Stachytarpheta schottiana Schauer (1847: 563)

Cardoso, Pedro Henrique, Valério, Vanessa Imaculada Dos Reis, Neto, Luiz Menini & Salimena, Fátima Regina Gonçalves, 2021, Verbenaceae in Espírito Santo, Brazil: richness, patterns of geographic distribution and conservation, Phytotaxa 484 (1), pp. 1-43 : 32-33

10.5. Stachytarpheta schottiana Schauer (1847: 563) . (Figs. 3B, 7G)

Herbs 0.5‒1 m high, branches tetragonal, not winged, glabrous to puberulous. Leaves opposite, petiole ca. 3 mm long, blade 1.5‒4.4 × 0.4‒1.5 cm, chartaceous, elliptical, apex acute to obtuse, base attenuate, decurrent, margin near the base, crenate-serrate toward the apex, glabrous in both surfaces. Inflorescences 8.3‒24 cm long, lax; bracts 3.2‒4.5 mm long, lanceolate, abaxial surface glabrous, margin ciliate; calyx 6.5‒9 mm long, immersed in the depressions of the rachis, 4-toothed, 1 sinus adaxial, glabrous; corolla 0.8‒1 cm long, lilac. Fruit ca. 5 mm long, surrounded by the persistente calyx.

Distribution and habitat:— Stachytarpheta schottiana is endemic to the restingas of the Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo ( Cardoso & Salimena 2020c). In Espírito Santo, it was recorded in only one SPA: Parque Estadual Paulo César Vinha.

Phenology:— Collected with flowers and fruits in February, March, April, July, September, November, and December.

Preliminary conservation assessment: — Stachytarpheta schottiana is a rare species, found in small populations, with few records in scientific collections ( Salimena et al. 2013). It has an EOO of approximately 17,130 km 2 and AOO of 52 km 2. This species is endemic to the restingas, a highly threatened environment because of the demographic growing and real estate speculation ( Pereira 2007, Thomazi et al. 2013). According to IUCN (2019), S. schottiana should be classified as “Endangered” (EN) because of the restricted AOO, number of known locations, and declining habitat quality. However, due to the occurrence inside PAs in Brazil, we adopted a more conservative point of view and considered the species “Vulnerable” VU (EN) B2ab(i,ii,iii).

Selected material:— BRAZIL. Espírito Santo: Guarapari, Parque Estadual Paulo César Vinha , 23 March 2000, fl. and fr ., J. M.L. Gomes 2763 (CESJ, VIES); Presidente Kennedy, fl. and fr., J. M.L. Gomes 891 ( CESJ, VIES); Vila Velha , 1 September 2007, fl. and fr ., F.B.C. Souza et al. 54 (CESJ, VIES); Vitória, 1998, fl., O.J. Pereira et al. 1752 (VIES).

Notes:— Stachytarpheta schottiana can be recognized by the elliptical leaves, attenuate base, decurrent, glabrous in both surfaces. It is similar to S. restingensis , but can be differentiated by the presence of the bracts half the length of the calyx and corolla slightly exceeding the calyx (vs. bracts exceeding the median portion of the calyx and showy corolla with twice the size of the calyx in S. restingensis ).

Illustrations in Atkins (2005).