm; cataphylls and prophylls brown in vivo and in sicco, persistent, entire, membranaceous, apical cataphyll 5.5–6.5 × 3 cm. Leaf: sheath 1–1.5(2) cm long; petiole 23.9–42.3 × 0.5–1 cm, green, canaliculate; geniculum 3.0–4.5 × 0.9–1.5 cm, light green, rounded abaxially, canaliculate adaxially; blades 28.1–47.4 × 12.0– 23.8 cm, ovate, green, discolorous, chartaceous in vivo and papyraceous in sicco, erect, slightly glossy adaxially surface and glossy abaxially, glandular dots absent, apex acuminate, base concavo–convex; basal veins absent; midrib acute; secondary veins 7–12 per side, flattened adaxially and prominent abaxially; collective veins arising from the base, running at 1.0– 1.5 cm from blade margin. Inflorescence: peduncle 30–34(–50) × 0.5–0.8 cm, cryptic (inflorescence positioned below the height of the leaf blade), green, red or green with reddish regions, cylindrical, erect; spathe 9.0–15.5 × 2.5–3.8 cm, elliptic, green-reddish, red when immature, patent at anthesis and curled up after anthesis, deflexed in fruit, chartaceous in vivo and papyraceous in sicco, spathe margins decurrent for 0.5–1.0 cm, meeting at acute angle; stipe 1.4–3(–7.2) × 0.6–1.3 cm long, cylindrical; spadix 9.5–17.7 × 0.9–1.3 cm, cylindrical, green, red when immature, number of flowers in the primary spiral 6; flowers 0.5–0.6 × 0.5–0.7 cm, tepals dark red. Berries 0.6–0.7 × 0.7–0.8 cm, obovoid, green, variegated white. Seeds 0.5–0.6 × 0.35–0.40 cm, elliptic, brown, verrucose.

Etymology: —The specific epithet refers to the greater beauty of the plant, with its exuberant leaves when compared to the most similar species, Anthurium bellum ; therefore, we propose the augmentative suffix— issimum. Phenology: — Anthurium bellissimum blooms from January to October.

Distribution and Conservation status: — Anthurium bellissimum occurs in coastal areas of southern Bahia ( Fig. 3 ). This region is part of the Costa de Itacaré/Serra Grande Environmental Protection Area ( Bahia 2003). The areas where the specimens were collected are subject to disturbance from people (tourists), deforestation, and tourismrelated civil construction [B2bi, iii]. In addition, the species has an extent of occurrence less than 40 km 2 [B1] which classifies it as Critically Endangered (CR) [B1 + B2bi, iii].

Recognition and discussion: — Anthurium bellissimum is characterized by its terrestrial and rupicolous habit ( Figs. 1A , 2A ), long and wide leaves (28.16–47.4 × 12–23.8 cm, Fig. 2C ) and long inflorescences (9.5–17.7 × 0.9–1.3 cm, Fig. 2D ). In cultivation, the stipe can reach more than 7 cm in length. The spathe curls up when in after anthesis ( Fig. 2D ), and it can completely curl around the peduncle at post anthesis ( Fig. 1G , Tab. 1 ).

The creeping habit and similarity with Anthurium bellum places A. bellissimum as a member of the A. sect. Urospadix Engler (1878: 56) . This similarity has already caused some mistakes such as the inclusion of the paratype Mayo 773 cited here in the list of materials examined for A. bellum during the lectotypification proposed by Coelho et al. (2009). However, after a broader morphological sampling from different locations and life stages, we observed a morphological uniformity among the specimens from the Itacaré-Maraú region in Bahia state (see the paratypes list cited here).

