Cuphea paralarix (Lourteig) Cavalcanti & Graham (2011: 143)

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

16. Cuphea paralarix (Lourteig) Cavalcanti & Graham (2011: 143) .

Cuphea ericoides var. paralarix Lourteig (1987: 42) .

Type:— BRAZIL. Bahia: Rod. BR-020, 30 km W de Barreiras [approx. -12.109, -45.285], 12 January 1977, Hatschbach 39475 (holotype P [01901680] image!, isotypes CEPEC!, MBM, P [01901681] image!). Figs. 13H–N , 22 .

Subshrubs 20–90 cm tall; stem erect, indumentum pubescent, eglandular trichomes <0.5 mm long, erect or with curved apices, sometimes sparse glandular trichomes present; internodes 0.5–1.2 cm long; brachyblasts present. Leaves 3- verticillate, rarely opposite, coriaceous, sessile, blades 2–12 × 0.5–2 mm, linear, apex acute, base obtuse, margin plane, rarely subrevolute, indumentum strigose on both surfaces, with one-armed trichomes, rarely sparse glandular trichomes present, or glabrescent; hyphodromous. Racemes 5–20 cm long, frondose, simple to compound, elongated, indistinct; bracts similar to leaves, subequal pairs. Flowers alternate; pedicels 2–5 mm long; bracteoles 0.7–1.8 mm long, narrow-ovate to broad-ovate; floral tubes 5–8 mm long; spur obtuse, deflexed; outer surface with vinaceous veins in the dorsal region, yellow-green ventrally, indumentum slightly pubescent, glandular trichomes on the veins; inner surface villous behind the stamens, dense-pilose in the region around the ovary, or just pilose on the dorsal veins; petals 6, yellow, subequal, sometimes the dorsal petals are smaller than the ventral petals, two dorsal (2–)3–4 × (0.7–) 1.2–2.2 mm, narrow-obovate to obovate, rarely linear, four ventral 3–5 × 1.2–2.3 mm, narrow-obovate, obovate to elliptical; stamens free in the upper third of the floral tube, five antesepalous exserted, four antepetalous subexserted; pistil 3.5–6.8 mm long; ovary glabrous to pilose at apex; style glabrous to pilose; ovules 3; nectary 0.5–0.8 × 0.6–1 mm, deflexed. Seeds (1–)2–3, 1.5–1.7 × 1.5–1.6 mm, suborbicular to broad-obovate, apex slightly truncate to obtuse, base obtuse, margin obtuse.

Phenology: —Collected with flowers from November to April and July, and with fruits from November to April.

Distribution and habitat: — Brazil, in the states of Bahia, Distrito Federal, Goiás, Maranh ã o, Minas Gerais, Piauí, and Tocantins ( Fig. 22 ); cerrado sensu stricto, “campo rupestre”, “campo limpo”, “campo sujo”; 220–1500 m elev.

Conservation status: — Cuphea paralarix was categorized as Least Concern (LC) due to its wide geographic distribution.

