Stigmatodon itamarajuensis Leme, D.R. Couto & L. Kollmann, 2022

Leme, Elton M. C., Couto, Dayvid R., Kollmann, Ludovic J. C. & Fraga, Claudio Nicoletti De, 2022, Novelties in Stigmatodon (Bromeliaceae, Tillandsioideae), a genus endemic to Brazil: three new species, one new combination, and two new stigma types, Phytotaxa 576 (3), pp. 233-249 : 241-243

Stigmatodon itamarajuensis Leme, D.R. Couto & L. Kollmann , sp. nov. ( Figs. 5 A–I )

Diagnosis: —This new species differs from S. freicanecanus , its closest morphological relative, by the propagation by basal shoots (vs. suberect stolons), leaf blades narrower at the base (1.5–2 cm vs. 2.5–2.7 cm), floral bracts shorter (ca. 8 mm vs. 10–13 mm long), sepals broadly elliptic (vs. broadly obovate) and subacute to narrowly obtuse (vs. obtuse to emarginate), petals larger (40–41 × 18 mm vs. 34 × 15–18 mm), whitish with a central-distal purplish-vinaceous portion (vs. yellowish-green).

Type –– BRAZIL. Bahia: Itamaraju, Fazenda Monte Pescoço, propriedade Carlinhos Mascarenhas , Monte Pescoço , 125 m elevation, 16° 59’ 08.3” S, 39° 34’ 38.5” W, 20 April 2009, E. Leme 7758, L. Kollmann , A. P. Fontana & C. Esgario (holotype RB!) .

Description:— Plants rupicolous, flowering 30–45 cm tall, propagating by basal shoots. Leaves 14–17 in number, densely rosulate, thin coriaceous, forming a narrow funnelform rosette; sheath ovate, 6–7 × 3.5–4 cm, densely and minutely pale castaneous lepidote on both sides, corrugated at the distal end when dry, coriaceous; blade narrowly triangular, acuminate-caudate, canaliculate toward the base and nearly flat toward the apex, suberect to spreadingrecurved, 7–10 cm long, 1.5–2 cm wide at the base, densely white lepidote on both sides but trichomes not obscuring the green color of the blade, margins truncate. Peduncle suberect or curved at the base, 14–20 cm long, 0.3–0.4 cm in diameter, greenish to dark vinaceous-purple, glabrous, not sulcate at anthesis; peduncle bracts the basal ones subfoliaceous, the upper ones ovate, acuminate to acute, 7–15 × 8 mm, slightly to distinctly shorter than the internodes, densely white lepidote toward the apex, suberect, greenish-purple with irregular longitudinal dark purple stripes. Inflorescence simple, suberect, linear in outline at anthesis, ca. 8 cm long, ca. 5-flowered; main axis smooth at anthesis, greenish-purple, glabrous, bluntly if at all angled, flexuous mainly toward the distal end, internodes 0.8–1.5 × 0.2–0.3 cm; floral bracts subreniform, rounded, ca. 8 × 12 mm, glabrous, ecarinate, remote and secund with the flowers at anthesis, thin coriaceous, rugulose, dark vinaceous-purple or greenish with irregular longitudinal dark purple stripes, slightly exceeding the pedicels. Flowers ca. 47 mm long (with petals extended), nocturnal, with a garlic odor, distichous, laxly disposed and distinctly secund at anthesis; pedicel ca. 6 mm long, ca. 7 mm in diameter at the distal end, stout, dark purple, glabrous; sepals broadly elliptic-ovate, subacute to narrowly obtuse, 16–17 × 10 mm, green with vinaceous-purple margins or sometimes with vinaceous-purple longitudinal stripes, glabrous, smooth, ecarinate, thin coriaceous, apical margins membranaceous; petals obovate-spathulate, apex subacute to narrowly obtuse, suberect at anthesis, 40–41 × 18 mm, whitish with a central-distal portion purplish-vinaceous abaxially, bearing 2 appendages at the base; appendages 8–9 × 2.5 mm, lanceolate, basally adnate to the petals for ca. 4.5 mm, apex acuminate; corolla campanulate, ca. 32 mm in diameter; filaments free, ca. 24 × 1.5 mm, slightly complanate, white; anthers 7–8 mm long, dorsifixed near the base, base bilobed, apex acute, arranged three on each side of corolla at anthesis; stigma convolute-bladed type III, blades greenish-yellow with some vinaceous parts, spreading, subdensely papillose along the margins; ovules caudate at the chalazal end. Capsules unknown.

Etymology: ___ The specific epithet is a reference to the county of Itamaraju, Bahia state, where this new species was found.

Distribution and habitat:— Stigmatodon itamarajmuensis is known from the type collection only. It was found in the county of Itamaraju, Bahia state, in the well-known Monte Pescoço, a granitic inselberg that can be seen from a distance and stands out by its narrow and pointed shape, contrasting with the surrounding coastal plains, once completely covered by Atlantic Forest (figs. 5 A–B).

This new species was found growing on a difficult-to-access, vertical granitic wall, forming a very large and dense population completely covering the rocky surface (figs. 5 C–D).

Preliminary conservation status: ___ Vulnerable [VU: D2 ]. Stigmatodon itamarajuensis is only known from its type locality, a dome-shaped inselberg known as Monte Pescoço, in the Atlantic Forest from the southern region of Bahia. It has an AOO of 4 km 2, an undefined EOO, and is not found in any conservation unit. Due to the apparent rarity and restricted distribution and the small size of its population, being prone to the effects of stochastic events in near future, it seems prudent to include this new species in the Vulnerable category [D2].

Observations: ___ Stigmatodon itamarajuensis is morphologically closely related to S. freicanecanus , but differs from it mainly by the propagation by short basal shoots, in contrast to the many suberect stolons produced by S. freicanecanus , as well as by the floral bracts shorter (ca. 8 mm vs. 10–13 mm long), and the petals larger (40–41 × 18 mm vs. 34 × 15–18 mm), whitish with a central-distal purplish-wine portion abaxially (vs. yellowish-green).

While this new species is only known from the type locality, situated in the county of Itamaraju , Bahia, where it was found on vertical granitic rock walls, S. freicanecanus is endemic to the Pernambuco state where it forms a large population composed of densely arranged plants on more or less horizontal rocky outcrops.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Stigmatodon itamarajuensis. A. General view of the landscape at the type locality with Monte Pescoço on the left side. B. Close up of Monte Pescoço. C–D. Population near the base of Monte Pescoço. E. Habit. F. Distal portion of the inflorescence and lateral view of the flower. G. Details of the propagation by short basal shoots. H. Details of the stamens. I. Frontal view of the flower (A–D, F, H, I, photos E. Leme; E, G, photos by D.R. Couto).