Hohenbergia amargosensis E.H.Souza & Leme, 2022

Souza, Everton Hilo De, Silva, Tiago Abreu Da, Aona, Lidyanne Y. S., Souza, Fernanda V. D. & Leme, Elton M. C., 2022, Hohenbergia amargosensis (Bromeliaceae: Bromelioideae), a new ornamental species from Bahia, Brazil, Phytotaxa 567 (1), pp. 86-92 : 87-91

Hohenbergia amargosensis E.H.Souza & Leme , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1–2 ).

Diagnose: ___ This new species is morphologically close to H. reconcavensis , but can be distinguished from it by the larger plant size (in bloom 125–160 cm vs. 70–110 cm tall), longer peduncle (60–85 cm vs. 40–60 cm), longer inflorescence (35–50 cm vs. 22–32 cm), primary bracts equaling to exceeding the branches (vs. shorter than the branches), primary branches with longer basal stipes (6–9 cm vs. 0.6–1 cm long), inflorescence with laxly arranged branches (vs. with congested branches), a broader basal diameter of the inflorescence (14–18 cm vs. 7–10 cm), and pale blue petals and sepals (vs. white to pale lilac).

Type: ___ BRAZIL. Bahia: Amargosa, Sítio Renascer, Baixa de Areia , ca. 1 km da Cidade, 379 m elevation, 13º02’42”S, 39º36’44”W, 27 May 2021, E. H. Souza 312 & S. Andrade e Andrade (holotype HURB!, two sheets, isotype ALCB!, HVASF!, RB!, R!) .