Representative specimens examined: — BRAZIL. Bahia: Barreiras, Espig ã o Mestre , ca. 25 km W. of Barreiras , 03 March 1971, Irwin et al. 31357 ( NY image!, P image!, US image!); Formosa do Rio Preto , margem da rodovia Cintur ã o da Soja ou Caminho das Cachoeiras, próximo à Luís Eduardo Magalh ã es, 11º27’43”S, 45º38’32”W, 12 February 2012, Faria et al. 2360 ( CEN!, UB!). Distrito Federal : Brasília, Hotel Fazenda RM, Setor Rural de Sobradinho, 15º43’13”S, 47º44’12”W, 13 January 2004, Chacon et al. 75 ( CEN!); Sobradinho , Chapada da Contagem, ca. 15 km E. of Brasília, 08 January 1966, Irwin et al. 11476 ( F image!, NY image!, P image!, RB!, UB!, US image!). Goiás : Água Fria de Goiás, estrada de acesso à repetidora do Roncador, cerca de 5 km a leste da GO-118 (BR-010), 14º53’17”S, 47º33’02”W, 04 February 2014, Pereira-Silva et al. 16577 ( CEN!); Alto Paraíso de Goiás , Chapada dos Veadeiros, estrada Alto Paraíso de Goiás-Colinas do Sul, a 9 km do entroncamento com a rodovia GO-118, 14º09’45”S, 47º35’08”W, 02 April 1997, Cavalcanti et al. 2180 ( CEN!). Maranhão : Carolina , estrada da cachoeira do Garrote, cerca de 3 km do asfalto, margem direita do rio Pedra Caída, 06º01’24”S, 47º28’21”W, 25 February 2005, PereiraSilva et al. 9664 ( CEN!); Carolina , Parque Nacional Chapada das Mesas, acesso no Km 596 da BR- 230, 19 km E em estrada vicinal, Ribeir ã o Cancela, 07º06’53”S, 47º17’13”W, 12 April 2016, Simon et al. 2939 ( CEN!). Minas Gerais: Formoso, estrada entre a Chapada Gaúcha e a cidade de Formoso, 15º21’53”S, 46º00’10”W, 30 November 1997, Mendonça et al. 3320 ( CEN!); Joaquim Felício, Serra do Cabral, 17º42’49”S, 44º11’30”W, 06 February 2015, Cavalcanti et al. 3910 ( CEN!). Piauí: Gilbués, ca. 9 km a oeste de Gilbués, Comunidade Boqueir ã o de Bom Jesus, 09º48’53”S, 45º25’01”W, 30 April 2018, Pereira-Silva et al. 17148 ( CEN!); S ã o Gonçalo do Gurguéia, BR-135, Corrente-S ã o Gonçalo do Gurguéia , 10º03’24”S, 45º16’35”W, 30 April 2018, Pereira-Silva et al. 17146 ( CEN!). Tocantins : Taguatinga, 9.5 km de Taguatinga (a partir do trevo para Palmas) em direç ã o ao distrito de Luís Eduardo Magalh ã es ( BA), 12º20’50”S, 46º20’17”W, 26 January 2005, Paula-Souza et al. 4751 ( CEN!); Taguatinga , estrada Taguatinga para Luíz Eduardo Magalh ã es, 17 km de Taguatinga, subida da Serra Geral, 12º20’51”S, 46º20’17”W, 10 March 2015, Forzza et al. 8714 ( CEN!, RB!).

Cuphea paralarix is recognized by its linear, 3-verticillate leaves, with plane margins, and especially by the presence of brachyblasts on its branches ( Fig. 13I ) and yellow petals ( Fig. 13J ). It is a species restricted to the Brazilian Cerrado, occurring from the northeast to the southeast of the country. There is a disjunct population in Serra do Cabral, an isolated mountain in the Espinhaço Range in the state of Minas Gerais.

Cuphea paralarix was described as a variety of C. ericoides ( C. ericoides var. paralarix ) and raised to species rank by Cavalcanti & Graham (2011), which was corroborated by phylogenetic analyses based on molecular data in progress (Cavalcanti, pers. comm.). Cuphea ericoides is distinguished by the absence of brachyblasts and by the pink to purple petals ( Fig. 10B, C ). Cuphea araguaiaensis and C. laricoides are also morphologically close to C. paralarix , mainly by the presence of brachyblasts in their branches. They are separated from C. paralarix by the lilac, purple, or rarely white petals and revolute leaf margins, and by the opposite phyllotaxis in C. araguaiaensis .

Figures

FIGURE 10. A–G. Cuphea ericoides. A. Habit; B. Detail of the branches; C. Flowering branch; D. Floral tube in lateral view, without petals; E. Floral tube in longitudinal-dorsal section, without petals; F. Pistil. G. Seed. H–M. Cuphea flava. H. Habit; I. Flowering branch; J. Floral tube in lateral view, without petals; K. Floral tube in longitudinal-dorsal section, without petals; L. Pistil; M. Seed.A, C: Facco et al. 492; B, E–G: Facco et al. 485; D: Facco et al. 491; J, K: Bovini et al. 1724; L: Sevilha & Pereira-Silva 2213; M: Davidse et al. 17808. Scale bar. D, E, J: 3 mm; F, K, L: 2 mm; G, M: 1 mm. Photos. H–I: Marcos V. Dantas Queiroz.

FIGURE 13. A–G. Cuphea odonellii. A–B. Branches with flowers; C. Flower in frontal view; D. Floral tube in lateral view, without petals; E. Floral tube in longitudinal-dorsal section, without petals; F. Pistil; G. Seed. H–N. Cuphea paralarix. H. Habit; I. Branches with brachyblasts; J. Flower in frontal view; K. Floral tube in lateral view, without petals; L. Floral tube in longitudinal-dorsal section, without petals; M. Pistil; N. Seed. A–C: Pereira-Silva et al. 17041; D, F: Hunt & Ramos 5782; E: Hopkins et al. 1784; G: Prance et al. 3375; I, L: Pereira-Silva et al. 17146; K: Cavalcanti et al. 3910A; M–N: Simon et al. 2939. Scale bar. D–F, K–M: 2 mm; G, N: 1 mm. Photos. H, J: Maurício Mercadante.

FIGURE 22. Geographical distribution of Cuphea ericoides, Cuphea flava and Cuphea paralarix.