Microlicia johnwurdackiana R.Romero & Valentim, 2021

Romero, Rosana & Valentim, Rodrigo, 2021, Microlicia deflexa and M. johnwurdackiana (Melastomataceae), two new species from the Brazilian Cerrado, PhytoKeys 181, pp. 113-128 : 113

Microlicia johnwurdackiana R.Romero & Valentim sp. nov.

Figs 4 , 5

Type.

Brazil. Minas Gerais: Uberlândia, 26 August 2015 (fl, fr), R. Romero et al. 8687 (holotype: HUFU!; isotypes: BHCB!, K!, OUPR!, P!, RB!, UEC!) .

Diagnosis.

Microlicia johnwurdackiana is recognised by its dense indumentum of setose trichomes and spherical, golden glands covering branch, leaf, pedicel, hypanthium and sepal, magenta petal with greenish apex on the abaxial surface and bicolorous and tetraesporangiate anther.

Description.

Subshrub or shrub, 0.3-1 m tall, erect, multi-branched. Stem terete, brownish. Branch fastigiate, younger branch quadrangular, green, densely covered of setose, pale trichomes 0.2-0.3 mm long mixed with spherical, golden glands, older branch sub-quadrangular, brownish, leafless with age. Leaf ascending, not imbricate; petiole ca. 0.3 mm long, leaf rarely sessile; blade 3.5-9.5 × 1.7-7 mm, leaf with the same size in the main and lateral branches, concolorous (when dry), green-brownish, chartaceous, ovate, acute at the apex, base rounded, margin crenulate, setose-ciliate, both surfaces with a dense indumentum of setose, pale trichomes 0.2-0.3 mm long mixed with spherical, golden glands, 3-veined, rarely 5-veined. Flower 5-merous, solitary, terminal or lateral, perianth actinomorphic; pedicel 0.8-1.2 mm long; hypanthium 2.3-3 × ca. 1.5 mm, light green, cylindrical, with a dense indumentum of setose, pale trichomes 0.2-0.3 mm long mixed with spherical, golden glands; calyx tube ca. 0.3 mm long; sepal 1.5-2 × 1-1.5 mm, vinaceous, triangular, with a dense indumentum of setose, pale trichomes 0.2-0.3 mm long mixed with spherical, golden glands, acute at the apex, with a terminal setose trichome ca. 0.2 mm long; petal 4.5-8 × 3.5-5 mm, magenta, greenish at the apex on the abaxial surface, obovate, acute or asymmetrically acuminate at the apex, margin entire, with sparse, spherical, golden glands at the apex; stamen 10, dimorphic, anther bicolorous, tetraesporangiate; larger (antesepalous) stamen, with filament 2.5-3 mm long, vinaceous, pedoconnective 1.8-2.5 mm long, vinaceous, ventral appendage ca. 1 mm long, with proximal half magenta, distal half yellow, obtuse at the apex, anther 2-2.5 mm long including beak, vinaceous, ovate-oblong, beak 0.4-0.6 mm long, white; smaller (antepetalous) stamen with filament 2-3 mm long, vinaceous, pedoconnective ca. 0.8 mm long, yellow, ventral appendage ca. 0.1 mm long, yellow, retuse at the apex, anther 1.5-1.8 mm long including beak, yellow, ovate-oblong, beak 0.3-0.5 mm long, yellow; ovary 3-locular, ovate to ovate-elliptic, superior, glabrous; style 4-4.5 mm long, magenta, terete, slightly curved, glabrous; stigma punctiform. Capsule 4-4.5 × 2-2.5 mm brownish to reddish, globose, dehiscing into 3-valves from the apex, hypanthium and sepals enveloping the entire capsule and peeling off top to bottom as the fruit mature, columella deciduous; seed 0.3-0.5 × 0.2-0.3 mm, brownish or reddish, oblong, testa foveolate.

Distribution and habitat.

Microlicia johnwurdackiana is endemic to Uberlândia, city of the Triângulo Mineiro, western Minas Gerais, Brazil. It occurs at Clube Caça e Pesca Itororó de Uberlândia in campo sujo near to vereda, on sandy soil, and in a private area in campo úmido with murundus (see Paulino et al. 2015) in the upper course of the Bacia do Rio Uberabinha, about 850 m elevation (Fig. 3 ).

Conservation status.

