Wunderlichia capixaba A.M.Teles & D.R.Couto, 2024

Teles, Aristônio Magalhães, Manhães, Vitor Da Cunha & Couto, Dayvid Rodrigues, 2024, Half a century later, a new species of Wunderlichia (Wunderlichieae, Asteraceae) from the Atlantic Forest inselbergs of Espírito Santo, Brazil, Phytotaxa 664 (3), pp. 172-180 : 173-177

Wunderlichia capixaba A.M.Teles & D.R.Couto , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1−2 )

Wunderlichia capixaba is most similar to W. insignis Baillon (1881: 285) . However, it differs from the latter by its synanthous habit (versus proteranthous habit), erect peduncle (versus nodding peduncle) and mainly the color of the involucral bracts in the living plant (green versus pinkish or coral), as well as approximately 60 florets per capitulum (versus 50), nectary longer than wide (versus nectary as long as wide), and a 3-seriate pappus (versus 5-seriate pappus).

Type: — BRAZIL. Espírito Santo: Castelo, Estrela do Norte, complexo Pedra do Fio , Pedra dos Cabritos (vegetação de inselbergs), 20º37′00″S, 41º19′30″W, 850 m, 11 May 2023, D.R. Couto 6871 & V.C. Manhães (holotype MBML! (MBML56166); isotypes ALCB!, RB!, SPF!, UFG!) .

Subshrubs or shrubs, cespitose, 0.8−1.2 m tall. Stem and branches, erect, slender, succulent, often tumid, leafy at the ends, puberulous. Leaves simple, alternate, spirally arranged, petiolate; petioles 0.7−1.7 cm long, hemispherical in cross-section, tomentose; blade 5.3−9.3(−22.0) × 4.7−10.0(−16.0), broadly subrhombic to commonly orbicular, rarely subreniform, flat, apex rounded to shortly mucronate, base rounded to subcordate, entire margins, coriaceous, discolorous, adaxial surface dark green (in vivo), dark olive (in sicco), sparsely puberulous, abaxial surface light green (in vivo), light beige (in sicco), tomentose and glandular, campylodromous, 7−8 pairs of secondary veins visible on abaxial surface. Capitula homogamous, discoid, grouped (1−)2−3(−6) at the apex of the branches, pedunculate; peduncle 0.5−1.0 cm long, erect, puberulous to tomentose; involucre 6−7 (−8)-seriate, 4.5−4.6 (in vivo) (−5.0 in sicco) × 2.7−2.8 (in vivo) (− 4.5 in sicco) cm, globose to urceolate before anthesis, cylindrical (in vivo) or campanulate (in sicco) during anthesis; involucral bracts gradually larger internally, 1st−5th series ovate, 6th−7th series lanceolate, coriaceous, green (in vivo), dark brown (in sicco), entire margin, scarious, glabrous abaxially. Receptacle flat, paleaceous; paleae lanceolate, 1.0−1.9 × 0.1 cm, simple or divided, persistent. Florets bisexual, ca. 60 per capitulum, corolla tubulose, 2.9−3.0 cm long, 5-laciniate, actinomorphic, yellowish, glabrous; tube 2.6−2.7 cm long, lobes 1.3−1.5 cm long, tightly coiled; anthers 1.5−1.6 cm long, apical anther appendages oblong, 2.0 mm long; style ca. 4.9 cm long, nectary cylindrical, longer than wide, ca. 3 mm long, glabrous, style branches ca. 3 mm long, papillose. Cypselae cylindrical to slightly fusiform, 0.9−1.0 × 0.2 cm, 10-ribbed, slightly arachnoid; carpopodium conspicuous, annular; 3-seriate pappus, isomorphic, 2.1−3.1 cm long, plane, paleaceous, minutely barbellate at the margin, stramineous, deciduous, falling as a ring.

Paratypes: — BRAZIL. Espírito Santo: Castelo, Barra Alegre , Pedra dos Cabritos, 20º36′38″S, 41º19′44″W, 11 May 2023, V.C. Manhães 943 & D.R. Couto (MBML) ; Castelo, Barra Alegre, Pedra do Cabrito , inselberg, 20º36′58″S, 41º19′30″W, 850 m, 24 September 2023, A.M. Teles 138/2023, and 139/2023 & D.R. Couto (MBML, UFG) .

Distribution and ecology: — Wunderlichia inhabits a variety of rocky ecosystems and can be categorized into three groups based on the bioregions or biogeographic provinces where they occur ( Colli-Silva et al. 2019, Morrone et al. 2022). The first group includes species found in open and stony areas of the Central Brazilian Savanna (Cerrado province) and Caatinga inselbergs (Caatinga province), as well as the rocky field vegetation of the Espinhaço mountain range in the state of Bahia, Eastern Brazil (Chapada Diamantina province). This group comprises W. crulsiana and W. mirabilis . The second group consists of species from the rocky field vegetation of the Espinhaço mountain range in the state of Minas Gerais, Southeastern Brazil (Southern Espinhaço province), including W. mirabilis and W. senae . The third group is composed of species that occur exclusively on inselbergs of the Atlantic Forest (Atlantic province), such as W. azulensis , W. insignis , and W. capixaba ( Figure 4 ). This new species is microendemic to Pedra dos Cabritos inselberg ( Figure 3A, B ) in the community of Barra Alegre, municipality of Castelo, southern Espírito Santo state, where is known solely from a small population. The species grows on steep rocky slopes of the inselberg of granitic nature (De Campos et al. 2004) in herbaceous-shrub vegetation and at elevations between 930–1,000 m, mainly among populations of Alcantarea cf. extensa ( Smith 1943: 116) Grant (1995: 13) ( Bromeliaceae ), Barrosa organensis ( Gardner 1845: 117) King & Robinson (1972: 184) ( Asteraceae ), Pleroma fornograndense Meyer et al. (2018: 245) ( Melastomataceae ), Hippeastrum brasilianum ( Traub & Doran 1976: 40) Dutilh in Meerow et al. (1997: 17) ( Amaryllidaceae ), and Philodendron ricardoi Gonçalves (2011: 389) ( Araceae ) ( Figure 3C ).

