Lepidaploa chamissonis (Less.) Robinson (1990: 485)

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 : 123-124

4. Lepidaploa chamissonis (Less.) Robinson (1990: 485) . Vernonia chamissonis Lessing (1829: 304) . Type:— BRAZIL. Without locality, L. A. von Chamisso s.n. (syntype P! [online image!]). Figure 6 .

Subshrubs 0.5–1.7 m tall; branches pubescent. Leaves distichous, cauline, internodes 2.4–3.1 cm long, petioles 5–7 mm long, blade 2.7–9.8 × 1.8–3.9 cm, chartaceous to membranaceous, smooth or rugose, oval, oval-lanceolate, ovate-lanceolate, apex acute, margins entire, base attenuate, adaxial surface pubescent, abaxial surface velutinous; venation eucamptodromous. Capitulescence seriate-cymose with capitula sessile, 13–24.5 cm long, axis densely velutinous, golden or brown. Involucre campanulate, 5.4–6.2 mm, phyllaries 4–5-seriate, chestnut, scarious, pubescent, outer oval-lanceolate, apex largely apiculate, inner elliptic-lanceolate, apex acute. Florets 20–24, corolla white, pink, tube 1.9–2.2 mm long, glabrous, lobes 2.1–2.4 mm long, lanceolate, apex setose-glandular; apical anther appendages acute, base obtuse; basal stylar node enlarged. Cypsela turbinate, 1.2–1.34 mm long, setose; carpopodium anullar. Pappus white.

Selected specimens examined — ARGENTINA. Chaco: Departamento Comandante Fernández, 22 km SE de Campo Largo, 19 February 1980, A. Schinini 19999 (CTES). Corrientes: Corrientes Capital, Costa del Río Paraná, 08 July 1978, A. Schinini 15251 (CTES). Formosa: Bartolomé de las Casas, 08 May 1969, A. Schinini 16950 (CTES). BRASIL. Paraná: Tomazina, Corredeira, Rio das Cinzas, 24 November 1987, G. Hatschbach 51930 (MBM). Santa Catarina: Florianópolis, Bairro Vargem do Bom Jesus, Rua: Servidão Marcelino Antônio Nunes, 13 March 2010, A. Stival ˗ Santos 2022 (FURB). PARAGUAY. Paraguarí: Parque Nacional Ibycui, sin fecha, G. Schmeda 55 (CTES). Presidente Hayes: Ruta Trans–Chaco, río Lindo Monte, 14 March 1979, A. Schinini 16585 (CTES).

Distribution and habitat —In the study region the species is distributed in Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. In Argentina it is restricted to the provinces of Chaco, Corrientes and Formosa; and in southern Brazil the species is found in Paraná and Santa Catarina, but can also be found in Minas Gerais and São Paulo. In Paraguay, L. chamissonis was collected in the provinces of Paraguarí and Presidente Hayes. The species occurs on fields, in the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado ( Figure 7 ).

Phenology —The species is flowering from October to May.

Notes —This species can be confused with L. salzmannii and L. argyrotrycha , since the three species have a whitish indumentum on the abaxial leaf surface. However, L. argyrotricha is the only species among the three that has a long petiole (13.5–14 mm) and glandular trichomes absent in the corolla lobe. Lepidaploa chamissonis differs from L. salzmannii by its ovate, oval-lanceolate, ovate-lanceolate leaves and setose cypselae without idioblasts, while L. salzmannii has lanceolate leaves and setose-glandular cypselae with idioblasts. In addition, L. chamissonis is more widely distributed in southern South America, while L. salzmannii is restricted to the states of Paraná and Santa Catarina in Brazil.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Lepidaploa chamissonis. A. Plant. B. Leaf detail. C. Capitula. D–F. Outer phyllaries. G–I. Inner phyllaries. J. Floret. K. Corolla lobe detail. Source: Marques & Dematteis (2014).

FIGURE 7. Geographical distribution of L. chamissonis (circle) and L. decumbens (square) in Cone Sur.