Athenaea altoserranae I.M.C. Rodrigues & Stehmann, 2021

Rodrigues, Izabella Martins da Costa, Knapp, Sandra & Stehmann, Joao Renato, 2021, Two new species of Athenaea Sendtn. (Solanaceae) from the Atlantic forests of south-eastern Brazil, PhytoKeys 178, pp. 1-15 : 1

Athenaea altoserranae I.M.C. Rodrigues & Stehmann sp. nov. Figs 1 , 2 , 3

Diagnosis.

Similar to Athenaea fasciculata from which it can be distinguished in leaves arranged in clusters at the top of the stems (versus evenly distributed), warty somewhat lenticellate floral pedicels (versus without lenticels) and dark purplish-brown mature fruits (versus green).

Type.

Brazil. São Paulo: Santo André, Distrito de Paranapiacaba, mais ou menos no km 3 da rodovia Estacao de Campo Grande - Paranapiacaba , 18 Oct 1967 (fl, fr), J. Mattos & N. Mattos 15078 (holotype: SP [acc. # 106084]) .

Description.

Small trees, 3-8 m tall; branching dichotomous, especially distally. Stems quadrangular in cross-section, longitudinally striate, glabrous, brownish. Sympodial units difoliate, the leaves usually geminate, occasionally solitary. Leaves simple, alternate, spreading, arranged in clusters (short internodes) near branch apices, lanceolate, narrowly lanceolate, sometimes elliptic-lanceolate; blades (3.5-) 8.9-28.5 (50) cm long, (1)1.8-8.3 (15) cm wide, 2-6 times longer than wide, coriaceous, slightly discolorous; abaxial and adaxial surfaces glabrous, shiny; venation brochidodromous and prominent abaxially, with 6-12 pairs of principal veins; base attenuate, somewhat decurrent and asymmetric, occasionally somewhat cordate; margins entire and slightly revolute; apex acute or acuminate, sometimes notched (retuse); petioles (0.65-) 1-4(5.3) cm long, glabrous. Inflorescences axillary, sessile fascicles, with 4-8 flowers; pedicels 1.2-2.5 cm long, spreading or deflexed, glabrous and lenticellate, distally annular (constricted below a swollen pedicel apex). Flower buds globose, greenish-cream. Flowers 5-merous, heteromorphic with short- and long-styled forms. Calyx 1.8-3.5 mm long, campanulate-rotate, green, glabrous, the tube 0.4-1 mm long, the lobes 1-2.5 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, triangular, the apex acute or obtuse, glabrous on both surfaces. Corolla 7-13 mm long, stellate, white abaxially, cream with green to brownish spots adaxially, the tube 3-4 mm long, the lobes 3.5-9 mm long, 3-5.6 mm wide, triangular-lanceolate, glabrous abaxially, with glandular trichomes (stalk 2-celled, the head unicellular) at the base adaxially, the margins densely papillate. Stamens equal, glabrous; filaments 1.8-3 mm long, the stapet (basal extension of the filaments) ca. 1.5 mm long; anthers 1.8-3 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, oblong, yellowish-green, dehiscent by longitudinal slits. Ovary ca. 2.5 mm long, subglobose, greenish-cream, glabrous, surrounded by a yellowish green nectary; styles heteromorphic, long styles 4.2-5 mm long, short styles 2.3-2.8 mm long, greenish-white; stigma dilated, discoidal, greenish-white. Fruit a subglobose berry, 8-16 mm long, 8-19 mm in diameter, green when immature, dark brown to almost purplish-black at maturity, the surface glabrous; fruiting calyx not accrescent, up to 1.8 times longer in fruit than in flower, the apex of lobes up to 1/4 of fruit length; fruiting pedicels 2.1-4.1 cm long, enlarged at the apex, glabrous, pendent. Seeds up to 22 per berry, 2.4-2.8 mm long, 2.2-2.5 mm wide, semicircular to ovoid-reniform, yellow to brown, the testa reticulate, foveolate, the embryo curved. Chromosome number: not known.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a reference to "Alto da Serra", located in the District of Paranapiacaba, Municipality of Santo André, São Paulo State, where the species, including the type gathering, has been collected since 1917. This area was the first biological station in South America, established in 1909 by Hermann Friedrich Albrecht von Ihering. In 1938, under the administration of the Instituto de Botânica de São Paulo, the name was changed to Reserva Biológica do Alto da Serra de Paranapiacaba ( Marcolin 2009).

