Bertolonia bullata Baumgratz et al. (2011: 276)

Bisewski, Gessica C. A., Bacci, Lucas F., Amorim, André M. & Goldenberg, Renato, 2022, The Genus Bertolonia (Melastomataceae) In The State Of Bahia, Brazil, Phytotaxa 548 (2), pp. 153-183 : 161-162

3. Bertolonia bullata Baumgratz et al. (2011: 276) . Figures 2c , 5 .

Herbs 20–30 cm tall, epiphytic, rarely terrestrial. Stem 2–5 mm wide, rounded, densely glandulose-punctate (trichomes less than 0.1mm long).Leaves opposite; petioles 1.5–3.5 cm long, quadrangular, densely glandulose-punctate sometimes moderately glandulose-villose (trichomes 0.5–1 mm long); blades 7.1–8.2 × 3–9.9 cm, bullate, ovate seldom elliptic, base cordate, apex acuminate, seldom acute, margins denticulate, moderately to sparsely ciliate, adaxial surface dark green, sparsely glandulose-punctate, and sparsely glandulose-villose (trichomes 1.5–3.5 mm long, yellow), one trichome above each slope, abaxial surface vinaceous, moderately glandulose-punctate (trichomes less than 0.1 mm long, brownish), main veins 5, plus two pairs that do not reach the leaf apex, suprabasal. Inflorescences terminal, 2.8 cm long (5.7–8.6 cm long in infructescences), branches densely glandulose-punctate, moderately glandulose-punctate when old. Bracts 1–1.8 mm long, ovate, apex acute, margins ciliate, both surfaces glandulose-punctate; bracteoles ca. 0.5 mm long, elliptic to obovate, apex acute, both surfaces glandulose-punctate. Hypanthium 2.5–3.4 × 1.8–2.7 mm, obconic, glandulose-punctate. Sepals widely ovate, apex acute to obtuse, margins entire, eciliate, both surfaces glandulose-punctate. Petals 5.5–8 × 3–5.5 mm, white, ovate, base truncate, apex acuminate, margins entire, eciliate, both surfaces papillose, otherwise glabrous. Stamens 3.7–4.5 mm long; filaments 1.3–1.8 mm long; anthers 2.3–2.6 mm long, yellow, lanceolate, surface flat, pore rounded, non-thickened margins, introrse; connective prolonged (ca. 0.6 mm), dorsally thickened. Style 3.8–4.5 mm long, slightly curved, glabrous. Fruits 0.4–0.6 × 0.6–0.8 cm. Seeds reniform.

Examined material: — BRAZIL. Bahia: Arataca, Amorim 5251 ( CEPEC!); Amorim 5979 ( CEPEC!); Amorim 6585 ( CEPEC!); Amorim 66 75 ( CEPEC!); Jardim, A.B. 62 ( CEPEC!); Jardim, A.B. 183 ( CEPEC!); Jardim, J.G. 3959 ( CEPEC!); Jardim, J.G. 4358 ( CEPEC!); Jardim, J.G. 4715 ( CEPEC!); Jardim, J.G. 4823 ( CEPEC!); Thomas 14073 ( CEPEC!). Barro Preto, Amorim 4523 ( CEPEC!); Amorim 4831 ( CEPEC!). Camacan, Amorim 8000 ( CEPEC!, RB!). Jussari, Amorim 2318 ( CEPEC!). Una, Amorim 1702 ( CEPEC!, UEC).

Conservation Status: — Bertolonia bullata occur in severely fragmented areas on high elevation (500–1000m). It has been collected within the “Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Serra Bonita” and in the “Parque Nacional Serra das Lontras”. Bertolonia bullata has an EOO of 1,977 km ² and AOO of 378 km ², and should be classified as “Endangered” (EN), following IUCN (2017) categories.

Notes: — Bertolonia bullata is endemic to Bahia, occurring in montane rainforests ( Fig. 3c ), in humid and shady areas in the southeastern portion of the state. Collected with flowers in November and December, and fruits from August to April. Bertolonia bullata is characterized by the leaf blade with dark green, bullate adaxial surface, sparsely glandulose-punctate and glandulose-villose (trichomes 1.5–3.5 mm long), and by the stem, abaxial leaf surface, hypanthium and sepals only glandulose-punctate. Bertolonia bullata is similar to B. vitoriana Bacci & Michelangeli (in Bacci et al. 2018: 788). Both have the stem, abaxial leaf surface, hypanthium and sepals glandulose-punctate, petals with an apiculate apex, anthers with an introrse pore and the connective prolonged below the thecae. Bertolonia bullata differs from B. vitoriana by the bullate leaf surface (vs. flat in B. vitoriana ) and petioles and adaxial surface of the leaf blade glandulose-villose (vs. petioles and adaxial surface of the leaf blade only glandulose-punctate). For more details, see Baumgratz et al. (2011) and Table 1 .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Specimens in vivo. A. Bertolonia alternifolia. B. B. angustipetala. C. B. bullata. D. B. carmoi. E. B. cuspidata. F. B. hirsutissima. Photos:A, C, and E by A. M. A. Amorim; D by G. C. A. Bisewski; B and F by L. F. Bacci.

FIGURE 3. Distributions of species of Bertolonia in Bahia.A. Bertolonia alternifolia. B. Bertolonia angustipetala. C. Bertolonia bullata. D. Bertolonia carmoi. E. Bertolonia cuspidata. F. Bertolonia hirsutissima. G. Bertolonia igrapiuna. H. Bertolonia kollmannii.

FIGURE 5. Bertolonia bullata. A. Fertile branch. B. Trichomes on the petiole. C. Short-stalked glandular trichomes on the adaxial leaf surface. D. long-stalked glandular trichomes on the abaxial leaf surface. E. Inflorescence. F. Hypanthium and calyx, abaxial surface. G. Petals apex. H. Stamen, dorsal (left) and lateral (right) views. I. Ovary and style. [A, E, F, G, H, I: Jardim, J.G. 3959; B: Amorim 2318; C,D: Amorim 8000].