Plant terrestrial, 125–160 cm tall when flowering, propagating by stout basal shoots. Leaves ca. 35 in number, suberect-arcuate, forming an open rosette; sheath 10–16 × 6–8 cm, elliptic, densely brown lepidote on both sides, dark castaneous except for the green distal end, coriaceous, margins entire toward the base and densely spinose at distal end on the transition to the blades; blade 50–100 × 3–4.2 cm, linear-oblong, apex attenuate, ending in a pungent mucro ca. 12 mm long, inconspicuously if at all narrowed at the base, canaliculate with a distinct central channel, subcoriaceous, green, lustrous, nerved, margins subdensely to sparsely spinulose; spines antrorse, triangular, brownish, 5–10 mm apart, the basal ones 1.5–2.2 mm long, 1–2.3 mm wide at the base, the apical ones 0.3–1 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide at the base. Peduncle 60–85 cm long, 1.5-1.8 cm in diameter, erect, stout, pink, densely white lanate, covered by the bracts; peduncle bracts 10–18 × 2.5–3.8 cm, lanceolate, densely imbricate, acuminate, the basal ones ending in a pungent brown spine, cream colored or stramineous, papyraceous, nerved, erect, distinctly exceeding the internodes, densely white lepidote adaxially, abaxially glabrous near the base to glabrescent or inconspicuously white lepidote toward the apex, the basal ones spinulose near the apex, the upper ones entire. Inflorescence 35–50 cm long, 14–18 cm in diameter at the base, paniculate, pyramidate, 2-branched at the base, once-branched in upper half, erect; rachis woody, densely white lanate proximally to glabrous distally, pink; primary bracts resembling the upper peduncle bracts, spreading with the branches; the basal ones cream colored, shorter than to equaling the branches, 4.5–9.2 × 1.4–2 cm; the upper ones pink, equaling the branches, 2–4.8 × 1–1.6 cm; primary branches spreading, the lower ones 6–9 cm long, with stipes 2–3.8 × 0.6–0.8 cm, pink, sparsely white-lanate to glabrous, with 3 to 5 secondary branches, laxly arranged at the base to densely arranged at the apex; the medial primary branches 4.5–6.5 cm long, with stipes 1.5–2.8 × 0.6–0.8 cm, with 2 to 4 secondary branches; the upper primary branches 3–4 cm long, resembling the secondary branches of the lower branches; secondary bracts resembling the basal floral bracts, equaling the branches, carinate or ecarinate; secondary branches the basal ones with ca. 2 densely arranged fascicles, 3–3.4 × 2.5–3 cm (excluding the petals), short stipitate, with stipes 0.3–0.5 × 0.4 cm; the upper ones strobilate, oblong-ellipsoid, subsessile, 2–3 × 1.5–2 cm (excluding the petals), with 6 (distal ones) to 14 (proximal ones) flowers; floral bracts pink, inconspicuously and sparsely white-lepidote to glabrous, nerved, with membranous margins, entire, carinate except for the distal ones, convex, erect to suberect as the flowers, slightly shorter than to equaling the sepals; the basal ones 1.8–2.4 × 1.6–1.8 cm, broadly triangular-ovate, attenuate then shortly apiculate, apiculus 1.2–1.5 mm long, pungent; the upper ones 13–18 × 9 mm, ovate-oblong to oblong, broadly attenuate to narrowly rounded then apiculate; apiculus ca. 1.3 mm long, pungent. Flowers 2.6–3.2 cm long, sessile, polystichously arranged, erect to suberect, sweetly fragrant; sepals 1.1–1.3 × 0.5–0.6 cm, oblique-oblong to subobovate, asymmetrical, the one sided lateral rounded marginal wing equaling to slightly exceeding the apex, connate at the base for 1–1.5 mm, glabrous, entire, central part toward the apex lilac, apex mucronulate, mucro 0.3–0.8 mm long, the adaxial ones carinate with the keels decurrent on the ovary, the abaxial one ecarinate; petals ob-lanceolate, apex acute, 19–23 × 3.9–5.2 mm, free, lilac to pale blue toward the apex, bearing 2 appendages at the base; appendages narrowly spathulate, truncate at apex, 5–8 mm long, adnate to the petals for 3–5 mm, each with a lower more pronounced lacerate fringe and an apical denticulate fringe. Stamens 1–1.3 cm, cream colored, included; filament complanate and slightly dilated and ca. 1.2 mm toward distal end, the antepetalous ones adnate to the petals for 5–6 mm, the antesepalous ones free; anther 3–3.5 mm long, base slightly bilobed, apex apiculate, dorsifixed at 1/3 from the base; ovary subtrigonous, laterally bi-carinate, 6–8 mm long, 6–7 mm wide at distal end, glabrous, white, placentation apical; ovules obtuse to apiculate, ca. 0.3 mm long; epigynous tube inconspicuous; style 1.2–1.5 cm long, white toward the base and lilac distally; stigma conduplicate-spiral, broadly ellipsoid, lilac, lobes long glandulose-fimbriate. Fruits 2.4–3.1 cm long, bluish when ripe; seeds 1–2.5 cm long, nearly ellipsoid, brownish.

Additional specimen examined (paratypes):— BRAZIL. Bahia: Amargosa, 10 Km após a cidade de Elísio Medrado-BR 101, 6 December 1996, E. Leme 3712 ( RB!); Ubaíra, Povoado de Pindobas, 3 Km da BR420 , Ubaíra, Jiquiriçá (lado esquerdo), próximo a ponte de cimento, 15 September 2019, T. A. Silva 1, E. H. Souza & M. M. Leodegário ( HURB!); Amargosa, Região do Timbó, Estrada de Amargosa-Ubaíra. Sentido Baixinha , 21 April 2021, E. H. Souza 299 & A. J. A. Carvalho ( HURB!) .

Etymology:—The specific epithet amargosensis refers to the type locality, were the first collecting was carried out in 1996, in the municipality of Amargosa, Bahia. Amargosa is located in the region known as Recôncavo, in the Vale do Jiquiriçá. It is referred as “Cidade Jardim” (Garden City) due to the beauty of its squares and gardens, an attraction for residents and visitors.

Distribution, habitat and conservation:— Hohenbergia amargosensis sp. nov. was found growing in a fragment of the Atlantic Forest, forming small populations with 100 to 120 individuals in different stages of development. The species occurs as a terrestrial in disturbed environments with high insolation, composed of medium to large sized trees, which create a humid and shady environment.