Microlicia johnwurdackiana has a restricted area of occupancy (AOO = 12 km2) and, according to the IUCN Categories and Criteria ( IUCN 2019), we recommend a conservation status of Critically Endangered [CR B1ab (iii) + 2ab (iii)]. According to the Brazilian Forest Code (Law 12.651/2012), the vereda in rural or urban areas are permanent preservation areas (APP). However, both localities, where M. johnwurdackiana occurs, are not protected by any conservation unit. Large populations occur at Clube Caça e Pesca Itororó de Uberlândia, a well-preserved vegetation fragment, located in the urban area of Uberlândia, recognised in 1992 as Reserva Particular de Patrimônio Natural (RPPN) ( IBAMA 1992). However, the ordinance was revoked by the same Institute ( IBAMA 2000) for lack of proper documentation, making this area vulnerable, except for the vereda and its surroundings, which is a permanent preservation area. Nevertheless, in recent years, this area has been heavily impacted by periodic fires, predatory collections, real estate speculation and the opening of trails for cyclists in the interior of the cerrado. The other area of occurrence is private property that has been seriously affected by the expansion of agriculture, invasion of exotic Pinus species, removal of refractory clay and frequent burning caused by farmers. As a result of so many threats, the civil society from Uberlândia has made an effort, through the non-governmental organisation Angá ( Associação para a Gestão Socioambiental do Triângulo Mineiro), for part of this area to become a permanent preservation area (P.K.B. Hemsing, pers. comm.).

Phenology.

Flowers and fruits have been collected from March to May and from July to December.

Etymology.

The specific epithet honours John Julius Wurdack (1921-1998), an American botanist who dedicated part of his life to studying the Melastomataceae family and described more than 900 species (see IPNI 2021). About 20 years ago, Wurdack examined the first collections of Microlicia made at Clube Caça e Pesca Itororó de Uberlândia (Romero et al. 535 at US) and indicated that it was likely a new species.

Discussion.

Microlicia johnwurdackiana is similar to M. hirticalyx Romero & Woodgyer, which is endemic to the south of the Espinhaço Range, Minas Gerais State, occurring in campo rupestre ( Romero and Woodgyer 2011). Both species have a dense indumentum of setose trichomes mixed with spherical, golden glands covering branch, leaf, hypanthium and sepal, 5-merous flower, solitary, terminal and lateral, dimorphic stamens with bicolorous and tetrasporangiate anthers. Microlicia hirticalyx differs in having oblong-campanulate hypanthium with patent trichomes 0.5-1.5 mm long (vs. cylindrical, ascending trichomes 0.2-0.3 mm long in M. johnwurdackiana ), sepal 2-3.5 mm long (vs. 1.5-2 mm long) and petal apiculate at the apex (vs. acute or asymmetrically acuminate, not apiculate). Microlicia johnwurdackiana also bears some resemblance to M. fasciculata Martius ex Naudin and M. polystemma Naudin. Microlicia fasciculata occurs in São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Goiás, Bahia and Distrito Federal ( Silva and Romero 2008; Romero et al. 2020) in campo rupestre, cerrado, campo limpo, campo sujo and campo úmido, while M. polystemma occurs in São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Goiás and Distrito Federal ( Silva and Romero 2008; Romero and Woodgyer 2015; Bacci et al. 2016; Romero et al. 2020) in campo rupestre and campo úmido. Both species are similar to M. johnwurdackiana in having setose trichomes and spherical glands covering the branch, leaf, pedicel, hypanthium and sepal. However, M. fasciculata has a villous indumentum with white trichomes that give a glaucous tonality to the plant (vs. setose indumentum with pale trichomes in M. johnwurdackiana ), campanulate hypanthium (vs. cylindrical), petal entirely pink (vs. magenta, greenish at the apex on the abaxial surface), rounded at the apex (vs. acute or asymmetrically acuminate), ciliate-glandular margin (vs. with sparse, spherical, golden glands only at the apex) and polysporangiate anther (vs. tetrasporangiate). Microlicia polystemma differs in having campanulate hypanthium (vs. cylindrical in M. johnwurdackiana ), yellow stamens, sometimes with pink spots in the anther (vs. vinaceous anther in the antesepalous whorl and yellow in the antepetalous one) and ovate-triangular sepal with a conspicuous setose trichome ca. 0.8 mm long at the apex (vs. triangular, trichome ca. 0.2 mm long). Table 2 includes additional features comparing M. hirticalyx , M. fasciculata and M. polystemma to M. johnwurdackiana .

