Lepidaploa psilostachya (DC.) Robinson (1990: 491)

Marques, Danilo, Farco, Gabriela Elizabeth, Nakajima, Jimi Naoki & Dematteis, Massimiliano, 2018, The genus Lepidaploa (Vernonieae, Asteraceae) in southern South America, Phytotaxa 362 (2), pp. 115-142 : 131

9. Lepidaploa psilostachya (DC.) Robinson (1990: 491) . Vernonia psilostachya Candolle (1836: 43) .

Type:— BRAZIL. São Paulo state, without locality, 1835, P. W. Lund 878 (holotype G-DC! [online image!]). Figure 15 .

Subshrubs 0.3–0.45 m tall; branches tomentose-glandular. Leaves distichous, basal and cauline, internodes 2.6–4.5 cm long, sessile, blade 1.4–3.87 × 0.4–1.2 cm, membranaceous, smooth, basal obovate-lanceolate, cauline lanceolate, apex acute, margins denticulate to serrulate, revolute, base attenuate, adaxial surface strigose, abaxial surface tomentose; venation camptodromous. Capitulescence seriate-cymose with capitula sessile, ca. 9 cm long, axis tomentose-glandular, golden. Involucre campanulate, 8–10 mm in diam., phyllaries 5–6-seriate, brown to reddish, membranaceous, villous to tomentose, outer oval-lanceolate, apex largely apiculate, inner elliptic-lanceolate, apex acute to acute-apiculate. Florets 21–23, corolla lilac to violet, tube 3.2–4 mm long, glabrous, lobes 2–2,5 mm long, lanceolate, apex setose; apical anther appendages obtuse, base obtuse; basal stylar node enlarged. Cypsela turbinate to obconic, 1.55–1.7 mm long, setose, idioblasts present; carpopodium anullar. Pappus white.

Selected specimens examined — ARGENTINA. Misiones: San Ignacio, Casa de H. Quiroga, 16 February 2009, M. Dematteis 3047 (CTES). BRASIL. Paraná: Tibagi, Guartelá, 14 December 2009, L.P. Deble 12020 (CTES).

Distribution and habitat —The species is scarcely distributed in the study region, occurring only in Paraná ( Brazil) and Misiones ( Argentina). According to Dematteis & Cabrera (2009), L. psylostachya also occurs in Paraguay in the departments of Alto Paraná and Cordillera. In southern South America it grows on stony fields of the Atlantic Rainforest ( Figure 16 ).

Phenology —Collected with flowers in November, February, and July.

Notes — Lepidaploa psilostachya is similar to L. amambaia . However, L. psilostachya is distinguished from the latter species by having both basal and cauline leaves and acute leaf apex. See comments under L. amambaia .

Figures

FIGURE 15. Lepidaploa psilostachya. A. Plant. B. Abaxial leaf surface detail. C. Abaxial leaf surface detail. D. Capitula. E. Cypsela. F. Floret. G–H. Corolla lobe detail. I. Floret dissected. J. Style. K. Anther. L–M. Outer phyllaries. N–P. Inner phyllaries. Source: Marques & Dematteis (2014).

FIGURE 16. Geographical distribution of L. psilostachya (circle) in Cone Sur.