The climate of the region is rainy and quite wet. The surrounding of the area of occurrence of H. amargosensis is characterized by pasturelands and other intense human activities, including extraction, and is crossed by many roads, and the remaining Atlantic Forest vegetation is highly fragmented. By plotting the known occurrences in Geocat software (geocat.kew.org), it was estimated that the extent of occurrence (EOO) is about 83 km 2 while the area of occupancy (AOO) is ca. 12 km 2. Since these areas are under threat of a rapidly human expansion, we categorized H. amargosensis as critically endangered [CR, B2ab (i, ii, iii, iv)], following the IUCN definition ( IUCN 2020).

Phenology:—The species starts blooming in April and the flowering period extends to June. Fruiting state was documented from September to November.

Observations:— Hohenbergia amargosensis belongs to the “ H. stellata complex” here conceived in a broad concept to encompass the species of the “ H. capitata complex” defined by Cavalcante et al. (2021). It assembles a total of seven species, including H. stellata Schultes & Schultes (1830: 1251) itself, as well as H. barbarespina Leme & Fraga ( Leme et al. 2010: 43), H. belemii Smith & Read (1976: 438) , H. capitata Schultes & Schultes (1830: 1252) , H. ituberaensis , H. nidularioides , and H. reconcavensis Leme & Fraga ( Leme et al. 2010: 43). This complex of species shares a combination of sessile to shortly stipitate floral branches, red to pink (at least toward the apex) floral bracts, petals usually lilac or sometimes white, wide crateriform rosette shape, besides the geographical distribution concentrated in the Atlantic Forest sector of Bahia state, except for H. stellata that has a much broader geographical range.

This new species is closely related to H. reconcavensis ( Fig. 3A–B ), H. stellata ( Figure 3 C–D ), and H. ituberaensis ( Fig. 3 E–F ). The main features that distinguish H. amargosensis from H. reconcavensis are its larger size when in bloom, longer peduncle, longer inflorescence (fertile part), with a larger basal diameter, which presents laxly arranged branches, primary bracts exceeding or equaling the branches, primary branches with longer basal stipes, and lilac petals and sepals (see diagnose).

In relation to H. stellata , H. amargosensis differs by its terrestrial habit (vs. prevailingly epiphytic), greater number of leaves (35 vs. 18–24), leaves with shorter spines, shorter than 2.2 mm in length (vs. 8–10 mm), inflorescence with a smaller basal diameter (14–18 cm vs. 25–40 cm), primary bracts longer than to equaling the branches (vs. shorter than the branches), floral bracts slightly shorter than to equaling to the sepals (vs. always exceeding the sepals), covered by peltate trichomes (vs. covered by glandular trichomes).

This new species can also be confused with H. ituberaensis . However, H. amargosensis differs from it by its larger size (when in bloom 125–160 cm vs. to 60–90 cm tall), longer inflorescence (35–50 cm vs. 15–25 cm long) with laxly arranged branches (vs. densely congested branches), longer peduncle (60–85 cm vs. 35–50 cm), and pale blue petals (vs. white).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Hohenbergia amargosensis from Baixa de Areia, Amargosa, Bahia state: A. Population at the type locality. B. Habit. C. Leaves, abaxial and adaxial view. D. Leaf apex. E. Spines at the base of the leaf blade. F. Inflorescences. G. Part of a branch with flower buds and one open flower. H. Peduncle with bracts. I. Two flowers. J. Petals with stamens. K. secondary bract. L. Adaxial view of the Sepal. M. Petal base with appendages. N. Longitudinal section of the ovary showing the placentation and ovules. O. Abaxial, adaxial and lateral view of the anthers. P. Stigma. Bars: C–D = 4 cm, E = 1 cm, F = 10 cm = G, I, J = 7 mm, H = 1.5 cm, K–L = 4 mm, M–N = 3 mm, O = 1.5 mm. Photos: E.H.Souza

FIGURE 2. Holotype of Hohenbergia amargosensis E.H. Souza & Leme (HURB 26388).

FIGURE 3. A-B. Hohenbergia reconcavensis. C–D. H. stellata. E–F. H. ituberaensis. A, C, E. Plant with inflorescence. B, D, F. Details of the Inflorescences. Photos: A–B. E.Leme, C–F. E.H.Souza