Brachystele subfiliformis ( Cogniaux 1906: 544 ) Schlechter (1920: 374)

Santos, Igor Soares Dos & Silva, Marcos José Da, 2024, Novelties in Brachystele Schltr. (Orchidaceae, Orchidoideae): a new synonym and a lectotype, including notes on geographic distribution, phenology, relationships and conservation status, Phytotaxa 642 (4), pp. 265-272 : 266-270

Brachystele subfiliformis ( Cogniaux 1906: 544) Schlechter (1920: 374)

— Spiranthes subfiliformis Cogniaux (1906:

544). ( Figures 1–3 )

Type:— BRAZIL. Rio de Janeiro: “ Habitat in campis ad Alto Macabé prope Nova Friburgo”, 1892, A. Glaziou B (lectotype designated here: BR000000659020, photograph!).

≡ Brachystele bicrinita Szlachetko (1996: 849) , syn. nov.

Type:— BRAZIL. Santa Catarina: “ auf Bergen des Campo de Capivare auf der Serra Geral ”, January 1901, E. Ule 1906 (holotype: HBG500824, photograph!, isotype: HBG500825, photograph!).

Distribution and ecology:—According to the Flora e Funga do Brasil (2024), B. subfiliformis is endemic to the South (Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina) and Southeast (Minas Gerais, São Paulo) regions of Brazil ( Figure 4 ). Although the type material originates from the state of Rio de Janeiro ( Figure 4 ), this species has not been collected or observed in this state since then. It grows in wet and dry fields, in sandy and sandy-clay soils at altitudes between 800 and 1,600 meters. The species presents flowers between September and February, occasionally in July.

Conservation status:—This species has EOO of 477,635 km 2, and AOO of 68,000 km 2, which allowed us to classify it in the Least Concern (LC) and Endangered (EN) categories, respectively. Although there are differences between the AOO and the EOO, we accept the Precautionary Principle—PP (See Rivers et al. 2011, IUCN 2019), and consider the species as Critically Endangered (CR) category, based on the B2b(ii, iii) criteria. It inhabits in Conservation Units (e.g., Aparados da Serra National Park, São Joaquim National Park, Serra Geral National Park), which ensures its conservation, but also in areas not protected by laws under anthropogenic pressures such as urban areas and under intense agricultural activities, conditions that, in the future, could lead to a decline in the quality of their habitat.

Taxonomic discussion:— Spiranthes subfiliformis was described by Cogniaux (1906) based on the collections Glaziou n. B and E. Ule n. 1906, from the states of Rio de Janeiro and Santa Catarina, respectively. Schlechter (1920) studyiig the Spiranthinae proposed its transfer to the genus Brachystele [= B. subfiliformis ( Cogniaux 1906: 544) Schlechter (1920: 374) ] without proceeding its typification. As the species was described based on two collections, we propose, in accordance with Art. 9.11 and Art. 9.12 of the International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi, and Plants ( Turland et al. 2018), its lectotypification. We chose the Glaziou n. B collection (BR000000659020, photograph!) as lectotype, because it is in good condition and has a detailed handwritten description by Cogniaux (See Figures 2 and 3 ).

Brachystele bicrinita was described by Szlachetko (1996) based on two exsiccates belonging to the Herbarium Hamburgense, Germany (HBG500824, photograph! and HBG500825, photograph!), which were the same ones used by Cogniaux (1906) for the establishment of Spiranthes subfiliformis . This way, B. bicrinita constitutes a homotypic synonym of B. subfiliformis , in accordance with Art. 14.4 ( Turland et al. 2018).

Considering the synonymization proposed here, the one proposed by Pérez et al. (2022), and the new species established by Picca et al. (2023), the genus now encompasses 19 species, of which nine occur in Brazil and two are endemic.

Brachystele subfiliformis is morphologically similar to B. camporum (Lindley 1840: 473) Schlechter (1920: 372) , because both shares the absence of leaves during anthesis, hairy racemes, membranaceous and brown or whitish-green bracts, those on the scape ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, and the floral ones ovate with acute and caudate apex, whitegreenish flowers with ovate or ovate-triangular and 3-nerved dorsal and lateral sepals; glabrous, 1-nerved, and whitish petals, the lip concave and fleshy. However, B. subfiliformis differs from B. camporum by the sepals glabrous or externally and basally pubescent (vs. externally pubescent in all their extension in B. camporum ), narrow-spatulate and narrow-oblanceolate petals with rounded apex (vs. linear-oblanceolate, obtuse apex), lip dorsally villous and ventrally granulose (vs. pubescent on both surfaces), hypochile orbicular (vs. obovate), and epichile ovate, glabrous, whitish with apex obtuse and rounded (vs. rhomboid or reniform, pubescent, yellowish acute apex, rounded or 2-lobed), as well as column clavate and ventrally villous (vs. obconic and pubescent).

Material examined (remaining syntypes):— BRAZIL. Santa Catarina: “ Habitat in monte ad Campos de Capivare in Serra Geral prov. S. Catharina : E. Ule n. 1906” (AMES00056733, BR000000658987, HBG500824, HBG500825, P00340989, R010090052, R010090055, photograph!).

