Cuphea bahiensis (Lourteig) Cavalcanti & Graham (2005: 61)

Facco, Marlon Garlet & Cavalcanti, Taciana Barbosa, 2023, Taxonomic Revision of Cuphea sect. Trispermum s. l. (Lythraceae), Phytotaxa 588 (1), pp. 1921-1935 : 1921-1935

5. Cuphea bahiensis (Lourteig) Cavalcanti & Graham (2005: 61) .

Cuphea sessilifolia subsp. bahiensis Lourteig (1987: 34) .

Type:— BRAZIL. Bahia: Morro do Chapéu, Morr ã o [-11.590, -41.208], 15 January 1977, Hatschbach 39648 [in the protologue erroneously cited as 306428] (holotype P [01901822] image!, isotypes MBM!, P [01901823] image!). Figs. 8A–H , 21 .

Subshrubs 40–100 cm tall; stems decumbent, indumentum pubescent and glandular, eglandular trichomes <0.5 mm long, erect or with curved apices, glandular trichomes ca. 1 mm long; internodes 0.2–1(–3) cm long; brachyblasts absent. Leaves opposite, rarely 3-verticillate, imbricate, coriaceous, sessile, blades 4–16 × 2–9 mm, narrow-ovate to broad-ovate, rarely ovate-oblong, apex acute, base cordate, margin plane to subrevolute, indumentum strigose, with one-armed trichomes, and glandular on both surfaces, glandular trichomes concentrated on the veins of the abaxial surface; brochidodromous. Racemes 10–20 cm long, bracteose, simple to compound, elongated, distinct; bracts 2–7 × 1.2–4 mm, subequal pairs, similar to leaves in shape and indumentum. Flowers alternate, rarely opposite; pedicels 3–9 mm long; bracteoles 0.6–0.7 mm long, broad-ovate; floral tubes 7–12 mm long; spur obtuse to galeate, deflexed; outer surface purple on the dorsal region, green ventrally, indumentum pubescent and glandular, glandular trichomes 0.5–1 mm long; inner surface villous behind the stamens, dense-pilose around the ovary, pilose in the rest of the floral tube; petals 6, pink to lilac, subequal, two dorsal 5–7.8 × 3.3–5.7 mm, obovate, four ventral 5–8 × 3–5 mm, obovate; stamens free in the upper third of the floral tube, five antesepalous exserted, four antepetalous subexserted; pistil 5.8–8 mm long; ovary glabrous to sparsely pilose on the dorsal line; style glabrous to sparsely pilose; ovules 3; nectary 1–1.3 × 1 mm, deflexed. Seeds 2–3, 2–2.5 × 1.8–2.3 mm, broad-elliptic to suborbicular, apex obtuse, base obtuse, margin obtuse.

Phenology: —Flowering and fruiting all year round, most intensely from January to March.

Distribution and habitat: — Brazil, in Bahia state ( Fig. 21 ); “campo rupestre”, on white sandy soil with rocky outcrops; 700–1275 m elev.

Conservation status: — Cuphea bahiensis was categorized as Endangered (EN) B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii), with an estimated EOO of 1,415 km ² and AOO of 96 km ². In the Red List of the Brazilian flora (CNCFlora 2023), this species has a smaller AOO (64 km ²), probably due to lack of herbarium revision and/or misidentifications. The populations of C. bahiensis , besides having a restricted distribution, are threatened by the incidence of anthropogenic fires (CNCFlora 2023) and by the fragmentation and destruction of habitats due to the advance of agricultural activities in the area.

