Aloysia virgata (Ruiz & Pavon) Persoon (1806: 139)

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 : 9

1.2. Aloysia virgata (Ruiz & Pavon) Persoon (1806: 139) . (Figs. 1B, 5B)

Shrubs 2‒7 m high, younger branches tetragonal, puberulous, older braches cylindrical, glabrous. Leaves opposite, petiole 4.2‒8 mm long; blade 5‒13 × 1.7‒4.6 cm, membranaceous, elliptical to ovate, apex acute, base cuneate to obtuse, margin serrate, ciliate, adaxial surface strigose, trichomes concentrated along the veins, abaxial surface densely pubescent, main and secondary veins prominent. Inflorescences 3–6 per axil, 9‒20 cm long, peduncle 0.5‒2 cm long, pubescent, rachis pubescent to hirsute; bracts 2‒3 mm long, linear to lanceolate, abaxial surface hirsute, glandular sessile trichomes present, margin ciliate; calyx 2.2‒3.3 mm long, externally hispid-canescent, glandular sessile trichomes present; corolla 2.3‒3.5 mm long, white. Fruit 1‒1.5 mm long, surrounded by the persistent calyx.

Distribution and habitat:— Aloysia virgata is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Peru (O’Leary et al. 2016). In Brazil, it is widely distributed through the Cerrado, Atlantic Forest, and Pantanal, in Northeast, Center- West, Southeast, and South regions ( Moroni & O’Leary 2020a). In the Espírito Santo state, it occurs in seasonal semideciduous forest and dense rainforest, being frequent along roadsides. Not found inside SPAs in this state.

Phenology:— Collected with flowers in July, September, October, November, and December and with fruits in November.

Preliminary conservation assessment: —This is a common species with a wide distribution (O’Leary et al. 2016), and occurs inside PAs in South America. Considered “Least Concern” (LC) ( IUCN 2019).

Selected material:— BRAZIL. Espírito Santo: Afonso Claudio , 10 November 2010, fl., L . Kollmann 12093 ( CESJ, MBML); Cachoeiro de Itapemirim , 3 December 2007, fl., D. A . Folli 5722 ( CVRD, HUEFS); Conceição do Castelo , 18 October 1985, fl., G . Hatschbach & F. J . Zelma 49918 ( CEPEC, MBM); Itarana , 20 September 2018, fl., P. H . Cardoso et al. 39 ( CESJ); Santa Teresa , 2 November 1999, V . Demuner 207 ( CESJ, MBML); Vargem Alta, 28 October 2014, D. Julkoski 28 ( RB, VIES); Venda Nova do Imigrante , 2 November 1974, fl. and fr., L . Krieger s.n. ( CESJ 13385 , SPF 153139 ); Vitória, 21 July 1970, fl., T. S . Santos 791 ( CEPEC, RB) .

Notes:— Aloysia virgata is characterized by larger leaf blades (5‒13 × 1.7‒4.6 cm) in comparison with A. gratissima (0.8‒2.2 × 0.3‒0.5 cm), serrate margin (vs. entire), main and secondary veins of the adaxial surface prominent (vs. only main vein prominent), and numerous racemes per axil (vs. one raceme per axil). The flowers of A. virgata are melliferous and strongly aromatic, being commonly cultivated near apiaries attracting several species of bees ( Salimena-Pires & Giulietti 1998).

Illustrations in Salimena-Pires & Giulietti (1998).