Lippia stachyoides Chamisso (1832: 227) var. guajajarana P.H.Cardoso & Salimena, 2020

Cardoso, Pedro Henrique, Neto, Luiz Menini, Trovó, Marcelo & Salimena, Fátima Regina Gonçalves, 2020, Novelties on Lippia sect. Goniostachyum (Verbenaceae): a new variety from the Brazilian Cerrado and additional nomenclatural and taxonomic notes, Phytotaxa 447 (4), pp. 283-288 : 284-286

Lippia stachyoides Chamisso (1832: 227) var. guajajarana P.H.Cardoso & Salimena , var. nov., ( Fig. 1 A–J ).

Diagnosis: —The new variety is characterized by reddish-brown branches; oblong to narrow-elliptic leaves, with shiny adaxial surface, apex acute to acuminate; frondose-bracteose inflorescences, 4–5 florescences per axil; bracts with apex acute to acuminate, basal bracts connate, apical bracts free, strigose-glandulose indument.

Type:— BRAZIL. Goiás, Chapadão do Céu e Mineiros, Parque Nacional das Emas, 10 December 1998, fl., M. A. Batalha 2415 (holotype CESJ!).

Shrub 0.6 m tall, monoecious, erect branches, tetragonal, sulcate, reddish-brown, strigose with sessile glandular trichomes. Leaves subsessile, 3-verticillate or opposite, blade 0.5–6 × 0.2–1 cm, gradually decreasing in size from the base to the apex, oblong to narrow-elliptic, coriaceous, apex acute to acuminate, base cuneate, margin serrate, adaxial surface shiny, sparsely strigose with glandular trichomes sessile, midvein conspicuously impressed, abaxial surface opaque, densely strigose with glandular trichomes sessile, venation pinnate, veins prominent, reddish-brown. Inflorescences frondose-bracteose, 4–5 florescences per axil; peduncle 1.9–2.1 mm long, tetragonal, slender, filiform, strigose with glandular trichomes sessile, florescence 4–5 × 5–6 mm, flowers sessile; bracts decussate, tetrastichous, two basal bracts connate, apical bracts free, 2.7–3 mm long, ovate, apex acute to acuminate, carinate, membranaceous, strigose, covered by glandular trichomes sessile, margin ciliate; calyx 0.7–1.7 mm long, green, 2-lobed, tubular, membranaceous, densely hispid, glandular trichomes sessile abundant, apex ciliate; corolla white, hypocrateriform, tube 2.2–3.5 mm long, strigose-glandular on the upper portion, blade 2-labiate, lobes 0.9–1 mm long, obtuse; stamens 4, didynamous, included, thecae parallel; ovary ca. 0.2 mm long, 2-loculate, 1 ovule per locule, spherical, style 1.4– 1.6 mm long, stigma oblique, lateral. Fruit schizocarp, 1 mm diam., spherical, light-brown, dorsal surface smooth, surrounded by the persistent calyx.

Distribution and ecology: — Lippia stachyoides var. guajajarana is currently known from the campo cerrado and campo sujo in the Emas National Park, Goiás State, collected with flowers in February and December and with fruits in February. Recently, one collection expedition to the type-locality and its surroundings was carried out with the aim to recollect this variety but were unsuccessful because the Park had been burned (F. Salimena pers. com.).

Etymology:—The epithet is an homage to Sônia Bone de Souza Silva Santos, civil name of Sônia Bone Guajajara. She is one of the main indigenous leaderships of Brazil representing all ethnicities, being also an important activist in the protection of biodiversity.

Conservation status: — Lippia stachyoides var. guajajarana is known from only two records in a conservation unit that suffers from the impact of anthropogenic fires and is surrounded by crops and highways ( ICMBIO 2004, Silva et al. 2011). Thus, it must be considered Critically Endangered (CR), AOO <10km 2, B2ab (ii, iii, iv) ( IUCN 2012).

Paratype:— Goiás, Chapadão do Céu e Mineiros, Parque Nacional das Emas, 4 February 1999, fl. and fr., M.A. Batalha 2922 (SP!).

Discussion: — Lippia stachyoides var. guajajarana is included in L. sect. Goniostachyum due to the presence of 4–5 florescences per axil and tetrastichous floral bracts. It differs from L. stachyoides var. stachyoides by the oblong to narrow-elliptic leaves (vs. ovate-rounded), shiny at adaxial surface (vs. opaque), acute to acuminate apex (vs. obtuse), and cuneate base (vs. rounded) and from the L. stachyoides var. martiana by the oblong to narrow-elliptic leaves (vs. ovate or elliptic), shiny at adaxial surface (vs. opaque), acute to acuminate apex (vs. acute to obtuse), bracts 2.7–3 mm long (vs. 3–6 mm) and corolla 2.2–3.5 mm long (vs. 4–7 mm). In the Emas National Park, L. stachyoides var. guajajarana is sympatric with L. stachyoides var. martiana , however each entity has features which allow them to be recognized as distinct varieties.

The type specimen of this new variety, the specimen M.A. Batalha 2415, was misidentified as Lippia hirta ( Chamisso 1832: 241) Meissner ex Dietrich (1843: 599) in the “Flora dos Estados de Goiás e Tocantins ” by Salimena et al. (2016). However, this last is an endemic species from São Paulo and Paraná States ( BFG 2018) and belongs to L. sect. Dipterocalyx ( Chamisso 1832: 241) Schauer (1847: 578) , characterized by hemispherical inflorescences and compressed calyx, 2-winged.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Lippia stachyoides var. guajajarana P.H.Cardoso & Salimena.A. Habit: branches with flowers; B. Leaf axil with numerous florescences; C. Leaf, adaxial side; D. Leaf, detail of the adaxial side; E. Leaf, abaxial side; F. Leaf, detail of the abaxial side; G. Florescence showing the basal bracts fused, flowers and buds; H. Detail of the floral bract, adaxial side; I. Flower, ventral view, with the calyx; J. Flower dissected, showing androecium and gynoecium (based on M.A. Batalha 2415 (CESJ - Type), drawn by Samyra Gomes Furtado).