Piper bicorne M. Carvalho-Silva, E.F. Guim. & L.A. Pereira, 2015

Carvalho-Silva, Micheline, Guimarães, Elsie Franklin, Pereira, Luciano Araujo & Junior, Valderes Bento Sarnaglia, 2015, Two new species of Piper section Ottonia (Piperaceae) from southeastern Brazil, Phytotaxa 212 (4), pp. 293-299 : 295-298

Piper bicorne M. Carvalho-Silva, E.F. Guim. & L.A. Pereira sp. nov.

Piper bicorne is similar to Piper klotzschianum , but is distinguished by prophylls with a bifid apex, membranaceous leaves with brown glands, and smaller inflorescences.

Type: — BRAZIL. Espírito Santo: Santa Leopoldina, Chaves, Cachoeira Véu de Noiva , 20º02’54,8”S, 40º32’16,3”W, 300–400 m, 17 January 2008, L. A. Pereira et al. 1572 (holotype RB!, isotypes HAMAB!, MBML!, UB!) ( Fig. 2 , 3 ).

Shrubs 0.8–2 m tall. Branches glabrous with brown glands, hirsute when young, ca. 2 mm diameter. Prophylls persistent, 1–1.5 (–2.2) cm long, filiform, glabrous, apex bifid. Leaves 12–19 × 3–8 (–10) cm, elliptic, membranaceous or papyraceous, discolored, slightly asymmetric, glabrous, with brown glands on both surfaces, base acute to decurrent, symmetric to subsymmetric, margin revolute when dry, hirtelous in abaxial surface, apex acute to acuminate, slightly falcate; veins broquidodromous, 11–13 pairs, midvein impressed on the adaxial surface, prominent on the abaxial surface, secondary veins conspicuous on both surfaces; petiole 3–5 mm long, glabrous. Inflorescence in a spike, 3–4.5 cm long, erect, dark brown, peduncle 0.5–1 cm long, glabrous, with brown glands; rachis glandulosous, fimbriate, not visible when in fruit; flower bracts ca. 0.5 mm long, 0.25 mm wide, cucullate, slightly triangular, papillose, margins pilose, glandulosous, pedicel ca. 0.25 mm long, fimbriate. Fruit 1–1.4 × 1 mm, ovoid to rounded, 4–sulcate, brownish, glandulosous, apex short apiculate, 4 stigmas, persistent. Seeds 4–sulcate, brownish.

Additional Specimens Examined: — BRAZIL. Espírito Santo: Municipality of Cariacica, Reserva Biológica Duas Bocas, locality of Alegre , trilha do Pau Oco , 20º17’29”S, 40º31’10”W, 600m, 15 February 2008, A. M. A. Amorim et al. 7107 ( CEPEC, MBML, RB, UPCB) ; Reserva Biológica Duas Bocas, locality of Alegre, trilha do Pau Oco , 20º17’29”S, 40º31’10”W, 600m, 15 February 2008, L. Kollmann et al. 10622 ( CEPEC, MBML, RB, UPCB) ; Reserva Biológica Duas Bocas , 13 March 2001, G. N Martins 108 ( RB) ; Reserva Biológica Duas Bocas, 09 April 2000, G. N Martins & J. M. L. Gomes 06 ( RB) ; Reserva Biológica Duas Bocas, 12 April 2000, G. N. Martins 03 ( RB). Municipality of Serra , APA Mestre Álvaro, Trilha das Três Marias, 450m, 22 January 2013, V. B. Sarnaglia Junior et al. 584 ( RB) .

Etymology:—The species name refers to the morphology of prophyll.

Observations: — Piper bicorne is recognized by prophylls with a bifid apex and brown glands on both surfaces of leaves. It is similar to Piper klotzschianum (Kunth) Cassimir De Candolle. (1869: 257) , but differs in several characters: the prophylls of P. klotzschianum have an undivided apex, chartaceous leaves, with glands only on young leaves and inflorescences that are 7–11 cm long, while P.bicorne has prophylls with a bifid apex, densely glandulosous leaves (both adult and young leaves), and smaller inflorescences with 3–4.5 cm long (tab. 2). Piper klotzschianum occurs in southern Brazil in the states of Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais ( Callejas 1986) and Bahia ( Guimarães et al. 2013), while P. bicorne occurs only in the state of Espírito Santo.

Geographic distribution and conservation status: — Piper bicorne is endemic to the state of Espírito Santo, occurring in the submontane ombrophilous dense forest, at an elevation from 300– 600 m. This species is known from three localities in the municipalities of Santa Leopoldina, Serra and Cariacica , two of them being conservation units: the Biological Reserve of Duas Bocas and Environmental Protection Area Mestre Álvaro.

Approximately 70% of the forest in the Biological Reserve of Duas Bocas, Cariacica are conserved without human interference in its structure. The elevation ranges from 250 to 640 m and its totally included in the Atlantic rain forest ( Novelli 2010). The vegetation in which this species occurs is highly conserved, with no short-term risk of immediate loss of the original forest site. The Environmental Protection Area (APA) Mestre Álvaro, with 3470 ha is located 4 km from the headquarters of Serra and 12 km from the Atlantic Ocean. Being close to urban sites, this area is under strong touristic pressure and has many agricultural zones. However, the specimens occurs in areas of preserved vegetation and in difficult access areas. According to the IUCN Red List criteria (2010), the species belongs to the Least Concerned (LC) category.

Phenology: — Piper bicorne has been found with flowers from January to March and with fruits from January to April.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Piper bicorne M. Carvalho-Silva, E.F. Guim. & L.A. Pereira. a—habit, b—branches with prophyll, c—leaf base in adaxial surface, d—leaf adaxial surface, e—inflorescence and prophyll, f—floral bracts, g—details of inflorescence, h—fruit, i—seed (Pereira et al. 1572, RB).

FIGURE 3. Distribution map for (circle) P. aghaense E.F. Guim & M.Carvalho-Silva and (triangle) Piper bicorne M. Carvalho-Silva, E.F. Guim. & L.A. Pereira in Brazil.