Phyla nodiflora

Wegener, Manuela Kich, Moraes, Gustavo Pedroso de, O'Leary, Nataly & Silva, Christian, 2023, Increasing the knowledge on the distribution of Phyla (Verbenaceae): a new record for the state of Santa Catarina, Southern Brazil, Iheringia, Série Botânica (e 2022005) 78, pp. 1-4 : 2

Phyla nodiflora ( L.) Greene var. nodiflora, Pittonia 4: 46. 1899.

New record: BRAZIL, SANTA CATARINA, Laguna, Cabo de Santa Marta, Restinga da Praia do Cardoso, APA da Baleia Franca, às margens da Estrada Geral do Farol , 28°36’15” S, 48°49’48” W, 11.XI.2021, M. K . Wegener & A. O . Garcia 138 (LAG).

Phyla nodiflora var. nodiflora was found in an herbaceous-subshrubby restinga area, in sandy and humid soil, growing on the side of the road that crosses the internal dunes and goes to the Santa Marta Lighthouse ( Fig. 1 A-B). Our search of the virtual herbaria for other possible records of Phyla from Santa Catarina resulted in three records. Two were identified as Phyla dulcis (Trevir.) Moldenke (Oliveira s.n. [ FLOR 36457]) and P. scaberrima (Juss. ex Pers.) Moldenke (Ritter 1514 [ ICN 200678]), but they are Lippia dulcis Trevir , an exotic species native to Central America that is widely used as a medicinal herb ( Compadre et al. 1986). The third one was identified as P. canescens (Kunth) Greene (= P. nodiflora var. minor ) (Nuernberg & Mello 1033 [ FLOR 48373]), but it is Enydra anagallis Gardner , a hygrophilous Asteraceae that resembles P. nodiflora in habit and leaf phyllotaxis and shape ( Roque 2020).

Phyla nodiflora var. nodiflora can be recognized by the following: creeping stems ( Fig. 1 A - B ); leaves thick, obovate, margins dentate on the upper half ( Fig. 1 C ); florescences solitary, erect, ovoid to slightly oblong, with purple bracts ( Fig. 1 D - E ); and corollas white to lilac, with a yellow throat ( Fig. 1 F ). The color of the stem, leaves, and florescence peduncles vary from green to vinaceous ( Fig. 1 A - D ), and the plant is covered with malpighiaceous hairs, which are exclusive within Verbenaceae to the genus Phyla ( O’Leary & Múlgura 2012) . It differs from the other Phyla species found in Brazil, namely P. betulifolia , by the presence of one florescence per leaf axil (vs. 2 to 3 per leaf axil in P. betulifolia ) and sessile or subsessile leaves (vs. leaves with a petiole 1–2 cm long) ( O’Leary 2020). The varieties of P. nodiflora differ in the leaf margin, apex, indumentum, and venation according to O’Leary & Múlgura (2012) and O’Leary (2020); these traits are summarized in Tab. 1.

The center of origin of Phyla nodiflora is estimated to be in southern North America and Central America; however, the species dispersed to Africa, Eurasia, and Oceania by natural and anthropogenic vectors via multiple events ( Gross et al. 2017). Before this study, P. nodiflora var. nodiflora was known only from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil ( O’Leary 2020). Our finding in Cape Santa Marta, in the municipality of Laguna, extends its distribution to the north ( Fig. 1G ). Thus, our collection is the first confirmed record of Phyla for the state of Santa Catarina, reducing the Wallacean shortfall (i.e., gaps in the knowledge of geographic distribution; Hortal et al. 2015) for the genus. Human influence on the biogeographic and evolutionary history of the species is probably linked to its medicinal potential. The plant has been used in treatments of several diseases (e.g., asthma, hemorrhoids, hepatitis) due to its antimicrobial, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antimelanogenic, hepatoprotective, and antioxidant biological activities ( Jabeen et al. 2016).

The area where we found the species in Santa Catarina is close to the southern boundary of the BFEPA, a territory classified as a restricted use zone ( ICMBIO 2018). Our floristic survey is revealing high richness in the area, with> 120 species catalogued that are mostly native. The new record of Phyla for the state highlights the importance of this protected area for conserving biodiversity. New records and new species for the state have been frequently published in the last years (e.g., Funez et al. 2017, Sobral et al. 2019). These findings fill gaps in primary biodiversity data, which are highly relevant in studies about urgent environmental issues, especially in relation to planning conservation strategies ( Anderson et al. 2020).

Figures

Figigure 1. Phyla nodiflora var. nodiflora. A - B. Habitat and habit; C. Leaves; D - F. Florescences; G. Map showing the new record (red circle) for the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil (Wegener & Garcia 138 - LAG).Acronyms (map): PR = Paraná; SC = Santa Catarina; RS = Rio Grande do Sul.