Anthurium erythrospadix Nadruz, Camelo & Temponi, 2018

Camelo, Mel C., Coelho, Marcus A. N. & Temponi, Lívia G., 2018, Two new species of Anthurium (Araceae) from Caparaó National Park, southeastern Brazil, Phytotaxa 373 (2), pp. 121-130 : 126-128

2. Anthurium erythrospadix Nadruz, Camelo & Temponi , sp. nov. ( Figs. 4 , 5 )

In Anthurium erythrospadix the peduncle is red, spathe and spadix are pink in pre-anthesis, red in anthesis. It is most similar to Anthurium intermedium Kunth (1841: 70) , which differs by its abaxially greenish to rarely reddish midrib and the generally distinct red colorations of the spathe and spadix and the berries which are greenish or whitish with a greenish apex. Anthurium harrisii (Graham in Hooker 1827: 211) Don in Sweet (1839: 633) differs in its basally obtuse leaf blade, abaxially greenish midrib which is adaxially obtuse throughout its length, green peduncle and green berries.

Type:— BRAZIL. Espírito Santo: Divino de São Lourenço, Parque Nacional do Caparaó, Limo Verde, trilha para a Pedra Escorada, 15 Nov 2017, fl., fr., M. C. Camelo et al. 23 (holotype RB!, isotypes BHCB! K! UNOP!).

Terrestrial, rupicolous to rarely epiphyte. Stem erect, green internally in cross section, internodes 1.0– 1.3 cm long, greenish with silver tingeing, cataphylls and prophylls persistence entire and persistent at the apex, slightly decomposed and caducous at the base. Petiole green to vinaceous, adaxially canaliculate with acute margins, abaxially acute to 3- keeled, 5.6 − 23.0 cm long; geniculum 0.3 − 0.9 cm long; leaf blade green, strongly discolor, erect, chartaceous, elliptic, lacking glandular punctuations, apex acute to apiculate, base acute, 34.0–40.0 × 5.9 − 9.5 cm; midrib adaxially green, obtuse in basal region becoming acute in apical region, abaxially green in apical region, brownish to reddish from the middle to the base, obtuse throughout its length; primary lateral veins 10–14 on both sides, impressed adaxially and prominent abaxially; basal veins absent, collective vein 0.4 − 0.6 cm from margin. Inflorescence with peduncle red, 2- costate to 3-keeled, 41 cm long.; spathe pink to red, long-decurrent and long-cuspidate at apex, erect at pre-anthesis, erect to reflexed at anthesis, red to vinaceous at anthesis, forming an acute angle with peduncle, 2.5 − 6.9 × 0.3 − 0.9 cm; stipe absent; spadix pink to red at pre-anthesis, red at anthesis, conical, 3.7 − 9.8 × 0.3 − 6.0 cm, pollen grains white; principal spiral with 4 − 5 flowers, alternate spiral with 5 − 6 flowers. Berries vinaceous.

Phenology: —The species was found at anthesis in April 2017 and at post-anthesis in November 2017.

Eponymy: —The specific epithet “erythrospadix ” is given for the red colour of the spadix.

History and geographic distribution:—The first collection of this species was made by V. C. Souza ( V. C. Souza 12.132) in 1996 in Alto Caparaó and is deposited in the ESA and RB herbaria. It was initially identified as Anthurium harrisii , but with a distinct morphology. New collections were made in April 2017 in fragments of semideciduous seasonal montane forest in Alto Caparaó, Minas Gerais state, between the coordinates 20º26’8’’ − 20º34’4’’S and 41º44’19”– 41º44’51’’W, at elevations between 890 − 1280 m ( Figure 1 ). Subsequently, individuals with the same morphology were found in fragments of dense ombrophilous forest in Divino de São Lourenço in Espírito Santo state, between coordinates 20º29’26’ S and 41º44’51’’W, at elevations between 1150 − 1280 m ( Figure 1 ), thus extending the range of the species.

Habitat and ecology: — Anthurium erythrospadix is terrestrial to rupicolous, occurs near waterfalls in both semideciduous seasonal montane forest and dense ombrophilous forest. From our direct observations, we estimate that the species has a total population size of ca. 100 individuals, forming small groups of five plants each.

Additional specimens examined (paratypes): — BRAZIL. Parque Nacional do Caparaó, Minas Gerais: Alto Caparaó, Córrego do Caparaó, 18 Jun 2002, fl., M. Nadruz et al. 1.479 ( RB!). Mata do Coração, 11 Mar 2010, fl., M. O. Bunguer et al. 518 ( BHCB!), 11 Mar 2010, fl., G. Heringer et al. 456 ( BHCB!). Vale Verde, próximo a área de churrasco, 01 Sep 1996, fl., V. C. Souza 12.132 ( ESA!, RB!). 25 Oct 2001, fl., A. C. Aguar 105 ( RB!). 17 Aug 2001, fl., L. S. Leoni 4698 ( GFJP!). 26 Jan 2017, fl., M. C. Camelo el al. 03 ( RB!, UNOP!), 13 Oct 2017, fl., L. S. Leoni 10.491 ( GFJP!). 30 Oct 2017, fl., L. S. Leoni 10.488 ( GFJP!). Espírito Santo: Dores do Rio Preto, 27 Apr 2017, fl., M. Nadruz et al. 3179 ( RB! UNOP).

Notes: — Anthurium erythrospadix belongs to Anthurium sect. Urospadix subsect. Flavescentiviridia based on its chartaceous greenish leaf blade which is distinctly paler abaxially, the clearly visible primary lateral veins (10–14 pairs) and the red to vinaceous spathe and spadix. It is morphologically most similar to A. intermedium , which differs by its abaxially greenish to rarely reddish midrib and the generally distinct red colorations of the spathe and spadix and the berries which are greenish or whitish with a greenish apex.

It can also be mistaken for A. harrisii , but this species differs in its basally obtuse leaf blade, midrib adaxially obtuse and abaxially greenish throughout, green peduncle and green berries. A. harrisii ranges from Rio de Janeiro to Santa Catarina, growing in restinga vegetation and on rocky shores near the sea ( Coelho et al. 2009). The three species are easily distinguished by the characteristics presented in Table 2.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Occurrence of Anthurium caparaoense and Anthurium erythrospadix at different elevations, from Caparaó National Park, MG-ES, Brazil. Source: IBGE 2017.

FIGURE 4. Anthurium erythrospadix. A. Terrestrial habit and detail of roots with nitrogen fixation nodule. B. Internodes and peduncle. C-D. Leaf blade, strongly discolor (C adaxial surface, D abaxial surface). E. Spadix at pre-anthesis conical, spathe reflexed. F. Spathe erect, long-decurrent with spadix at pre-anthesis; G. Spathe erect at anthesis and apex long-cuspidate; H. Spathe patent at anthesis and spadix showing the pollen grains. I. Berries.

FIGURE 5. Anthurium erythrospadix. A. Terrestrial habit. B. Petiole cross-section: adaxially canaliculate with acute margins, abaxially acute. C. Leaf blade cross-section in the median region, midrib obtuse on both sides. D. Leaf blade cross-section in the apical region, midrib acute adaxially, obtuse abaxially. E. Spadix conical, spathe erect at pre-anthesis. F. Spadix with spathe patent at anthesis.