Phenology.

Athenaea altoserranae flowers and fruits from August to March.

Distribution and habitat.

Athenaea altoserranae is endemic to Brazil and restricted to the edges of the plateau of the Serra do Mar mountain range in São Paulo State. It grows in the wet Atlantic rain forest (Mata Atlântica), often in clearings and along trails or other open places from 714 to 1,100 m elevation.

Preliminary conservation assessment

( IUCN 2019). Endangered (EN). EOO 1,240.9 km2 (EN); AOO 48 km2 (EN). This species occurs in the plateau of Serra do Mar and near the coast in the Municipality of Cananéia, São Paulo State, an area originally totally covered by Atlantic rain forest. The restricted range, coupled with the fragmented habitat, suggests a preliminary assessment of Endangered B1a and B2a, b (ii and iii).

Discussion.

Specimens of Athenaea altoserranae have been variously identified in herbaria as Aureliana fasciculata (Vell.) Sendtn., Aureliana fasciculata var. longifolia (Sendtn.) Hunz. and Barboza or Aureliana glomuliflora Sendtn. - all currently recognised as synonyms of the widespread glabrous species Athenaea fasciculata (Vell.) I.M.C. Rodrigues & Stehmann. Athenaea fasciculata is the most widespread species of the genus and is distributed along the Atlantic rain forest from southern to north-eastern Brazil, but also occurs south to Paraguay and Argentina and west to eastern Peru and Bolivia (see Rodrigues et al. 2019). Athenaea altoserranae is sympatric with A. fasciculata , A. cuspidata , A. pogogena , A. picta , A. sellowiana and A. wettsteiniana .

Hunziker and Barboza (1990) recognised three infraspecific taxa within their circumscription of Aureliana fasciculata ( A. fasciculata var. fasciculata , A. fasciculata var. longifolia Sendtn. and A. fasciculata var. tomentella Hunz. & Barboza). They included material of Athenaea altoserranae in their circumscription of var. Athenaea altoserranae longifolia along with other specimens collected in Bahia and the border of São Paulo with Paraná (SP/PR); the only original material we have seen for var. Athenaea altoserranae longifolia was destroyed in the bombing of the Berlin herbarium and no duplicates have been found, but a photograph (F neg. 2880, of an un-numbered F. Sellow collection from "Brasilia australiore" annotated " Bassovia glomuliflora Dun. β longifolium ") corresponds to A. fasciculata s.l. and not to A. altoserranae ( Rodrigues et al. 2019). Although all of the specimens included in var. Athenaea altoserranae longifolia by Hunziker and Barboza (1990) share completely glabrous leaves, the plants from Bahia and from the São Paulo/ Paraná border have small flowers, long-obovate leaves with a cuspidate apex and longer petioles, thus distinguishing them from the plants here recognised as A. altoserranae . We currently include these plants from Bahia and from the São Paulo/ Paraná border in our circumscription of A. fasciculata s.l.

Athenaea altoserranae can be distinguished from A. fasciculata s.l. by its erect and long-lanceolate leaves clustered at the tips of shoots versus broader leaves evenly spaced along the stem, warty versus smooth fruiting pedicels and dark brown versus green mature fruits. Phylogenetic studies of the group, using molecular data (plastid and nuclear markers), provide additional support for the distinction of these populations. Zamberlan et al. (2015) found that Athenaea altoserranae (as Aureliana sp. nov.) does not belong to the same clade as Aureliana fasciculata , but is, instead, a member of a clade with A. sellowiana (Sendtn.) I.M.C. Rodrigues & Stehmann and A. velutina (Sendtn.) D’Arcy that is sister to Athenaea pogogena (Moric.) Sendtn. + Athenaea cuspidata Witasek + Athenaea picta (Mart.) Sendtn.