Phenology: — Wunderlichia capixaba was collected with floral buds and capitula during anthesis in May. In September, specimens were collected with capitula after floral anthesis and with fruits. On this same occasion, only one specimen was found with a floral bud and one capitulum during anthesis.

Etymology: —The specific epithet is a term from Tupi, an Indigenous language, and honors the Espírito Santo state in Brazil, or its native or inhabitant, known as “capixaba ”. It means “land for agriculture” ( Nascentes 1966) and also refers to the restricted distribution of the species in Espírito Santo state.

Preliminary conservation status: — Wunderlichia capixaba is only known from its type locality, at Pedra dos Cabritos, from a single population, estimated to be fewer than 50 individuals. Although this population is located on the exposed slopes of a large inselberg (Pedra do Fio complex), it falls outside the boundaries of any conservation unit. The region is home to one of the largest ornamental stone mining centers in the world (Sardou-Filho et al. 2013, Manhães et al. 2016, Couto et al. 2017; Francisco et al. 2023), which represents the greatest global threat to inselberg vegetation ( Porembski et al. 2016). In addition, Pedra dos Cabritos is surrounded by agricultural activities, mainly coffee plantations, and extensive livestock farming. The area is also often visited for base jumping and wingsuit activities. The GeoCAT tool (2023) showed that the Extent of Occurrence (EOO) was 0.013 km 2 and the Area of Occupancy (AOO) was 4 km 2, within an anthropized matrix of agricultural and ornamental stone mining activities. Thus, the species may be suffering from a loss of habitat quality. Following the IUCN (2023) guidelines, the new species is categorized as Critically Endangered (CR) (criteria B1ab(iii), B2ab(iii), and D) based on the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria ( IUCN 2012).

Discussion: —According to Barroso & Maguire (1973) and Souza-Buturi (2013), the species of Wunderlichia are characterized by deciduous leaves during the flowering period, a trait referred to as proteranthous habit by Barroso & Maguire (1973). However, W. capixaba is the only species in the genus in which the leaves are persistent during the flowering period, which is referred to as synanthous habit in analogy to Barroso & Maguire (1973). Wunderlichia capixaba shares the cespitose shrub habit similarly with W. insignis and W. senae . However, it differs from W. insignis by its erect peduncle (versus nodding peduncle) and mainly the color of the involucral bracts in the living plant (green versus pinkish or coral); it differs from W. senae in having leaves broadly subrhombic to commonly orbicular, rarely subreniform, with symmetric base (versus oblong with asymmetric base), in addition to a greater number of series of involucral bracts (6−7 (−8) versus 3−5), a larger size of the involucre (4−5.5 × 2.7−4.5 cm), and a greater number of florets per capitulum (ca. 60 versus ca. 20). Furthermore, the nectary in W. capixaba is longer than wide, while the nectary in W. insignis and W. senae is as long as wide. The new species comes 50 years after the last species documented for the genus. It is distinguished from other species in the genus by the taxonomic identification key provided as follows.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Wunderlichia capixaba. A. Habit. B. Flowering branch showing the synanthous habit. C. Abaxial surface of the leaf showing campylodromous venation. D. Leaf detail showing the indumentum. E. Discoid capitulum in longitudinal section showing the flat receptacle. F. Involucral bracts. G. Palea. H. Floret. I. Detail of the pappus. J. Stamens. K. Style surrounded at the base by a nectary. L. Detail of the papillose style branches. M. Cypselae without pappus and with nectary.All from the isotype (UFG). Drawn by Klei Sousa.

FIGURE 2. Field photographs of Wunderlichia capixaba. A. Habit. B. Flowering branch with capitula before anthesis. C. Abaxial surface of the leaves showing the venation and the indumentum. D. Capitulum during anthesis in frontal view. E. Capitulum during anthesis side view. F. Capitulum right after anthesis. G. Habit with fructified capitula. H. Fruiting capitula showing the cypselae. C and F–H by A.M. Teles. A, B and D–E by D.R. Couto.

FIGURE 3. Habitat of Wunderlichia capixaba. A. Inselbergs located in the community of Barra Alegre, municipality of Castelo, Espírito Santo state. The mountain to the right is Pedra dos Cabritos, where the new species was collected. B. Pedra dos Cabritos highlighted. C. Steep rocky slopes of the Pedra dos Cabritos inselberg in herbaceous-shrubby vegetation, dominated by populations of Alcantarea cf. extensa (Bromeliaceae), the species’ habitat. A–C by A.M. Teles.

FIGURE 4. Geographic distribution map of the three species of Wunderlichia (W. azulensis, W. capixaba, and W. insignis) from the Atlantic Forest. Photo credits: Wunderlichia azulensis by A.M. Teles; W. capixaba by D.R. Couto; W. insignis by A.V. Scatigna (from Souza-Buturi 2023).