Cryptanthus ilhanus Leme, 2013

Leme, Elton M. C. & Kollmann, Ludovic J. C., 2013, Miscellaneous New species of Brazilian Bromeliaceae, Phytotaxa 108 (1), pp. 1-40 : 16-19

Cryptanthus ilhanus Leme , sp. nov. ( Figs. 9 A–B , 10 G–M )

This new species differs from Cryptanthus bivittatus by the shorter and narrower leaves, leaf blades with larger marginal spines, sublinear and obtuse floral bracts, and by the sepals with obtuse and shorter lobes. It also differs from C. brevifolius by the comparatively longer leaf blades with reddish color along the margins in contrast with the green to yellowish-green median zone, inflorescence without a central head of flowers, obtuse sepals, and by the narrower petals, which are higher connate at the base. When compared with C. colnagoi , it differs by comparatively wider leaf blades, which are narrowly triangular-lanceolate and present straight margins, higher connate sepals with obtuse apex, and by the shorter connate petals.

Type:— BRAZIL. Bahia: Guaratinga, São João do Sul, Pedra Pontuda , 415 m elevation, 16° 36’ 32.63” S 39° 55’ 39.96” W, May 2009, A . Ilha s.n., fl. cult. E . Leme 7842 (holotype RB!) .

Plants terrestrial, stemless, flowering 5–6.5 cm tall, propagating by short basal shoots produced at the base of the inflorescence. Leaves 9–12 in number, spreading, forming a lax round rosette, coriaceous; sheaths subreniform, ca. 1.5 × 3 cm, whitish, glabrescent toward the base, white lepidote at the apex, margins densely spinulose toward the apex; blades narrowly triangular-lanceolate, long attenuate and ending with a caudate apex, not at all narrowed at the base, 8–12 × 1.2–1.5 cm, having a distinct thicker median zone, reddish to bronze colored along the margins in contrast with the green to yellowish-green median zone, adaxial and abaxial sides contrasting, abaxially glabrous except for the white trichomes at the base, opaque, abaxially densely and coarsely white lepidote with trichomes obscuring the blades color, margins undulate, densely spinose, spines 1–2 mm long, 2–3 mm apart. Inflorescence sessile, ca. 2 cm long, ca. 1.5 cm in diameter (not including the primary bracts); primary bracts foliaceous to subfoliaceous, spreading-recurved; flower fascicles inconspicuous, ca. 3 in number, slightly flabellate, ca. 16 × 10 mm (excluding the petals), ca. 3- flowered; floral bracts sublinear, obtuse, membranaceous, hyaline, glabrescent, nerved, distinctly shorter than the sepals, 10 × 1–2 mm, carinate, navicular, margins entire; flowers, the inner ones staminate, those in the flower fascicles perfect, sessile, ca. 30 mm long, slightly fragrant; sepals ca. 10.5 mm long, connate for 7–7.5 mm, lobes elliptic to obovate, obtuse, 2.5–3 × 2 mm, greenish-white, white lepidote, carinate, margins minutely spinulose; petals of the perfect flowers narrowly subspathulate, 24 × 3.5–4 mm, connate at the base for ca. 6 mm, white, apex rounded, distinctly longer than the stamens but spreading at anthesis and exposing them, bearing 2 distinct callosities at the base; filaments ca. 17 mm long, equally adnate to the petals for the length of its basal tube; anthers ca. 2 mm long, dorsifixed near the middle, base bilobed, apex obtuse; style slightly surpassing the anthers; stigma conduplicate-patent, white, margins irregularly scalloped, blades 2.5–3 mm long; ovary of the perfect flowers 5 × 3–4 mm, trigonous, greenish-white; epigynous tube ca. 0.5 mm long; ovules obtuse, placentation apical. Fruits unknown.

Distribution and habitat:— Cryptanthus ilhanus is known only from the district of São João do Sul, county of Guaratinga, Bahia, near the border with Minas Gerais State. It grows as a terrestrial species on shallow soils, forming small group of plants under partial shade protection of small trees and shrubs near the foothill of an inselberg called Pedra Pontuda, in the Atlantic Forest domain.

Etymology:—This new species is named after its collector André Ilha, the “Diretor de Biodiversidade e Áreas Protegidas” of the Instituto Estadual do Ambiente (INEA), who is well known for his long-term activism in nature conservation as well as for his skills as alpinist.

Observations:—According to the identification key provided by Smith & Downs (1979), C. ilhanus is closely related to C. bivittatus ( Hooker 1861: t.5270) Regel (1865: 2), differing by the shorter and narrower leaves (9.5–13.5 × 1.2–1.5 cm vs. 18–25 × 4 cm), leaf blades with larger marginal spines (1–2 mm vs. ca. 0.5 mm long), sublinear and obtuse floral bracts (vs. lanceolate and acute), and by the sepals with obtuse and shorter lobes (vs. acute, 2.5–3 mm vs. 4–5 mm long). On the other hand, this new species also presents some affinities with C. brevifolius Leme (2010: 79) and C. colnagoi Rauh & Leme (Rauh et al. 1989: 258) . However, it differs from C. brevifolius by the comparatively longer leaf blades (8–12 cm vs. 6–9 cm), with reddish color along the margins in contrast with the green to yellowish-green median zone (vs. bronze colored with darker central zone), inflorescence without a central head of flowers (vs. bearing a central head of densely arranged flowers), obtuse sepals (vs. acute and apiculate), and by the narrower petals (3.5–4 mm vs. ca. 6 mm wide), which are higher connate at the base (connate for ca. 6 mm vs. ca. 2 mm).

When compared with C. colnagoi , the new species differs by comparatively wider leaf blades (1.2–1.5 cm vs. 0.7–1.2 cm wide), which are narrowly triangular-lanceolate (vs. sublinear-lanceolate) and present straight margins (vs. revolute margins at least under water stress), higher connate sepals (connate at base for 7–7.5 mm vs. ca. 4 mm) with obtuse apex (vs. acute), and by the shorter connate petals (connate at the base for ca. 6 mm vs. ca. 10 mm).

Figures

FIGURE 9. A–B Cryptanthus ilhanus (Ilha s.n.). A. General view of the type locality, the inselberg known as Pedra Pontuda. B. Habit of flowering specimens.

FIGURE 10. A–F. Cryptanthus aracruzensis (Kollmann 12100). A. Leaf blade apex. B. Basal flower fascicle. C. Floral bract. D. Sepal. E. Petal and one outer and inner stamen each. F. Stigma. G–M. Cryptanthus ilhanus (Ilha s.n.). G. Leaf. H. Basal segment of leaf blade. I. Basal flower fascicle. J. Floral bract. K. Sepals. L. Petal and one outer and inner stamen each. M. Style and stigma. Scale bars = 1 cm.