Pereskia bahiensis Gürke (1908: 86) subsp. bahiensis, Gurke, 1908

Taylor, Nigel P., Zappi, Daniela C. & Albuquerque-Lima, Sinzinando, 2021, A new Pereskia (Cactaceae) from Minas Gerais, Brazil, Phytotaxa 494 (3), pp. 289-296 : 290-294

Pereskia bahiensis Gürke (1908: 86) subsp. bahiensis

Type (lectotype, designated by Leuenberger 1986: 119):— Brazil, Bahia, ‘ Calderão’ [most likely Riacho Caldeirão, Mun. Maracás], Oct. 1906, Ule 7050 ( HBG!; isolectotype L) .

Description:— Shrub to small tree, 1–6(–10) m, forming a trunk to 33 cm diam., main shoots erect to arching, stout. Areoles rounded, cushion-like, initially 3–6(–8) mm diam., later to 20 mm diam., producing straight spines, and 1–4 brachyblast leaves. Spines 0–6 on twigs, fasciculate to spreading, 2–5 cm, increasing in number and size on older branches. Leaves elliptic or obovate, often narrowly obovate on main shoots, flat or folded upward and recurved, (4–)5–12 × 2–7 cm, petiole short to indistinct, base of lamina attenuate, apex rounded to broadly acute, lateral veins (3–)4–7(–8). Inflorescence terminal, cymose-paniculate, by proliferation from the receptacles, 2–12-flowered, dense to lax, or flowers sometimes solitary. Flower perigynous, 4–7 cm diam., rose-like, showy; pedicel 1 cm, stout; receptacle turbinate, with prominent podaria and 3–8 areoles mainly on the upper half; bracts sepal-like, fleshy, outer bracts 4–6, spreading, inner bracts 4–6, erect, green with purplish to nearly black margin, keeled; outer perianth-segments 2–5, asymmetric, greenish red to reddish purple, inner segments 7–10, 20– 30 mm, emarginate, deep magenta-pink; stamens 5–10 mm, loosely clustered around the style, filaments white; ovary half-inferior to inferior, with distinct septal ridges at the roof; style 7–15 mm, cylindric, stigma-lobes 5–10, suberect. Infructescences lax, forming a cymose-paniculate cluster of up to 12 fruits, often pendent, or fruit solitary; 3–6 × 3–5 cm, pyriform or turbinate, angular-tuberculate, green to yellow when ripe and scented like pineapple, bracts usually deciduous. Seeds to 30 or more, obovate, 3.8–5.5 × 2.8–3.5 mm, laterally compressed.

Habitat and distribution: —Central-southern to northern Bahia, where it occurs in dry forest (caatinga) vegetation surrounding the Chapada Diamantina, planalto de Maracás, 300–1070 m asl. Endemic to Bahia .

Chromosome number: —2n = 22 ( Leuenberger 1986: 43).

Conservation assessment:—Least Concern (LC) ( Taylor & Zappi, 2004: 171). This species has been taken into cultivation as a hedge plant in the region where is native, ensuring its survival even in disturbed areas.

Specimens examined: — BRAZIL. Bahia: Mun. Sento Sé, Barra dos Alegres , estrada para o Riacho da Barra , 1030 m, 27 January 2010 (fl, fr), Araújo 1269 ( HVASF) ; Mun. Umburanas, Serra do Campo Largo, PNBO [Parque Nacional Boqueirão da Onça], 1014 m, 29 January 2010 (fr), Siqueira-Filho 2330 ( HVASF) ; Mun. Irecê, Morro Pelado, 11°9’42”S, 41°56’38”W, 795 m, 26 October 2009 (fl), Guedes et al. 16153 ( ALCB, HUEFS) ; Mun. Lapão, Morro Pelado, próximo à Torre , 11º24’21”S, 41º49’20”W, 790 m, 25 October 2009 (fl), Melo 6900 ( HUEFS) ; Mun. América Dourada, margem da estrada em direção ao Povoado de Lagedinho, 792 m, 22 March 2017 (fr), Siqueira- Filho 3873 ( HVASF) ; Mun. Cafarnaum, estrada entre Mulungu do Morro e Cafarnaum , 20 January 2005, Ceccantini 2403 ( SPF) ; Mun. Barra do Mendes, Povoado de São Bento , 11°49’38”S, 42º8’10”W, 730 m, 25 October 2009 (fl), Melo 6842 ( HUEFS) ; Mun. Mucugê, estrada do Povoado de Brejo de Cima para João Correia , sentido Cascavél , 13°16’59”S, 41°34’59”W, 21 March 2006, Pereira 53 ( SPF) ; Mun. Abaíra , 13°18’54”S, 41°34’3”W, 23 April 2005, Pereira 31 ( SPF) ; Mun. Contendas do Sincorá, FLONA (Floresta Nacional) Contendas do Sincorá, 50 m da sede, via Rio Combuca , 13°55’17”S, 41°7’7”W, 366 m, 06 February 2015 (fr), Aona et al. 3854 ( HURB) ; Mun. Tanhaçu, Floresta Nacional Contendas do Sincorá, próximo a sede, 14°1’16”S, 41°14’52”W, 03 September 2011 (fl, fr), Marinho 86 ( HUEFS) ; Mun. Bom Jesus da Serra, próximo a área com afloramento de Serpentinito, 14°24’34”S, 40°31’7”W, 18 January 2009 (fr), Conceição 3096 ( HUEFS) ; Mun. Cordeiros, estrada em direção ao Monte Condeúbas, próximo a plantação de eucaliptos, 15°4’35”S, 42°9’52”W, 1070 m, 20 December 2016 (fr), Fonseca et al. 307 ( HURB) . For records before 2000 from other municípios, see Taylor & Zappi (2004: 170). Only one representative collection is included per município, cited from the N to S, W to E .