Eriope orlandoi Harley, 2023

Harley, Raymond Mervyn, 2023, A new species Eriope orlandoi (Lamiaceae) from the Chapada Diamantina of Bahia, Brazil, Phytotaxa 591 (1), pp. 71-76 : 72-75

Eriope orlandoi Harley , sp. nov. ( Figures 1 & 2 ).

Type:— BRAZIL. Bahia: Rio de Contas, ao norte da cidade, na beira da estrada antigamente chamada a Estrada de Ouro , nos arredores da Serra Molhada, 13º 32’ 03” S, 41º 48’ 41” W. alt. 1127 m, campo rupestre, 17 Aug. 2021, (fl.), R.M. Harley & O. Santos 58773 (holotype HUEFS [barcode: 263595]); isotypes RB, SPF ).

Diagnosis:— Eriope orlandoi is morphologically similar to E. crassifolia Benth. , with which it shares the small, ± imbricate, coriaceous and rigid leaves. However, E. orlandoi is much more robust, up to 1 m or more tall, usually with a stout, very woody main stem and a much-branched crown of leaves, while E. crassifolia is a shorter, less branched plant, to c. 60 cm. The leaves of E. orlandoi are with a lamina 0.7–1.3 × 0.7–1.4 cm, rotund and with apex rounded or minutely apiculate, in E. crassifolia the lamina is 0.7–1.0 (1.2) × 0.3–0.4 cm, lanceolate to narrowly ovate, with apex acute. Flowers with fruiting calyx in E. orlandoi to 9 mm long, in E. crassifolia 6–7 mm long. Both species are endemic to the Chapada Diamantina, but while E. orlandoi occur in the Serra das Almas area, E. crassifolia occurs c. 60–80 km to the east of E. orlandoi , in the Serra do Sincorá. Another species, which occurs at high altitudes in Rio de Contas and is sometimes confused with the latter, is E. anamariae Harley. This species can easily be distinguished from E. orlandoi , as the leaves have much longer petioles, at least 3 mm long or usually much more, (usually sessile or up to 2 mm in E. orlandoi ).

Description:— Shrub to 1 m tall, much branched with very woody, spreading branches, main stems erect, leafless below, with an often rather dense crown of leaves above. Stems usually 1.6–2.0 cm in diameter near the base or rarely in older specimens up to 3.0 cm. with bark brownish grey and longitudinally striate. Younger stems very leafy, with slender semi-setose hairs, especially below and near the nodes, with numerous short, patent hairs. Leaves strongly coriaceous and rigid, spreading to ascending and then weakly imbricate, longer than internodes, petiole 1–2 mm long, with lamina 0.7–1.3 × 0.7–1.4 cm, ± rotund, base weakly cordate, apex rounded or minutely apiculate, margin yellowish, slightly translucent, with teeth very small, acute and thickened, adaxial surface often slightly concave dark green, weakly rugose, with nerves ± impressed, often slightly scabrid with scattered, short, erect hairs, abaxial paler green, nerves reticulate, weakly prominulous, thickened, incrassate, sparsely pilose and with many small, stalked glands. Inflorescence a branched pseudo-raceme of 1-flowered cymes with bracts caducous, branches usually rather short. Axis of the inflorescence with slender spreading, white hairs c. 0.6 mm long, longer and denser at the nodes. Flowers ± remote, with bracts dark usually caducous, pedicels up to c. 3 mm long, slender, spreading or often slightly reflexed; calyx at anthesis c. 3 mm long, greenish-yellow or often slightly blackish, tube c. 1.5–2 mm long, turbinate, with dense, sessile and short-stalked often yellow glands and very short, patent hairs, with or without a pair of slender, linear bracteoles at its base, lobes unequal, c. 2 mm long, widely spreading, broadly deltoid to almost cordate, apiculate, fruiting calyx with pedicel slightly deflexed and with dense white indumentum in throat; corolla dark bluish violet, up to c. 1 cm long, 2-lipped, corolla-tube with basal portion c. 2 mm long, narrowly cylindrical, white, glabrous, abruptly widening above and becoming hairy and pale violet-blue, posterior lip 2-lobed, externally hairy, internally with throat paler, with a white area, usually two-lobed from base, elsewhere deep violaceous with darker longitudinal lines; stamens with filaments white, densely covered with white hairs, anthers yellow, with yellow pollen, style purplish, glabrous. Gynoecium with stylopodium at base of style. Nutlets c. 2.5 × 1.8 mm, broadly ellipsoid and flattened with rotund apex, very dark brown, with very slightly rugose surface, on internal surface at base, with two elongate white, dehiscence scars. Nutlets mucilaginous when wet. (Fruiting material taken from Harley 58824).

