Utricularia bicolor Saint-Hilaire & Girard (1838: 870)

Baleeiro, Paulo C., Gonella, Paulo M., Sano, Paulo T. & Jobson, Richard W., 2022, Unveiling Utricularia amethystina’s true colours: a taxonomic revision of one of the largest species complexes (U. sect. Foliosa, Lentibulariaceae), Phytotaxa 576 (1), pp. 29-54 : 37-38

3. Utricularia bicolor Saint-Hilaire & Girard (1838: 870) — Fig. 3K

Lectotype (designated here): — BRAZIL: Minas Gerais: Serra da Candonga , near Tapanhuacanga (Itapanhoacanga, c. -18.75, -43.41667) 1816–21, Saint Hilaire B1-919 ( P603309 !; isolectotype P603308 [mixed collection with U. damazioi ] image!).

Description:—Terrestrial. Medium to large, perennial herb. Rhizoids numerous, from the base up to 10 mm above of peduncle base, robust with thin ramified branchlets; stolons few. Leaves 1–2, circular lamina from a long attenuate 5 mm long; traps on rhizoids, c. 1 mm long, simple trichomes around trap door, without chin-like swelling, stalk up to 1.5 mm long. Inflorescence simple, loosely, 170–360 mm long, peduncle usually papillose near base, 0.5–1.0 mm long; scales deltoid, 0.7–1.2 mm long; bracts and bracteoles subequal, connate near the base or at middle, glabrous or papillose, bract broadly ovate, apex acute, bracteoles linear, single nerved, obtuse apex, 1.2–2.0 mm long. Flowers 1–2(–3); pedicel erect, filiform 2.5–4.2 mm long; calyx lobes unequal, cartaceous, concave, papillae and glandular trichomes present, with inconspicuous simple nerves; upper lobe broadly ovate to almost circular, apex rounded, entire, slightly hyaline margin, 2.5–3.0 × 2.1–3.5 mm; lower lobe broadly elliptic, entire, margin not hyaline, apex emarginate, 1.1–1.8 × 2.1–2.5 mm; corolla lilac with a yellow spot at base of lower lip, 12–15 mm long; upper lip papillose, some glands present, broadly elliptic to circular, rounded apex 2.9–3.9 × 4.6–7.1 mm, twice as long than calyx; lower lip transversally elliptic, base forming bilobed swelling, apex shallowly 3-lobed, 5.8–7.9 × 7.3–11.0 mm; spur cylindrical from a larger base, apex obtuse, slightly longer than the lower lip, 6.5–8.7 mm long, sparsely glandular; filaments curved, 1.5 mm long, thecae 1mm long.; orary globose. Capsule globose c. 3 mm long., calyx not covering the stigma lip. Seeds obliquely ovoid c. 0.10 mm long.

Distribution and ecology: — Utricularia bicolor is endemic to the Espinhaço Range in Minas Gerais, Southeast Brazil ( Fig.1 ). It is found growing on rocky outcrops or on edges of creeks in campos rupestres. Its patchy and lower in number nature makes it hard to identify populations’ boundary, a pattern seen through out the genus in different levels (see comments on U. hirtella ). (P.C.Baleeiro, pers. observation).

Etymology: —From the latin bicolor = two colours, refering to the colour of the corolla; lilac with a yellow spot at the base of the lower lip.

Conservation status: —Endangered—EN B1ab(iii) + B2ab(iii). Utricularia bicolor present a restricted range (AOO = 24 km 2; EOO = 4,325 km 2) with all known populations located outside of conservation areas and subject to threats such as increased fire frequency and intensity, invasive species, and habitat destruction.

Notes: —Initially, PCB treated this plant from the Diamantina area (Minas Gerais) as a new taxon based on an initial comparison to one of Saint-Hilaire’s type specimens, and it was Included in the morphometric study of Baleeiro et al. (2016) with the code “DIA” ( Fig.4K ). However, after examining the other type for Utricularia bicolor at a different moment, it became clear that these plants from Diamantina corresponded to this taxon. The confusion is due to a mixture of both U. bicolor and U. damazioi (both species grow sympatrically) in the first type, and it seems that Saint-Hilaire & Girard (1838) based their description on both species as they describe the upper corolla lip as ovate, which is found in U. damazioi but not on U. bicolor . Therefore, here we designate as lectotype the specimen without the mixture. Utricularia bicolor is distinguished from all other species by the presence of slightly 3-lobed lower corolla lip lacking a white spot, and papillose calyx lobes containing some marginally placed glandular trichomes.

Additional specimens Examined: — BRAZIL. MINAS GERAIS: Botumirim, alto da Serra da Canastra, 13 Out. 2001, Rivadavia 1267 ( SPF) ; ibid, extremidade norte, 19 Set. 1992, Mello-Silva et al. 679 ( SPF) . Diamantina, grassy meadow and adjacent campo, 15 Jan. 1969, Irwin et al. 22001 ( NY) ; ibid, ponto atrás do Campus 2- UFVJM, beira de córrego próximo ao ponto de captaç„o de água da Universidade, 9 Jun. 2012, Baleeiro et al. 181 ( SPF) ; ibid, 06 Mar. 2013; Baleeiro et al. 291 ( SPF) ; ibid, voltando da comunidade de Galheiros, lado direito da estrada, campo com córrego em meio a afloramento rochoso, 06 Mar. 2013, Baleeiro et al. 294 ( SPF) ; ibid, S „o Jo„o da Chapada, brown sand and campo on steep gravelly slopes, ascending through dense creekside vegetation to c. 75 cm, 26 Mar. 1970, Irwin et al. 28411 ( F / NY). Itacambira, alguns km de Itacambira pela estrada para Montes Claros, 13 out. 2001, Rivadavia 1284 ( SPF) . Santana do Pirapama, Serra do Cipó ( Serra da Lapa ), Distrito de S „o José da Cachoeira , trilha da Senhorinha, 19 Fev. 2007, Souza et al. 32788 ( SPF) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Geographic distribution map of Utricularia sect. Foliosa species. A. Distribution of all 14 species in South and Central Americas. B. Map of the species distribution in the Espinhaco range and Chapada dos Veadeiros National park. C. Map of the species distribution at the Guiana Shield.

FIGURE 3. A. U. amethystina s.str. Type locality Marau peninsula Bahia, B. U. amethystina s.str. Virua National Park, C. U. amethystina s.str. white-flowered specimen, D. U. roraimensis, E. U. amethystina s.str. pink morphotype, F. U. amethystina Type locality, G. U. lindmanii, H–I. U. lunaris, J–N. U. damazioi. J. from Chapada Diamantina, K., M., N. from Chapada dos Veadeiros, L. from Diamantina Plateau.

FIGURE 4. A–D. U. hirtella s.l., E–G. U. velascoensis, H. U. tridentata, I. U. tricolor, J. U. biceps, K. U. bicolor, L. U. chapadensis, M–N. U. pantaneira, O. U. trinervia. Images C. Rivadavia, D. Rohrbacher, E–G. by Marcos Cardoso, J., K. Gonella.