Representative specimens examined: —BRAZIL. Bahia: Morro do Chapéu, ca. 5 km S of town of Morro do Chapéu, near base of Morro do Chapéu, 19 February 1971, Irwin et al. 32556 (NY image!, UB!); Morro do Chapéu, 19.5 km SE of the town of Morro do Chapéu on the BA-052 road to Mundo Novo by the Rio Ferro Doido, 11º38’00”S, 41º02’00”W, 02 March 1977, Harley et al. 19233 (K image!, NY image!, P image!); Morro do Chapéu, Morr ã o, 16 July 1979, Hatschbach & Guimarães 42381 (MBM!, P image!); Morro do Chapéu-Bonito, Km 12, 11º37’00”S, 41º15’00”W, 01 March 1989, Cavalcanti et al. 357 (CEN!); Morro do Chapéu, Morro da antena, entrada pela estrada para Wagner, 11º23’00”S, 41º16’00”W, 01 March 1989, Cavalcanti et al. 360 (CEN!, NY image!, UFG!); Morro do Chapéu-Piritiba, Km 8, 11º35’00”S, 41º06’00”W, 01 March 1989, Cavalcanti et al. 366 (CEN!, NY image!, UFG!); Morro al Sur de Morro do Chapéu, 11º35’00”S, 41º13’00”W, 28 November 1992, Arbo et al. 5376 (CEN!, F image!, HUEFS!, K image!, NY image!, P image!); Morro do Chapéu, ca. 20 km E do entroncamento para Cafarnaum, com a BA-052, na BA-052 (estrada do feij ã o), 18 June 1994, Queiroz & Nascimento 4009 (HUEFS!); Morro do Chapéu, estrada Utinga-Morro do Chapéu, ca. 10 km de Morro do Chapéu, do lado esquerdo da estrada, 12 January 1999, Cavalcanti et al. 2480 (CEN!, HUEFS!); Morro do Chapéu, proximidades da Cachoeira do Ferro Doido, 11º37’31”S, 40º59’38”W, 20 April 2001, Melo et al. 3353 (CEN!, HUEFS!); Morro do Chapéu, Fazenda Guariba, nascentes do Rio Salitre, 11º26’17”S, 41º11’38”W, 29 June 2007, Melo et al. 4813 (CEN!, HUEFS!); Morro do Chapéu, Fazenda Sarabando, 11º37’03”S, 41º04’47”W, 02 February 2008, Silva & França 121 (HUEFS!); Morro do Chapéu, Morro das Antenas (Morr ã o), próximo à antena, caminho no interior do mato, 11º35’25”S, 41º12’32”W, 07 August 2016, Facco et al. 483 (CEN!, UB!); Utinga, 4 km de Morro do Chapéu, 25 September 1985, Wanderley et al. s.n. (CEN [27359]!); Utinga, Fazenda Lajinha, próximo ao Riach ã o de Utinga, 12°01’00”S, 41°07’00”W, 31 March 1986, Bautista & Sarmento 1112 (HRB!).

Described by Lourteig (1987) as a subspecies of C. sessilifolia , it was raised to species rank by Cavalcanti & Graham (2005) for its remarkable and distinctive morphology. The decumbent habit ( Fig. 8A ), the long bracteose racemes ( Fig. 8C ), distinct from the foliage, the imbricate, sessile, coriaceous leaves with a cordate base ( Fig. 8B ) and broad, often galeate spur are the diagnostic characters of C. bahiensis . Long, distinct bracteose racemes are present in six taxa of C. sect. Trispermum s.l. and are important for delimiting and characterizing members of the group. Molecular phylogenetic studies by Graham et al. (2006) and Barber et al. (2010) confirm C. bahiensis as a distinct species, unrelated to C. sessilifolia (= C. antisyphilitica ).

Cuphea bahiensis is restricted to the central region of the state of Bahia, Brazil, in the northern Chapada Diamantina, with almost all records located in the municipality of Morro do Chapéu, and only two records in Utinga (to the south). It grows in “campos rupestres”, on white sandy soils, between rocky outcrops.

Figures

FIGURE 8. A–H. Cuphea bahiensis. A. Habit; B. Detail of a branch; C. Detail of the bracteose raceme; D. Flower in frontal view; E. Floral tube in lateral view, without petals; F. Floral tube in longitudinal-dorsal section, without petals; G. Pistil; H. Seed. I–O. Cuphea carajasensis. I–J. Bracteose racemes, with lilac (I) and carmine (J) flowers; K. Narrow-ovate leaves; L. Floral tube in lateral view, without petals; M. Floral tube in longitudinal-dorsal section, without petals; N. Pistil; O. Seed.A–G: Facco et al. 483; H: Cavalcanti et al. 366; K–O: Viana et al. 5568. Scale bar. B, F: 4 mm; E, G, L–N: 2 mm; H, O: 1 mm; K: 6 mm. Photos. I–J: Pedro Viana.

FIGURE 21. Geographical distribution of Cuphea bahiensis, Cuphea cunninghamiifolia, Cuphea laricoides and Cuphea praetermissa.