Athenaea sellowiana is also morphologically similar to A. altoserranae in its glabrous stems and leaves and is broadly sympatric with it in São Paulo State. The two species can be distinguished by flower texture (calyx and corolla fleshy in A. sellowiana and foliaceous in A. altoserranae ) and the more strictly lanceolate leaves of A. altoserranae (versus narrowly oblanceolate, elliptic or oblong leaves in A. sellowiana ).

Additional specimens examined.

Brazil. São Paulo: Cunha, Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar, 12 Dec 1989 (fl), O.T. Aguiar 338 (SPSF); Cunha, Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar , Estrada de acesso ao Núcleo, margens do Rio Paraibuna , 28 Jan 2004 (fl, fr), F.A.R.D.P. Arzolla 435 (ESA); Biritiba Mirim, Estacao Biologica de Boraceia , 29 Sep 1983 (fl), A. Custódio Filho 1570 (BHCB); Biritiba Mirim, Estacao Biologica de Boraceia , 29 Sep 1983 (fl), A. Custódio Filho 1592 (SP); Biritiba Mirim, Estacao Biologica de Boraceia , 21 Oct 1983 (fl), A. Custódio Filho 1723 (SP); Biritiba Mirim, Estacao Biologica de Boraceia , 26 Oct 1983 (fl, fr), A. Custódio Filho 1735 (SP); Alto da Serra , 20 Nov 1984 (fl), T.P. Guerra & M. Kirizawa 90 (BHCB); Alto da Serra , Caixa d’água, 6 Oct 1922 (fl), F.C. Hoehne s.n. (SP); Natividade da Serra , Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar , Núcleo Santa Virgínia, 14 Nov 2005 (fl, fr), N.M. Ivanauskas et al. 5196 (MBM); Bertioga, Rodovia BR 101, Km 216, 21 Aug 1995 (fl, fr), M. Kirizawa et al. 3177 (BHCB); Cunha, Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar , trilha para a casa do Silvestre, 20 Mar 1996 (fr), M. Kirizawa et al. 3271 (SPF); Alto da Serra , Estacao Biologica , 17 Mar 1944 (fr), M. Kuhlmann s.n. (SP); Salesópolis, Boracéia, 22 Nov 1957 (fl), M. Kuhlmann 4308 (SP); Estacao Biologica do Alto da Serra de Paranapiacaba , 27 Nov 1980 (fl), E.A. Lopes et al. 92 (SP); Cunha, Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar , trilha do Rio Bonito , 16 Nov 2006 (fl, fr), E.J. Lucas et al. 369 (BHCB); Santo André, A. da Serra, Est. Biológica, 19 Oct 1918 (fl), A. Pedroso 13 (SP); Salesópolis, Estacao Biologica de Boraceia , 20 Oct 2001 (fl, fr), J.R. Pirani et al. 4906 (SP); Distrito de Paranapiacaba , Estrada para a parte alta do distrito, em frente à guarita da Estacao Biologica do Instituto de Botanica , 12 Oct 2009 (fl, fr), I.M.C. Rodrigues et al. 71 (BHCB); Caminho da Bela Vista , Parque Ecológico Municipal das Nascentes de Paranapiacaba , 13 Oct 2009 (fl, fr), I.M.C. Rodrigues et al. 75 (BHCB); Caminho da Bela Vista , 13 Oct 2009 (fl, fr), I.M.C. Rodrigues et al. 76 (BHCB); Caminho da Bela Vista , Parque Ecológico Municipal das Nascentes de Paranapiacaba , 13 Oct 2009 (fl), I.M.C. Rodrigues et al. 77 (BHCB); Caminho da Bela Vista , Parque Ecológico Municipal das Nascentes de Paranapiacaba , 13 Oct 2009 (fl, fr), I.M.C. Rodrigues et al. 80 (BHCB); Caminho da Bela