Distribution and Habitat:—The types of Eriope orlandoi were collected in Southwestern Bahia, in open, flat areas of campo rupestre in sandy soil, often with quartzite grit and near rock outcrops between 1100 and 1430 m altitude. However, the very first collection of this species was made by the author in 1996, under the collection number of Hortênsia Bautista. At that time the collection was considered a possible new species related to Eriope crassifolia , although no further action was taken. So far, we have found only two other populations, although with a substantial number of individuals, especially in that close to the Estrada de Ouro.

Phenology:—Flowering was noted especially between March to September, but in some years due to extensive drought, flowering and fruiting did not occur, or was delayed. Fruiting in 2021 occurred extensively in October, and good fruiting material, from almost the same locality as the holotype can be seen in Harley et al. 58824.

Conservation Status:—Only a few populations have so far been found, occurring not more than about 12 km apart. As the area of campo rupestre is extensive, much of it has yet to be explored. The main threats to the plants are the increase in cultivation in some areas, especially near Betancourt, although the plants seem to prefer very sandy and stony areas which are mainly unsuitable for cultivation. The population found below the Serra Molhada seems to be restricted to the roadside. However, further exploration of the serra may reveal further populations, as there are still areas that need to be visited, as often happens for plant species with little known, or small size or difficult to identify (e.g. Perrino et al. 2022, Wagensommer et al. 2017). I therefore consider the species as Data Deficient.

Etymology:— The epithet honours our local guide, Orlando Santos, whose perspicacity at finding interesting plant species, resulted in the collection of this new species. Originally, he brought me a branch with old fruits, which I immediately recognized as a new species. We subsequently visited the plant on numerous occasions, returning to the populations to make observations over two years at different times of the year.

Additional material examined (paratypes):— BRAZIL. Bahia: Rio de Contas; Fazendola , 23° 26’ 57” S, 41° 52 10” W, alt. 1110 m, 16 Nov. 1996, H.P Bautista, Harley, Hind & Roque PCD 4374 ( CEPEC, HUEFS, K, SPF); Distrito de Mato Grosso, próximo a comunidade Betancourt , 13˚25’56.5” S, 41˚50’52.2” W, alt. 1415 m, 09 Jan. 2018, Harley & Santos 58219 ( HUEFS); Distrito de Mato Grosso, na trilha para o Pico do Itobira, 13˚22’55”S, 41˚53’34”W, alt. 1412 m, 16 Oct. 2018, Harley et al. 58236 ( HUEFS); 13˚ 22’55”S, 41˚53’34”W, alt. 1412 m, 16 Oct. 2018, Harley et al. 58238 ( HUEFS); Proximidades de Betancourt, trilha para o Pico de Itobira , 13º25’52.1” S, 41º50’51.2” W, alt. 1402 m, 27 May 2019, Harley & Giulietti 58395 ( HUEFS); Bitencourt, na trilha para o Pico de Itobira, 13°25’57.5”S, 41°50’53”W, alt. 1404 m, 22 Nov. 2019, Harley et al. 58460 ( HUEFS); Estrada de Ouro , Mar. 2020, Santos in Harley 58644 ( HUEFS); Estrada de Ouro , na base da Serra do Molhado , 13°32’03”S, 41°48’41”W, alt. 1127 m, 21 Oct. 2020, Santos in Harley 58666 ( HUEFS); ao norte de Rio de Contas , na beira da estrada antigamente chamada de Estrada de Ouro , nos arredores da Serra Molhada , 18 Mar. 2021, Harley & Santos 58689 ( HUEFS); same locality, in campo rupestre, Harley et al. 58700, 19 May 2021 ( HUEFS); Nearby locality, in gerais, 13º 32’ 48” S, 41º 48’ 30” W, alt. 1138 m, 29 Oct. 2021, Harley & Santos 58824 ( HUEFS).

Figures

FIGURE 1. A–L. Eriope orlandoi. A. Inflorescence. B. Lower portion of stem. C. Cauline leaf, abaxial surface. D. Cauline leaf, adaxial surface. E. Floral bract (deciduous). F. Flower, side view. G. Corolla, side view. H. Calyx opened to show internal surface. I. Stamens, with the anterior pair longer. J. Gynoecium. K. Fruiting calyx. L. Nutlet, dorsal view (A–J. Harley 58773 (holotype), K–L. Harley 58824, drawings by Pétala Gomes Ribeiro and inked by Carla Lima).

FIGURE 2. Life-form and flowers in Eriope orlandoi. A. Habitat, with plant in foreground. B. Part of inflorescence. C. Close-up of triggered flower: side view with reflexed anterior lip of corolla. D. Close-up of flower: face view. E. Fruiting branch. F–G. Close-up of fruiting calyces on deflexed pedicels. G: with insert: Nutlet ventral view (photo credits: A–G. R.M. Harley).