Prestelia espeletoidea Loeuille, Semir & Pirani, 2019

Loeuille, Benoît, Semir, João & Pirani, José R., 2019, A synopsis of Lychnophorinae (Asteraceae: Vernonieae), Phytotaxa 398 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

2. Prestelia espeletoidea Loeuille, Semir & Pirani , sp. nov. Type:— BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Diamantina, Km 166 da Rodovia Diamantina-Conselheiro Mata (MG 220), 26.6 km do entroncamento com a rodovia Gouveia-Diamantina (BR 367), próximo a torre de transmissão de energia, 18°18’34.4”S, 43°52’58.1”W, 1252 m, 18 August 2014, M.M.T. Cota et al. 715 (holotype: SPF [SPF221800]; isotypes: UFP, US) ( Fig. 37 D–E , 38 ).

Species Presteliae purpurascenti simile, sed foliis magnis (4.2–8.4 × 1.1–1.7 cm, non 2.7–4.7 × 0.6–0.9 cm), capitulis 7–10 (non 4–6) et floribus 2–6 (non 8–10) differt.

Caulirosula up to 40 cm; stem woody, simple, 4.5–30 cm tall, 3.4–4.4 cm diam., densely covered by ochreous-sericeous leaf sheaths. Leaves in rosette, leaf sheath 6.3–15.1 × 5.1–12 mm, densely sericeous, ochreous to whitish; blade narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate, rarely oblong, rather conduplicate (especially young leaves), 4.2–8.4 × 1.1–1.7 cm, midrib slightly prominent abaxially, densely sericeous, adaxial surface silvery greenish, abaxial surface light greenish ochreous, margin flat, apex acute, base somewhat truncate. Syncephalium 4–22, 1.8–3.1 cm tall, 1.5–3.5 cm diam., hemispherical, sometimes retained for a further year, peduncle 3.9–7 cm long, whitish lanuginous; subinvolucral bracts lanceolate or oblanceolate, 5–8, 1.4–3 × 0.4–1 cm long, densely light greenish ochreous sericeous to lanuginous, margin flat, apex acute, base truncate. Capitula 7–10, closely appressed; involucre narrowly campanulate or cylindrical, 10–17 mm tall, 3.2–5 mm diam., phyllaries 3–4–seriate, greenish, whitish sericeous, denser towards apex, with a tuft of trichomes exceeding the apex by ca. 1 mm, apex acute; outer phyllaries lanceolate, 5.6–8.4 × 0.9–1.9 mm; inner phyllaries narrowly elliptic, 9.9–13.8 × 1.2–1.9 mm long, very narrowly elliptic or narrowly oblanceolate, glabrescent towards base; receptacle somewhat areolate. Florets 2–6; corolla light purple, glandular-punctate, corolla tube 11.6– 13.8 × 0.5–0.9 mm, corolla lobes 2.9–4 × 0.6–0.8 mm, apex acute, pubescent; anther purple, apical anther appendages trullate, acute, anther base sagittate, obtuse; style shaft 13.7–15.9 mm long, purple, glabrous throughout except for pubescent upper ca. 1 mm beneath style-arms, style-arms 2.7–3.1 mm long. Cypsela cylindrical 2.2–3 × 0.8–1.3 mm, conspicuously 10-ribbed, ribs whitish, glandular-punctate; pappus stramineous, barbellate, outer series setae 1.2–5.5 mm, inner series setae 10.3–11.6 mm.

Distribution and habitat: — Brazil (Minas Gerais, in the Diamantina Plateau). Campo rupestre; 1252–1400 m.

Conservation status: —According to results obtained through GeoCAT analysis ( Bachman et al. 2011) (EOO = 0 km 2; AOO = 8 km 2; using a cell size of 2 km 2), the species is classified as Critically Endangered ( IUCN 2017). The species is only known from a single population in a quite well-collected area but outside of any protected area.

Etymology: —The specific epithet refers to the similar caulirosulate habit of the genus Espeletia ( Asteraceae : Millerieae).

Taxonomic Notes: — Prestelia espeletoidea has the largest and robustest habit in the genus. It is easily set apart from P. purpurascens by its larger leaves (4.2–8.4 × 1.1–1.7 cm vs. 2.7–4.7 × 0.6–0.9 cm), number of heads per syncephalium (7–10 vs. 4–6) and number of florets per head (2–6 vs. 8–10). Prestelia eriopus has linear to narrowly oblanceolate leaves (vs. narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate, rarely oblong), which are narrower (3–4 mm vs. 1.1–1.7 cm), and a smaller number of heads per syncephalium (5–6 vs. 7–10). Prestelia eriopus and P. purpurascens are endemics of Serra do Cipó (there is a single record of P. eriopus outside of Serra do Cipó), whereas P. espeletoidea is endemic to Diamantina Plateau.

Additional specimens examined: — BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Diamantina, estrada para Conselheiro Mata , 17 km do asfalto, 18°18’59.6”S, 43°53’17.9”W, 1400 m, 14 August 2003, M. E . Mansanares & C. F . Verola 340 ( UEC); ibid., ca. de 26.5 km do asfalto, 18°18’44”S, 43°53’23”W, 1236 m, 18 June 2017, J. E. Q . Faria 7905 ( ALCB, HDFJ, HEPH, HUFU, RB, SP, UB, UFP) .

Figures

FIGURE 37. Prestelia eriopus. A. Habit. B. Syncephalium. C. Detail of habit. P. espeletoidea. D. Habit. E. Rosette of leaves and pedunculate syncephalia. P. purpurascens. F. Habit. G. Syncephalium. A.–B. by M. Paciencia. C. by G. Ceccantini. D.–E. by M.M.T. Cota. F–G. by L. Echternacht.

FIGURE 38. Holotype of Prestelia espeletoidea Loeuille, Semir & Pirani (SPF221800).