Vellozia ornithophila Mello-Silva

Mello-Silva, Renato, 2017, New names, species and synonyms in a changing Velloziaceae world, Phytotaxa 309 (1), pp. 35-44 : 37

Vellozia ornithophila Mello-Silva , nom. et stat. nov. ( Fig. 2A – C ).

Repl. syn.: Vellozia epidendroides var. major Smith (1962: 288) . Type: — BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Santana do Riacho, Serra do Cipó, summit, along road from hotel Chapéu de Sol , km 120–140, 1200–1300 m, 8 August 1960 (fr.), Maguire 49098 (holotype, US [ US 00092371] image seen; isotypes, B! fragment, GH, K!, NY, R!), syn. nov .

Syn.: Vellozia epidendroides var. divaricata Smith (1962: 289) . Type: — BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Santana do Riacho, Serra do Cipó, summit, along road from hotel Chapéu de Sol , km 112–128, 1200–1300 m, August 1960 (fr.), Maguire 49064 (holotype, NY [ NY00248014 ] image seen; isotype, B! fragment), syn. nov .

Vellozia confusa Smith & Ayensu (1976: 88) , nom. nud.

Etymology: — Vellozia ornithophila is named after its ornithophilous flowers, which is a peculiar and rare condition within Vellozia ( Sazima 1978, Sazima & Sazima 1990, Jacobi & Sarto 2007).

Distribution: — Vellozia ornithophila is endemic to Serro and Serra do Cipó region, central-southern Espinhaço Range in Minas Gerais State, Brazil.

Habitat: — Vellozia ornithophila inhabits rocky outcrops.

Specimens examined: — BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Serro, rodovia Datas – Serro ( BR 259 ), 19 km de Serro em direção a Datas , 18°34’37’’S 43°29’20’’W, 1034 m, 2 November 1993 (fr.), Benko-Iseppon 316 ( SPF) ; Conceição do Mato Dentro, Parque Natural Municipal do Ribeirão do Campo , 19 March 2003 (fl.), Mota 2854 ( BHCB, SPF) ; Santana do Riacho, Serra do Cipó, estrada Lagoa Santa – Conceição do Mato Dentro , Km 132, 4 July 1969 (fl.), Menezes 35 ( US) ; Km 141, 6 June 1970 (fl.), Menezes 107 ( MBM, PRE, SPF, US) ; ibid. loc., Km 131, 14 July 1971 (fl. & fr.), Menezes 126 ( K, MBM, SPF) ; ibid. loc., Km 138, 8 October 1971 (fl.), Menezes 147 ( SPF) ; ibid. loc., Km 133, 9 December 1971 (fl.), Menezes 184 ( BM, M, SPF) ; ibid. loc., 1225 m, 18 February 1972 (fr.), Anderson 36200 ( C, IAN n.v., K, NY n.v., UB n.v.) ; ibid. loc., Km 132, 6 March 1972 (fl.), Joly CFSC1371 ( UEC) ; ibid. loc., Km 132, 30 April 1972 (fr.), Menezes 223 ( BHCB, K, R, SPF), 224 ( RB, SPF), 228 ( SPF) ; ibid. loc. Km 132, 22 February 1973 (fl.), Sazima s.n. ( UEC 8520 ) ; ibid. loc., 6–13 February 1974 (fl.), Sazima s.n. ( MBM, UEC 8519 ) ; ibid. loc., Km 134, 26 April 1978 (fr.), Martinelli 4263 ( RB, SPF) ; ibid. loc., Km 138 antigo, 19 December 1979 (fl. & fr.), Menezes 871 ( SPF) ; ibid. loc., Km 122–123, 21 December 1979 (fl. & fr.), Menezes 875 ( SPF) ; ibid. loc., Km 138 antigo, 15 December 1980 (fl. & fr.), Menezes 1103 ( G, P, RB, SPF) ; ibid. loc., Km 132, 8 March 1982 (fl.), Sazima s.n. ( SPF, UEC 13446 ) ; ibid. loc., estrada Lagoa Santa – Conceição do Mato Dentro (MG-010), 1300 m, 21 May 1982 (fr.), Pinto 90/82 ( HRB, SPF) ; ibid. loc., Km 132, 26 February 1987 (fr.), Zappi CFSC10017 ( SPF) ; ibid. loc., Parque Nacional da Serra do Cipó , Serra das Bandeirinhas, Costa, caminho para a Cachoeira das Flores, 9 September 1987 (fr.), Salimena-Pires CFSC10632 ( BHCB, SPF) ; ibid. loc., estrada Lagoa Santa – Conceição do Mato Dentro , Km 138 antigo, 13 December 1987 (fl.), Salimena-Pires CFSC10825 ( SPF) ; ibid. loc., Alto do Palácio , 21 March 1989 (fl. & fr.), Salatino CFSC11286 ( SPF, U) ; ibid. loc., estrada Lagoa Santa – Conceição do Mato Dentro , antigo Km das cobras, 1 November 1993 (fr.), Benko-Iseppon 297 ( SPF) ; ibid. loc., Km 132 antigo, 20 April 1999 (fr.), Menezes 1397 ( SPF) ; ibid. loc., Km 119, fazenda Cachoeira da Capivara , 19°14’58’’S 43°32’41’’W, 1300 m, 28 February 2002 (fl.), Souza 28617 ( ESA, SPF) .

Notes: — Vellozia ornithophila is a relatively large species of Vellozia , with stems up to 1.5 m alt. Its flowers are remarkable by the strongly reflexed tepals, tube-like arrangement of stamens, and a quite developed corona that obturate the nectar chamber. It is one of the few species of Vellozia with ornithophilous syndrome ( Sazima 1978, Sazima & Sazima 1990), although bees also pollinate it ( Franceschinelli et al. 2006, Jacobi & Sarto 2007). The types of both varieties bear no flowers, but have only fruits. To support their descriptions, Smith & Ayensu (1976: Fig. 28) provided an illustration by Alice Tangerini that shows the diagnostic features of this taxon very clearly, including flower and anatomical drawings. This figure was based on Menezes 35, a voucher material of Sazima’s studies on pollination of Velloziaceae , and one of the intended types of V. confusa (L.B. Smith in sched.).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Type material.A. Holotype of Vellozia epidendroides var.major and of Vellozia ornithophila (Maguire 49098 [US00092371]). B. Holotype of Vellozia epidendroides var. divaricata (Maguire 49064 [NY00248014]). C. Illustration of Vellozia epidendroides var. major, by Alice Tangerini (Fig. 28 of Smith & Ayensu 1976: 89).