Additional specimens examined (paratypes):— BRAZIL. Bahia. Mun. Camamu: Litoral sul , 14º00’06”S, 39º10’01”W, October 2011 (fl.), P.A. Ferreira 33 ( ALCB!). Mun. Conde: Litoral Norte, Fazenda Sempre Vida , Rio das Pedras , 11º48’S, 37º36’W, 7 September 2004 (fl.), M.L. Guedes et al. 11187 ( ALCB! CEPEC!). Mun. Itacaré: beira-mar, 11 October 1968 (fl.), J. Almeida & T.S. Santos 142 ( CEPEC!) ; próximo a Foz Rio de Contas , 31 March 1974 (fl.), R.M. Harley et al. 17571 ( CEPEC!, MO, NYphoto!, P!, US photo!) ; near them out hof the Rio de Contas , 28 January1977 (fl.), R.M. Harley et al. 18336 ( CEPEC!, MO) ; 2 km ao sul de Itacaré , 14º17’S, 38º59’W, 12 April 1980 (fl.), T. Plowman et al. 10095 ( CEPEC!, F photo!, MO) ; mata em frente à Praia da Ribeira , próximo ao córrego, 20 April 1989 (fl.), L.A. Matos Silva et al. 2714 ( ALCB! non HUEFS) ; 2–3 km ao sul da cidade, perto da foz do riacho que se junta ao mar, 25 April 1991 (fl.), S. Mayo et al. 773 ( CEPEC!, RB!, MBM!, MO) ; Praia da Ribeira , 14º17’24” S, 38º59’8,1”W, 25 February 2019 (fl.), K.M. Pimenta & L.C. Marinho 892, 893, 894 ( HUEFS!). Mun. Maraú: 15km North from Road junction Maraú to wards Ponta de Mutá , 14º00’S, 38º57’W, 3 February1977 (fl.), R.M. Harley et al. 18564 ( CEPEC!, NY photo!, US photo!) ; antiga estrada em direção a Península de Maraú, com acesso atravessando o Rio Cachoeira, ca. 3 km da margem do rio, Floresta de Restinga, 14º15’13”S, 39º00’13”W, ca. 30 m.s.n., 23 July 2017 (bud., fl.), A. Amorim et al. & alunos de Biologia da UESC10.676 ( CEPEC!, UESC!). Mun. Ilhéus: estrada Olivença-Maruim , km 5–8, 16 October 1983 (fl.), G. Martinelli et al. 9672 ( CEPEC!, MO, US photo!) ; 2 km NNE do Bando da Vitoria , mata da esperança, 14º46’38”S, 39º5’28”W, 28 September1994 (fl.), W.W. Thomas et al. 10691 ( CEPEC!, NY photo!) ; Olivença: 6 km a leste da cidade, estrada para Vila Brasil , 14º58’15,2”S, 39º02’11.9”W, 29 February 2000 (fl.), E.G.Gonçalves et al. 410 ( CEPEC!, UB photo!) ; Olivença, mata de restinga, 20 January 2015 (fl.), K.M. Pimenta et al. 750 ( CEPEC!, HUEFS!). Mun. Porto Seguro: Rod. p/ Eunapolis. , 2 January 1972 (fl.), R.S. Pinheiro 1739 ( CEPEC!)

Figures

FIGURE 1. Anthurium bellissimum. A. Habit. B. Detail of leaf blade base. C. Cross sections of petiole. D. Cross section of geniculum. E. Cross section of peduncle. F. Stipe. G. Spathe curling up when mature. H. Flowers. I–J. Tepals. K. Fruit. L. Seed. Illustration by K. Pimenta.

FIGURE 2. Anthurium bellissimum. A. Habit, with creeping stem shown in the detail. B. First leaf of an immature plant. C. Adaxial view of mature leaf blade. D. Inflorescence. E. Flowers showing stamens. F. Infructescence. G. Detail of fruit on infructescence. Photos by K. Pimenta.

FIGURE 3. A. Geographic distribution of Anthurium bellissimum (black circles) and A. itacarense (white star). B. Detail showing the Itacaré municipality downtown and the type locality of both species. C. General view of Praia da Ribeira beach, the type locality of A. itacarense.