Cryptanthus walkerianus Leme & L. Kollmann, 2014

Leme, Elton M. C., Till, Walter, Kollmann, Ludovic J. C., De Moura, Ricardo L. & Ribeiro, Otávio B. C., 2014, Miscellaneous New Species of Brazilian Bromeliaceae, Phytotaxa 177 (2), pp. 61-100 : 83-86

Cryptanthus walkerianus Leme & L. Kollmann , sp. nov. ( Figs. 14 , 15 A–H )

This new species can be distinguished from the closest relative, Cryptanthus beuckeri , by the comparatively longer leaves (37–75 cm vs. 5–20 cm), leaf blades with longer petioles (12–33 cm vs. 3–10 cm), which are entire near distal end (vs. spinulose throughout) and broader (5.5–9 cm vs. 4–5 cm) green blades (vs. light green to rose and distinctly spotted with darker green) with entire margins, except for their spinulose 1/3 to 1/2 distal portion (vs. spinulose throughout), inflorescence bearing an upper-central conspicuous head of densely arranged flowers (vs. without a distinct head of flowers) and the longer sepals (ca. 16 mm vs. ca. 11 mm long).

Type: –– BRAZIL. Bahia: Camamu, at the border with Igrapiuna, Pinaré , old Fazenda Bonsucesso , Reserva Florestal Novo Milênio , owner Ian Walker , 141 m elevation, 13º 54’ 33” S 39º 10’ 11” W, 06 June 2013, E . Leme 8749, L . Kollmann & P . Lima. (holotype RB!, isotype HB!) .

Plants terrestrial, slightly caulescent, stems 12–18 cm long, propagating by short basal shoots. Leaves 8 to 14 in number, 37–75 cm long, arcuate to nearly spreading at anthesis, laxly disposed and forming an open rosette; sheaths narrowly trapeziform, ca. 6 × 3.5 cm, green to reddish mainly abaxially, sparsely pale castaneous lepidote and distinctly rugose, inconspicuously spinulose near distal end; blades distinctly petiolate; petioles 12–33 × 1–2 cm, distinctly contrasting with the blades, strongly “ U ”-channeled, thick coriaceous, densely and coarsely white lepidote abaxially, subdensely and coarsely white lepidote adaxially, completely green to reddish near the base, margins densely to subdensely spinulose at the proximal 1/2 to 2/3 of its length and entire in the distal portion; blades narrowly ovate-lanceolate, apex caudate, 27–44 × 5.5–9 cm, thin coriaceous, bearing a thicker and narrow channel near the base, flat toward the apex, green, opaque, abaxially densely and coarsely white lepidote with the trichomes mainly arranged along the midnerves, adaxially glabrous and the opaque margins slightly if at all undulate, entire except for the densely to subdensely spinulose 1/3 to 1/2 distal portion; spines triangular, straight to slightly antrorsely uncinate, ca. 0.3 mm long, 2–10 mm apart. Inflorescence 4.5–6 cm long, 3–4.5 cm in diameter, sessile, once branched at the base and bearing a conspicuous, simple, upper-central head of densely arranged flowers; primary bracts foliaceous; fascicles 5–6 in number, inconspicuous, with 2–3 flowers, flabellate, complanate; floral bracts lanceolate, acuminate, 20–27 × 6–9 mm, straight or recurved, membranous, white-hyaline toward the base, greenish to green near the apex, sparsely castaneous lepidote toward the apex, minutely spinulose at the apex to entire, exceeding the ovary to equaling 2/3 of the sepal length, those of the fascicles distinctly carinate, those of the upper-central head of flowers ecarinate to obtusely carinate at the base only. Flowers sessile, odorless, the perfect ones 4.3–4.5 cm long (with extended petals), the staminate ones ca. 25 mm long (with extended petals); sepals ca. 16 mm long, connate for 7–8 mm, whitish, sparsely and coarsely castaneous lepidote toward the apex, lobes narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, 8–9 × 2.5 mm, symmetrical, obtusely carinate, margins entire; petals ligulate, apex rounded, white, exceeding the stamens but recurved at anthesis and exposing them; those of the perfect flowers 27–28 × 3.5–4 mm, connate at the base for 4–5 mm, bearing 2 conspicuous longitudinal callosities at the base of the free lobes; filaments ca. 20 mm long, the antesepalous ones adnate to the petals tube, the antepetalous ones adnate to the petals for ca. 2 mm; anthers 4–5 mm long, dorsifixed near the middle, base and apex obtuse; stigma not seen; ovary sublinear in outline, subtrigonous, 15–16 × 4–5 mm, whitish, glabrous; epigynous tube distinct, 5 × 1–1.5 mm; placentation apical; ovules few, obtuse. Fruits broadly ellipsoid, subtrigonous, white, glabrous, 17 x 10–12 mm, attached sepals soon decaying.

Distribution and habitat:–– Cryptanthus walkerianus was found growing as a terrestrial species on the shaded forest floor in small, elevated areas of wet Atlantic Forest in the county of Camamu, Bahia, at the border with the county of Igrapiuna. In the type population, the isolated individuals were scattered or formed small groups.

According to the “B1a” and “B2a” criteria adopted by IUCN (2010), C. walkerianus can be considered a critically endangered species.

Etymology:––This new species honors Ian Walker, an English geneticist, conservation activist and the owner of the Reserva Florestal Novo Milênio, where C. walkerianus was found. Mr. Walker lives in his private reserve developing sustainable agricultural methods and conserving the local Atlantic Forest.

Additional specimen examined (paratype): –– BRAZIL. Bahia: Camamu, on border with Igrapiuna, Pinaré , old Fazenda Bonsucesso , Reserva Florestal Novo Milênio , owner Ian Walker , 141 m elevation, 13º 54’ 33” S 39º 10’ 11” W, 06 June 2013, L . Kollmann 12762, E . Leme & P . Lima. ( MBML!) .

Observations:––This new species is closely related to C. beuckeri Morren (1880: 241) differing from it by the longer leaves (37–75 cm vs. 5–20 cm), leaf blades with longer petioles (12–33 cm vs. 3–10 cm), which are entire near distal end (vs. spinulose throughout) and broader blades (5.5–9 cm vs. 4–5 cm), which are green (vs. light green to rose and distinctly spotted with darker green) and have entire margins except for their spinulose 1/3 to 1/2 distal portion (vs. spinulose throughout), inflorescence bearing an upper-central conspicuous head of densely arranged flowers (vs. without a distinct head of flowers) and the longer sepals (ca. 16 mm vs. ca. 11 mm).

Figures

FIGURE 14. Cryptanthus walkerianus (Leme 8749 et al.). A. The upper-central head of the inflorescence. B. Habit. C. Details of the staminate flowers.

FIGURE 15. A–H. Cryptanthus walkerianus (Leme 8749 et al.). A. Leaf. B. Apex of the leaf. C. Floral bracts of the basal fascicles. D. Flower of the basal fascicle. E. Floral bract of the simple central portion of the inflorescence. F. Staminate flower of the simple central portion of the inflorescence. G. Sepal. H. Petal. I–N. Encholirium viridicentrum (Ribeiro 282 & Leme). I. Leaf. J. Peduncle bract. K. Floral bract and flower. L. Sepal. M. Petal. N. Pedicel and gynoecium.