Cryptanthus tabuleiricola Leme & L.Kollmann, 2013

Leme, Elton M. C. & Kollmann, Ludovic J. C., 2013, Miscellaneous New species of Brazilian Bromeliaceae, Phytotaxa 108 (1), pp. 1-40 : 21-23

Cryptanthus tabuleiricola Leme & L.Kollmann , sp. nov. ( Figs. 12 A–E , 13 F–L )

This new species is characterized by the inflorescence forming a distinct central head of staminate flowers, the stramineous and long apiculate sepals with longer lobes, and by the longer petals, so being distinguishable from Cryptanthus reisii , the closest relative.

Type:— BRAZIL. Espírito Santo: Boa Esperança, road to Sobradinho , 147 m elevation, 18° 30.05’ S 40° 23.01’ W, 12 September 2009, E . Leme 8014, L . Kollmann & R . Oliveira (holotype RB!) .

Plants terrestrial, flowering ca. 13 cm tall, stemless, propagating by short basal shoots. Leaves ca. 12 in number, spreading, forming a lax round rosette, thinly coriaceous; sheaths subreniform, ca. 3 × 4.5 cm, greenish, glabrous toward the base, abaxially white lepidote at the apex, margins spinulose at distal end; blades narrowly lanceolate, long attenuate and ending with a caudate apex, narrowed toward the base but not petiolate, 28–40 × 3–3.4 cm, canaliculate mainly toward the base, without a thicker median zone, green, adaxial and abaxial sides not at all contrasting, adaxially glabrous, lustrous, abaxially densely white lepidote, trichomes not at all obscuring the color of the blades, margins undulate, densely spinose, spines ca. 0.3 mm long, 2–3 mm apart. Inflorescence sessile, many flowered, ca. 4 cm long, ca. 3 cm in diameter (not including the primary bracts), with a central head of staminate flowers ca. 2 cm in diameter; primary bracts foliaceous to subfoliaceous, spreading; flower fascicles inconspicuous, ca. 9 in number, slightly flabellate, ca. 33 × 15 mm (excluding the petals), 2–3-flowered; floral bracts acute, membranaceous, white lepidote toward the apex, nerved, margins denticulate; those within the flower fascicles ovate, distinctly carinate, 18 × 10 mm, whitishhyaline, reaching 1/3 of the sepal length; those within the central head of staminate flowers lanceolate, ecarinate or inconspicuously carinate, 18 × 5–6 mm, reddish-castaneous toward the apex, reaching 2/3 of the sepal length; flowers slightly fragrant, sessile, the inner staminate ones ca. 38 mm long, the perfect ones in the flower fascicles 51–52 mm long; sepals of the perfect flowers ca. 17 mm long, unequally connate at the base for 9–10 mm, lobes broadly ovate to orbicular, long apiculate, erect, 6–8 × 4–5 mm, soon stramineous, densely and coarsely brown lepidote, carinate, margins crenulate; sepals of the staminate flowers 14–15 mm long, unequally connate at the base for 7–9 mm, lobes broadly ovate, long apiculate, spreading, 5–6 × 3–3.5 mm, soon stramineous, sparsely brown lepidote, carinate, margins crenulate; petals of the perfect flowers narrowly subspathulate, 38–39 × 4.5–5 mm, connate at the base for ca. 10 mm, white except for the greenishwhite apex, apex rounded, distinctly longer then the stamens but spreading at anthesis and exposing them, bearing 2 inconspicuous longitudinal callosities at the base, petals of the staminate flowers smaller; filaments ca. 28 mm long, the antepetalous ones adnate to the petals for ca. 12 mm, the antesepalous ones adnate to the petal tube; anthers ca. 4 mm long, dorsifixed just below the middle, base distinctly bilobed, apex obtuse; style slightly surpassing the anthers; stigma conduplicate-patent, white, margins distinctly scalloped-lacerate, blades ca. 4 mm long; ovary of the perfect flowers 11 × 6–7 mm, trigonous, white, glabrous; epigynous tube lacking; ovules obtuse; placentation apical. Fruits unknown.

Distribution and habitat:— Cryptanthus tabuleiricola is a terrestrial species, growing in shady and humid sites of small fragments of Atlantic Forest in the tablelands of northern Espírito Santo state, composed by ca. 30 m tall trees and emergents reaching ca. 40 m in height. This forest vegetation, known as “floresta de tabuleiro”, is typical for the coastal lowlands, developing on sedimentary plains of the Barreira Group, which covers extensive areas of southern Bahia and northern Espírito Santo (Leme & Siqueira Filho 2007).

Etymology:—The name of this new species is a reference to the tablelands (tabuleiros) where it lives, in the northern region of Espírito Santo state.

Additional specimen examined (paratype): –– BRAZIL. Espírito Santo: Boa Esperança, road to Sobradinho , 147 m elevation, 18° 30.05’ S 40° 23.01’ W, 12 September 2009, L . Kollmann 11978, E . Leme & R . Oliveira ( MBML!) .

Observations:—This new species is closely related to C. reisii Leme (2002: 87) and resembles it in its general appearance. However, C. tabuleiricola differs from C. reisii by its inflorescence forming a distinct central head of staminate flowers (vs. without this characteristic), the soon stramineous sepals (vs. whitish), with longer (6–8 mm vs. ca. 5 mm) and long apiculate lobes (vs. shortly apiculate), and by the longer petals (38–39 mm vs. ca. 33 mm long).

Figures

FIGURE 12. A–E. Cryptanthus tabuleiricola (Leme et al. 8014). A. Population at the type locality. B. Central portion of the rosettes highlighting the central head-like part of the inflorescences. C. Details of the flower. D. Habit. E. Landscape view of the type region from the top of the inselberg known as Pedra da Botelha, showing remaining Atlantic Forest fragments of tablelands of northern Espírito Santo state.

FIGURE 13. A–E. Cryptanthus rigidifolius (Fontana & Brahim 2813). A. Basal portion of the leaf. B. Basal flower fascicle. C. Floral bract. D. Flower. E. Sepals. F–L. Cryptanthus tabuleiricola (Leme et al. 8014). F. Leaf blade apex. G. Basal flower fascicle. H. Floral bract in the flower fascicle. I. Floral bract from the central portion of the inflorescence. J. Staminate flower from the central portion of the inflorescence. K. Sepals. L. Petal and one outer and inner stamen each. Scale bars = 1 cm.