Vista , Parque Ecológico Municipal das Nascentes de Paranapiacaba , 13 Oct 2009 (fl, fr), I.M.C. Rodrigues et al. 81 (BHCB); Caminho da Bela Vista , Parque Ecológico Municipal das Nascentes de Paranapiacaba ; 13 Oct 2009 (fl, fr), I.M.C. Rodrigues et al. 82 (BHCB); Caminho da Bela Vista , Parque Ecológico Municipal das Nascentes de Paranapiacaba ; 13 Oct 2009 (fl, fr), I.M.C. Rodrigues et al. 83 (BHCB); Santo André, Distrito de Paranapiacaba , em frente à guarita da Reserva Biologica do Instituto de Botanica de São Paulo, 23 Jan 2014 (fl, fr), I.M.C. Rodrigues et al. 625 (BHCB); Cananéia, Ilha do Cardoso , Reserva Biológica, Margem do Rio Pereque , 14 Sep 1983 (fl), S. Romaniuc Neto 97 (SP); Paranapiacaba, 3 Oct 1998 (fl), L.C.Q.M.P. Sampaio & D. Vedovello 119 (BHCB); Santo André, Alto da Serra , Dec 1917 (fl), E. Schwebel 132 (SP); Mogi das Cruzes, Sitio do Mauro Peixoto , 24 Oct 2007 (fl, fr), J.R. Stehmann et al. 4800 (BHCB); Biritiba Mirim, Estacao Biologica de Boraceia , 24 Oct 2007 (fl), J.R. Stehmann et al. 4818 (BHCB); Biritiba Mirim, Estacao Biologica de Boraceia , 24 Oct 2007 (fl, fr), J.R. Stehmann et al. 4819 (BHCB); Biritiba Mirim, Estacao Biologica de Boraceia , 24 Oct 2007 (fl, fr), J.R. Stehmann et al. 4820 (BHCB); Biritiba Mirim, Estacao Biologica de Boraceia , 24 Oct 2007 (fl, fr), J.R. Stehmann et al. 4823 (BHCB); Biritiba Mirim, Estacao Biologica de Boraceia , 24 Oct 2007 (fl), J.R. Stehmann et al. 4824 (BHCB); Biritiba Mirim, Estacao Biologica de Boraceia , 24 Oct 2007 (fl), J.R. Stehmann et al. 4825 (BHCB); Biritiba Mirim, Estacao Biologica de Boraceia , Estrada para Salesópolis, 24 Oct 2007 (fl, fr), J.R. Stehmann et al. 4839 (BHCB); Cunha, Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar , 24 Oct 2007 (fl), J.R. Stehmann et al. 4846 (BHCB); Cunha, Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar , 24 Oct 2007 (fl), J.R. Stehmann et al. 4848 (BHCB); Santo André, Estrada Paranapiacaba - Taquarussú, 14 Oct 2009 (fl, fr), V.A. Thode et al. 251 (BHCB); Santo André, Estrada Paranapiacaba - Taquarussú, 14 Oct 2009 (fl, fr), V.A. Thode et al. 253 (BHCB); Santo André, Estrada Paranapiacaba - Taquarussú; 14 Oct 2009 (fl, fr), V.A. Thode et al. 254 (BHCB) .

Figures

Figure 1. Athenaea altoserranae I. M. C. Rodrigues & Stehmann a flower bud b flower c branches with buds, flowers and fruits d fruit. Illustrated from I. M. C. Rodrigues et al. 625 (BHCB). Illustration by I. M. C. Rodrigues. Scale bars 1 cm.

Figure 2. Athenaea altoserranae I. M. C. Rodrigues & Stehmann in the field a I. M. C. Rodrigues et al. 80 b, c, e Stehmann et al. 4800 (BHCB) d I. M. C. Rodrigues et al. 83 f I. M. C. Rodrigues et al. 625. Photographs a-e by J. R. Stehmann f by S. N. Moreira.

Figure 3. Distribution map for Athenaea altoserranae I. M. C. Rodrigues & Stehmann (circles) and Athenaea hunzikeriana I. M. C. Rodrigues & Stehmann (triangles). Bahia = BA; Minas Gerais = MG; Sao Paulo = SP.