Kielmeyera ferruginosa A.B.Santos & R.J.Trad, 2015

Santos, Amanda Pricilla Batista, Trad, Rafaela Jorge, Santo, Fabio Da Silva Do Espírito, Amaral, Maria Do Carmo Estanislau Do & Rapini, Alessandro, 2015, Kielmeyera ferruginosa (Calophyllaceae), a new species from the Atlantic Forest, southern Bahia, Brazil, Phytotaxa 221 (3), pp. 288-294 : 289-291

Kielmeyera ferruginosa A.B.Santos & R.J.Trad , sp. nov. ( Figs 1–2 )

Kielmeyera ferruginosa belongs to the section Prolifera because of the erect anthers and the connectives dorsally not prominent, differing from all other species of this section by the rusty color of trunk and branches (vs. grayish-brown to yellowish), orange-colored latex (vs. white/yellowish) and secondary veins prominent on the abaxial surface (vs. flat) and more distant from each other [8−20 vs. 2−8(−10) mm].

Type: — BRAZIL. Bahia: Una, km 38 of the highway BA-001, 15°08’06.2” S, 39°00’05.8”W, 9 April 2014 (fl.), R. J. Trad, L. S. Kato, R. Morokawa & L. Daneu 136 (holotype UEC!, isotypes HUEFS!, RB!).

Tree to 20 m tall; latex orange-colored; trunk and branches rusty in color, peeling in thin sheets; lateral roots robust, with lenticels. Leaves with petiole 1.7 − 3.5 cm long, sulcate on the adaxial surface, glabrous; blade 17.5 − 28.7 × 5.8 − 10.5 cm, elliptic-obovate, base cuneate, apex obtuse to retuse, margin revolute, coriaceous, glabrous, light green, concolorous, becoming yellowish-orange in sicco; midrib impressed on the adaxial surface, prominent on the abaxial surface; secondary veins 16 − 20 pairs, prominent in both surfaces, 8 − 20 mm apart, ending in conspicuous marginal arcs, inter-secondary veins slightly visible; tertiary veins reticulate, flat on both surfaces. Inflorescences thyrses of cymes with 1 − 3 flowers, lax, 22 − 34 cm long, glabrous; pedicel 5 − 7(− 12) mm long; bracts and bracteoles 4 − 5 × 4 − 6 mm, early deciduous. Flowers monoclinous or staminate; sepals ovate, base and apex obtuse, margin scarious, green, glabrous, external sepals 6 − 9 × 4.5 − 8 mm, internal sepals 8 − 10 × 7.5 − 10 mm; petals 4 − 4.5 × 1.5 − 2.2 cm, asymmetric, white, glabrous; filaments 6 − 12 mm long; anthers ca. 2 × 1 mm, asymmetric, subdorsifixed, gland absent. Ovary ca. 10 × 7 mm; style 4 − 7 mm long, stigma capitate, trilobate. Capsules 14 − 15 × 4 − 4.5 cm, oblong, trisulcate, rough, brownish. Seeds with seminiferous core ca. 2 × 2, 5 cm and wings ca. 3 cm long.

Additional specimens examined (paratypes): — BRAZIL. Bahia: Una , 18 October 1994 (fr.), J. G. Jardim et al. 569 ( CEPEC) ; Una , 4 November 1997 (fl.), J. G. Jardim et al. 1152 ( CEPEC, UEC) ; Una , 15°08’06.1’’S, 39°00’05.7’’W, 24 March 2014 (st.), A. P. B. Santos & L. Daneu 55 ( HUEFS) ; Una , 15°08’06.2’’S, 39°00’05.8’’W, 9 April 2014 (fr.), R. J. Trad et al. 137 ( UEC) ; Una , 9 April 2014 (st.), R. J. Trad et al. 138 ( UEC) .

Etymology: —The epithet refers to the rusty color of trunk and branches, a character that promptly allows the identification of the new species.

Distribution and habitat: — Brazil: Bahia, Una ( Fig. 3 ). The only known population comprises individuals in different stages of development and is located in an area of flooded arboreal Restinga vegetation along margins of the highway BA-001.

Conservation status: —The Atlantic Forest of southern Bahia has a high biological importance, due to the high species diversity, levels of endemism and for hosting one of the largest numbers of tree species in the world ( Thomas et al. 1998, Amorim et al. 2005, Martini et al. 2007). Despite the considerable importance, the Atlantic Forest is highly fragmented, with only approximately 12% of the original vegetation remaining, which is still subjected to severe anthropogenic interventions ( Ribeiro et al. 2009).

The population of K. ferruginosa is located about 300 m away from a highway and in an area susceptible to deforestation and burning, activities that are common in the region. Despite the high collection effort in Una and surrounding municipalities, K. ferruginosa is known from few collections only, all from the same locality. Taking into account the susceptibility of the area to human activities associated with the accelerated degradation of the Atlantic Forest of southern Bahia and the restricted known distribution of the species, K. ferruginosa is classified as Critically Endangered (CR), following the criteria B2ab(iii) ( IUCN 2012).

Notes: —According to the infrageneric classification proposed by Saddi (1982, 1984c), Kielmeyera is subdivided into two subgenera, 11 sections and seven series. Based on morphological data, K. ferruginosa belongs to the section Prolifera , which is characterized by erect anthers and connectives dorsally not prominent. However, the new species can be promptly distinguished from the other species of this section by the rusty-colored trunk and branches (vs. grayish-brown to yellowish), orange-colored latex (vs. white/yellowish) and the secondary veins more distant from each other [8 − 20 vs. 2 − 8(− 10) mm] and strongly prominent on the abaxial surface; besides, the new species inhabit flooded areas, a condition so far unique in the genus.

Among the four series within the section Prolifera [Marauensis Saddi (1984c: 737), Neglectae Saddi (1984c: 735), Rugosae Saddi (1984c: 735) and Rupestres Saddi (1984c: 737) ], K. ferruginosa is morphologically more similar to species in the series Rupestres and Neglectae. It shares with species of Rupestres the eglandulose anthers, and ovate sepals with scarious margins, differing by the larger size [> 10 m vs. <8 m] and leaves with strongly prominent veins in the adaxial surface (vs. slightly prominent or immersed). With respect to series Neglactae , the new species shares the size (> 10 m), adaxially canaliculate petiole and ovate sepals with scarious margins, differing by the eglandulose anthers. In order to facilitate identification we provide below a key adapted from Saddi (1982), including the species most closely related to the new species (from series Rupestres and Neglectae). Phylogenetic studies using molecular data will possibly define the position of K. ferruginosa in the genus.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Kielmeyera ferruginosa. A. branch with inflorescence; B. peeling at the apex of a branch; C. sepal, adaxial view; D. petal, adaxial view; E. staminate flower; F. monoclinous flower; G. stamens; H. gynoecium; I. fruit. (A–H from R.J. Trad et al. 136; I from R.J. Trad et al. 137). (Drawn by Klei Sousa)

FIGURE 2. Kielmeyera ferruginosa from Una, Bahia, Brazil (photographs A and G by R.J. Trad and B–F by A.P.B. Santos). A. habit; B. roots; C. trunk; D. latex; E. leaf adaxial surface; F. leaf abaxial surface; G. inflorescence.

FIGURE 3. Distribution of Kielmeyera ferruginosa: Una municipality, Bahia, Brazil.