Lepidaploa balansae (Hieron.) Robinson (1994: 27)

Marques, Danilo, Farco, Gabriela Elizabeth, Nakajima, Jimi Naoki & Dematteis, Massimiliano, 2018, The genus Lepidaploa (Vernonieae, Asteraceae) in southern South America, Phytotaxa 362 (2), pp. 115-142 : 121-122

3. Lepidaploa balansae (Hieron.) Robinson (1994: 27) . Vernonia balansae Hieronymus (1897: 690) . Type:— PARAGUAY. Guarapí, 1 August 1881, B. Balansa 3060 (syntypes G! CORD!, K! [online image!]). Figure 4 .

Clambering shrubs 0.5–3 m tall; branches pubescent. Leaves distichous, cauline, internodes 1.2–2.6 cm long, petioles 0.28–0.35 mm long, blade4.4–14.9 × 0.2–2.9 cm, membranaceous to cartaceous, smooth, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, apex acute, margins entire, revolute, base attenuate, adaxial surface glabrous, abaxial surface incanous; venations brochidodromous. Capitulescence seriate-cymose with capitula sessile 6.2–8 cm long, axis glabrous or glabrescent, brown. Involucre turbinate, 6–7 mm in diam., phyllaries 5–6-seriate, brown to greenish, membranaceous, pubescent, outer ovate, apex apiculate, inner elliptic-lanceolate, apex obtuse to rotund. Florets 10–12, corolla lilac, white, tube 4.5–5 mm long, glabrous, lobes 1.2–2 mm long, lanceolate, apex setose-glandular; apical anther appendages obtuse, base sagittate; basal stylar node narrow. Cypsela turbinate, 1–1.2 mm long, setose; carpopodium anullar. Pappus brown.

Selected specimens examined — ARGENTINA. Corrientes: Departamento Santo Tomé, Arroyo Chimiray, 23 September 1974, M. Krapovickas 26236 (CTES). Misiones: Departamento Guaraní, Predio Guaraní, Rute 15, 8 September 1994, A. Schinini 28740 (CTES). BRASIL. Paraná: Município de Campo Mourão, Parque do Lago, 28 July 2004, M.G. Caxambú 518 (MBM). Santa Catarina: Município de São Miguel d’Oeste, Paraíso, Peperi, 1 September 1964, R.M. Klein 5726 (HBR). Rio Grande do Sul: Departamento Gaurama, estrada secundária em direção a BR 153, 24 August 1996, J.A. Jarenkow 3119 (MBM). PARAGUAY. Alto Paraná: Distrito Alto Vera, Cordillera San Rafael, 14 December 2001, F. González 256 (FCQ). Caazapá: Departamento Mbaracayú, Comunidad Mbyá, 1 July 1989, I. Basualdo 2544 (CTES, FCQ). Canindeyú: Rumbo Norte, 20 August 1996, B. Jiménez 1408 (CTES). Concepción: Estancia San Fernando, Potrero Mamorei, 09 July 1991, I. Basualdo 3500 (FCQ). Guairá: Cordillera Ybytyruzú, Ruta Cantera Jhú, 8 km S de Coronel Oviedo, 16 December 1989, E. Zardini 14967 (FCQ). Itapúa: Estancia Parabel Itapuá, 10 June 1988, S. Kell 1509 (FCQ). Paraguarí: Cerro Palacios, 5 km N de Paraguarí, 26 January 1989, E. Zardini 9801 (FCQ).

Distribution and habitat —The species is widely distributed throughout southern South America. It can be found in Argentina (Misiones and Corrientes), south of Brazil (Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul), and Paraguay (Alto Paraná, Caazapá, Canindeyú, Concepción, Guairá, Itapúa and Paraguarí). It can also be found in the following departments of Paraguay: Amambay, Caaguazú, Cordillera and San Pedro ( Dematteis & Cabrera 2009). Lepidaploa balansae grows in the Atlantic Rainflorest, often near waterbodies ( Figure 5 ).

Phenology —Collected with florets and fruits during most part of the year.

Notes —It can be recognized by the clambering habit, incanous abaxial leaf surface, turbinate heads with 10–12 florets, narrow basal stylar node, brown pappus and a wide distribution in southern South America.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Lepidaploa balansae. A. Plant. B–C. Leaf detail. D. Capitula. E–G. Outer phyllaries. H–J. Inner phyllaries. K. Floret. L. Corolla lobe detail. Source: Marques & Dematteis (2014).

FIGURE 5. Geographical distribution of L. balansae (circle) in Cone Sur.