Additional specimens examined:— BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Diamantina, área da COPASA , 18°16’52”S 43°40’11”W, 1,375 m.a.s.l., 29 September 2020, fl., E.L.F. Menezes 397 ( HDJF) ; Paraná: General Carneiro, Trevo da BR-153—Pato Branco , 26°36’30”S, 51°28’44”W, 1,360 m.a.s.l., 28 November 2005, fl., T.B. Cavalcante, G. Pereira-Silva & S.A.T. Graham 3716 ( CEN) ; Palmas, Morro da Baliza , 19 November 1972, fl., G. Hatschbach 30735 ( MBM) ; Rio Grande do Sul: Bom Jesus, Capão Rolo , 8 January 1937, fl., J. Dutra 1190 ( ICN) ; Cambará do Sul, 50°11’58”S, 29°07’21”W, 28 October 2010, fl., C.R. Buzatto & R.B. Singer 649 ( ICN, RSPF) ; Parque Nacional Aparados da Serra , 27 December 1980, fl., J.L. Waechter 1801 ( ICN) ; Itaimbezinho , 10 January 1971, fl., K. Hagelund 6015 ( ICN) ; São Francisco de Paula, 29°22’38,7”S, 50°36’58,8”W, 10 December 2008, fl., R. Trevisan & A. Schneider 1029A ( ICN) ; Lageado Grande , 15 December 2008, fl., C.R. Buzatto 460 ( ICN) ; ibid., São José dos Ausentes, Serra da Rocinha , 16 January 2009, fl., C.R. Buzatto 497 ( ICN) ; cerca de 14,6 km NE de São José dos Ausentes, na estrada para Silveira , 28°40’00”S, 49°57’00”W, 1,185 m.a.s.l., 2 February 2008, fl., J.A.N. Batista 2488 ( BHCB, CEN) ; Tainhas , próximo a RS 020 , 929 m.a.s.l., 30 October 2015, fl., R.B. Singer, J.B. Castro & S. Dias s.n. ( ICN00039284 ) ; ibid., fl., R.B. Singer, J.B. Castro & S. Dias s.n. ( ICN00039278 ) ; São Paulo: Campos do Jordão, ca. 1,600 m.a.s.l., December 1945, fl., J. Eugenio Leite, S.J. s.n. ( FCAB 2111, SP) ; Santa Catarina: Fachinal , B. Jardim—S. Joaquim , 29 July 1950, fl., R. Reitz 3438 ( HBR, SP, US) ; Lajes, campo, between Palmeiras and Lajes , 800–900 m.a.s.l., 2 December 1956, fl., L.B. Smith & R. Klein 8089 ( AMES, HBR, US) ; São Joaquim, 28°23’18”S, 50°00’35”W, 1,243 m.a.s.l., 15 December 2015, fl., C.V. Ely, S. Miotto & G. Coelho 447 ( ICN) ; entre Rancho Queimado e Alfredo Wagner , 16 October 1981, fl., T. Stützel s.n. ( ICN00039276 ) ; campo, source of Rio Capivaras, Serra do Oratório , 10 km east of Bom Jardim da Serra (Cambajuva), ca. 1,200 m.a.s.l., 16 January 1957, fl., L.B. Smith & R. Reitz 10162 ( AMES, HBR, US) ; ibid., Santa Bárbara , 3 January 1965, fl., L.B. Smith & R. Reitz 14206 ( HBR, US) ; ibid., 18 km southwest of São Joaquim, ca. 28°24’S, 49°59’W, 1,100–1,200 m.a.s.l., 6 January 1965, fl., L.B. Smith & R. Reitz 14357 ( HBR, MO, NY, US) ; ibid., Três Pedrinhas, 15 km north of Rio Pelotas, 16 December 1971, fl., L.B. Smith & R.M. Klein 15841 ( HBR, US) ; Urubici, Parque Nacional de São Joaquim , Campos de Santa Bárbara , 6883962, 0636706, 23 January 2018, fl., J.F.B. Pastore et al. 5443 ( BHCB) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Brachystele subfiliformis (Cogn.) Schltr. a. Species growing in grassland vegetation. b. Habit. c. Detail of the inflorescence. d. Detail of the flowers. Photographs by Jacques Klein.

FIGURE 2. Lectotype of Brachystele subfiliformis (Cogn.) Schltr., with handwritten description by Cogniaux, specimen: Glaziou n. B (BR000000659020!). Used with permission from Meise Botanic Garden (Herbarium BR).

FIGURE 3. Lectotype of Brachystele subfiliformis (Cogn.) Schltr. (Glaziou n. B—BR000000659020!). Used with permission from Meise Botanic Garden (Herbarium BR).

FIGURE 4. Geographic distribution of Brachystele subfiliformis (Cogn.) Schltr. BA = Bahia. DF = Federal District. ES = Espírito Santo. GO = Goiás. MG = Minas Gerais. MS = Mato Grosso do Sul. MT = Mato Grosso. PR = Paraná. RJ = Rio de Janeiro. RS = Rio Grande do Sul. SC = Santa Catarina. SP = São Paulo.