Vellozia pyrantha A.A.Conc., 2017

Conceição, Abel A., Souza, Jumara M., Carneiro, Joseane S. & Menezes, Nanuza L., 2017, Old for people, new for science: a previously undescribed species of harvested Vellozia (Velloziaceae) endemic to the Chapada Diamantina National Park, Bahia (Brazil), Phytotaxa 329 (3), pp. 253-261 : 253-258

Vellozia pyrantha A.A.Conc. , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1–4 )

Type:— BRAZIL. Bahia: Palmeiras, Chapada Diamantina National Park , Serra do Candombá , 12 o 37’S, 41 o 39’W, 1100 m, 27 November 2011 (fl), Conceição & Silva 4092 (holotype: HUEFS!; isotype: SPF!) .

Vellozia pyrantha is morphologically similar to V. sincorana , but the leaf sheath is curved and not rolled, with pericyclic fibres extending as girders discontinuously surrounding leaf bundles, flowers with fewer stamens (up to 30 vs c. 50), without fringed staminal appendages, and shorter fruits (<5.1 cm vs> 5.4 cm long).

Dracaenoid shrubs, 15–130 cm tall. Stems branched or not, 4–11 cm in diam. basally and 4.0– 5.8 cm diam. apically. Leaves spirotristichous, arcuate, concentrated apically; sheaths beige, curved, covered with orange resin; lamina 9.0– 30.0 × 0.8–2.1 cm, linear, narrowly triangular, pilose, adaxially muricate, abaxially glabrous or with setulose trichomes on the central vein, marcescent and reflexed, apex attenuated, margins serrulate, central vein abaxially dark or rarely with shades of lilac (visible in a stereomicroscope). Flowers 1–7 per branch, longer than leaves; peduncles 7.0–21.5 × 0.1–0.4 cm, trigonous, glabrous, green to dark lilac. Hypanthium 1.0–5.0 × 0.6–2.0 cm, scabrous, yellow-green to dark lilac; ovary region broadly ellipsoid, truncate at apex, trigonous, 1.0–3.2 x 0.6–2.0 cm; tube absent or up to 1.8 cm, cylindric, trigonous. Tepals 5.0–11.2 × 1.5–3.0 cm, oblanceolate, similar to each other, glabrous, lilac. Stamens 18–30; filaments 2.0– 4.8 cm long, connate at the basal half, oblong, adnate to the tepal base, glabrous, white; anthers 1.0– 2.3 cm long, yellow; staminal appendages absent. Style 5.1–8.7 cm long, trigonous, glabrous, white; stigma 0.6–1.0 cm diam., horizontal, peltate-trilobate, yellow. Capsules 1.9–5.0 × 1.2–2.1 cm, ellipsoid, truncate at apex, rarely elongate, strongly trigonous, laxly scabrous, pendent after maturation, persistent, dehiscent by apical slits, immature green, brown when mature. Seeds 1–2 mm, irregular, 200–600 per fruit, black.

Leaf anatomy ( Figs. 3 , 4 ):— Blade dorsiventral ( Fig. 3A ), without trichomes, but with some emergences ( Fig. 3B ). Cuticle thickened on both surfaces. Amphistomatic leaf blade with stomata restricted to the non-fibrous ( Fig. 3A ) areas of the adaxial epidermis and confined to abaxial furrows ( Fig. 3C ). Stomata are braquiparacytic ( Fig. 3E, F ; sensu Amaral & Mello-Silva, 2008). Abaxial furrows about one third to half the thickness of lamina, abaxially papillate ( Fig. 3C ). The position of papillose cells permits a good fit when the sulcus is closed. These papillose cells let refraction of the sunlight into the chlorophyllous parenchyma, scattering light in the mesophyll. Epidermis 2- or 3-stratified. Aquiferous hypodermis 2- or 3-stratified in the adaxial surface, extending to the furrows and vascular bundles. Palisade mesophyll 2–4 cell-layers thick, adaxially merging with lacunar mesophyll. Pericyclic fibres surrounded by a distinct endodermis ( Fig. 3D ). Vessels (1)2–4 large in each vascular bundle. Phloem strands 2, V-shaped, separated beneath the xylem by fibers and parenchyma. Pericyclic fibres extending as discontinuous girders to the endodermis near the aquiferous parenchyma, as well as extending towards the abaxial epidermis. Subepidermal fibres 2 or 3 cell-layers thick in the adaxial epidermis.

Distribution and habitat:— Vellozia pyrantha occurs in shrublands of campos rupestres, forming large populations at 900–1700 m, in the western part of the north and centre of the CDNP, in Bahia State, Brazil (see map in Conceição et al. 2017).

Etymology:— Vellozia pyrantha has been collected (with flowers) only after fires, which seem to be needed for the long-term persistence of its populations ( Souza et al. 2017). The species epithet refers to this massive post-fire flowering ( Conceição & Orr 2012; Conceição et al. 2013): ‘ pyr ’, fire, and ‘ anthos ’, flower, in Greek.