Additional specimens examined (paratypes).

Brazil. Minas Gerais: Uberlândia, Clube Caça e Pesca Itororó de Uberlândia, 22 October 1993 (fl, fr), R. Romero et al. 535 (HUFU!, US!); idem, 30 November 1993 (fl, fr), R. Romero & A.A. Arantes 553 (HUFU!); idem, 1 December 1993 (fl, fr), R.Romero & J.N. Nakajima 559 (HUFU!); idem, 22 March 1994 (fl, fr), R. Romero 780 (HUFU!, K!); idem, 17 May 1994 (fl), R. Romero et al. 1004 (HUFU!); idem, 24 May 1994 (fr), R. Romero & A.A. Arantes 1013 (BHCB!, HUFU!); idem, 9 October 1998 (fl, fr), G.M. Araújo s.n. (HUFU 17845!); idem, 4 December 1998 (fl), A.F. Amaral et al 1419 (HUFU!); idem, 5 March 1999, A.A.A. Barbosa 1912 (HUFU!, SP!); idem, 29 November 2002 (fl), A.A.A. Barbosa s.n. (HUFU 31783!); idem, 14 April 2009 (fl, fr), R. Romero et al. 8212 (HUFU!, UEC!); idem, 26 May 2011 (fl, fr), A.F.A. Versiane & L.F. Bacci 17 (HUFU!, P!, US!); idem, 27 July 2011 (fl, fr), A.F.A. Versiane & L.F. Bacci 34 (HUFU!, RB!); idem, 1 September 2011 (fl, fr), A.F.A. Versiane et al. 39 (HUFU!, K!, P!, SP!, US!); idem, 1 November 2011 (fl, fr), A.F.A. Versiane et al. 57 (HUFU!, SP!, UEC!, UFG!); idem, 22 August 2012 (fl, fr), A.F.A. Versiane et al. 243 (HUFU!); idem, 26 October 2015, R. Romero 8687 (HUFU!); idem, 6 November 2015 (fl, fr), F.L. Contro et al. 169 (HUFU!); idem, 6 November 2015 (fl, fr), J.N. Nakajima 5100 (HUFU!); idem, 9 May 2016 (fl, fr), R. Romero 8825 (HUFU!, RB!); idem, 16 March 2017 (fl, fr), P.K.B. Hemsing et al. 564 (HUFU!) and 571 (HUFU!); idem, 30 October 2017 (fl, fr), J. Santiago et al. s.n. (HUFU 75665!); idem, 30 October 2017 (fl, fr), R.G. Clemente et al. s.n. (HUFU 75682!); idem, 9 March 2018 (fr), M.L. Viana 4 (HUFU!); idem, 7 May 2018 (fl, fr), F. L. Jesus et al. s.n. (HUFU 76820!); idem, 7 May 2018 (fl, fr), T. R. Leal & V. R. Teixeira s.n. (HUFU 76818!); idem, 10 May 2018 (fl, fr), R.V. Brito et al. 42 (HUFU!); Bacia do Rio Uberabinha, 19°22'33"S, 47°54'44"W, 9 October 2014 (fl, fr), P.K.B. Hemsing & J.C. Aguilar 328 (BHCB!, HUFU!, OUPR!).

Figures

Figure 3. Geographical distribution of Microlicia deflexa and Microlicia johnwurdackiana in Minas Gerais and Goias States, Brazil.

Figure 4. Microlicia johnwurdackiana R. Romero & Valentim A flowering branch B leaf abaxial surface (up) and adaxial surface (down) C floral bud D larger (antesepalous) stamen (on the left) and smaller (antepetalous) stamen (on the right) E capsule in two stages: immature enveloped by the hypanthium (on the right) and mature with hypanthium peeling off (on the left) (A, E A. F. A. Versiane et al. 57 B-D M. L. Viana 4).

Figure 5. Microlicia johnwurdackiana R. Romero & Valentim A cerrado landscape at Uberlandia, Triangulo Mineiro, Brazil, the type locality of M. johnwurdackiana B habit C flowering branches D flower in lateral view E flower in front view, detail of a greenish apex in the petals in the flower bud F immature fruits. Photos: Rosana Romero.