Vernacular name and economic use:— In Chapada Diamantina , the popular name ‘candombá’ is given to plants that were used during mining activities as torches, candles and glue and for warding off evil spirits, but it currently used only for lighting wood stoves ( Oliveira et al. 2013, 2015). Vellozia sincorana ( Mello-Silva 1995) and V. variabilis Martius in Roemer & Schultes (1829: 293) (CNCFlora 2017) are also known as ‘candombá’.

Ecology and conservation:— Vellozia pyrantha is a dominant species in extensive areas of the CDNP (180.36 km 2), constituting the main shrub in these campos rupestres (Conceição et al. 2016, 2017). This dominance is so great that the name of one of the mountains where it occurs is called Serra do Candombá, which is the site of the holotype. These shrublands are fire-prone, and V. pyrantha is resistant to fire, resprouting after only a few days, exhibiting mass flowering 30–50 days after burning ( Conceição & Orr 2012, Conceição et al. 2013, Souza et al. 2017). The species has been collected with flowers only after fires, which is a clear evidence of fire-dependent flowering. The rapid and abundant flowering after fire has also been observed in other species of Vellozia Vandelli (1788: 32) , such as V. peripherica Mello-Silva (2004: 457) , V. gigantea Menezes & Mello-Silva in Mello-Silva & Menezes (1999: 537) ( Ribeiro et al. 2007), and V. strangii Smith ex Mello-Silva in Mello-Silva & Menezes (2014: 91), but only in V. pyrantha the flowering seems to be fire-dependent, as in V. alata Smith (1962: 260) and V. piresiana Smith (1962: 264) (Menezes, N.L. pers. obs.). Fire-modulated flowering offers greater quantity of resources, leading the distinctive functioning of campos rupestres ( Conceição et al. 2013), and the long-term persistence of V. pyrantha populations depends directly on fire ( Souza et al. 2017). These shrublands are a unique ecosystem and must be conserved ( Ministério do Meio Ambiente 2007), but V. pyrantha is under pressure from harvesting ( Oliveira et al. 2015) and is endemic to a restricted area in the CDNP zone, Bahia State. Studies on species of Vellozia indicated the importance of climatic change, geographical range, substrate, topography and microhabitats to the high genetic divergence among populations ( Franceschinelli et al. 2006, Barbosa et al. 2012, Lousada et al. 2013), but for V. pyrantha , fire disturbance must also be considered in studies that assess implications of fire regimes in the CDNP.

Diagnostic features:— Vellozia pyrantha is most similar to V. sincorana ( Tab. 1, Fig. 4 ), and both occur in the Chapada Diamantina ( Mello-Silva 1995, Conceição et al. 2017). Vellozia sincorana has a robust habit (shrub or small tree up to 4 m tall; Fig. 4E ), more similar to V. gigantea ( Mello-Silva & Menezes 1999) and V. dracaenoides Alves & Silva in Alves et al. (2014: 14), with rolled leaf-blades ( Smith & Ayensu 1976; Figs. 4B,C ), and senescent curling leaves that fall and accumulate on the ground ( Fig. 4H ), whereas V. pyrantha has a shrubby habit and marcescent and reflexed leaves ( Figs. 1A,B , 4L ). The flowers of V. pyrantha are lilac ( Figs. 1B,C , 4L ), with 18 to 30 stamens whereas V. sincorana has white flowers with ca. 50 stamens ( Fig. 4F ). The fruits of V. sincorana are terete, fusiform, and longer than the ellipsoid and pendent fruits of V. pyrantha ( Figs. 1I–M , 2H , 4I,M ). In vouchers with stems, the burned scars are also useful to identify V. pyrantha because this species is collected with flowers only after recent fires ( Fig. 4D ). Anatomically, the main difference between the two species is the sclerenchyma delimitation around the vascular bundles: V. pyrantha has discontinuous sclerenchymatic fibres ( Fig. 4K ), whereas in V. sincorana , the sclerenchymatic fibres envelope completely the vascular bundles ( Fig. 4J ).

Other specimens examined:— BRAZIL. Bahia: Chapada Diamantina, Serra do Sincorá, Palmeiras, CDNP, Serra da Larguinha , 25 May 1980 (fl), Harley et al. 22575 ( K) ; CDNP, Morro dos Ventos-Morrão , 1000 m, 12 o 31’S 41 o 29’W, 30 December 2008 (fl), Conceição 3059 ( HUEFS, SPF) ; CDNP, Serra do Candombá , 12 o 37’S 41 o 39’W, 1100 m, 6 May 2012 (fl), Conceição 4176 ( HUEFS, SPF) ; CDNP, Serra do Esbarrancado , 12 o 41’S 41 o 31’W, 14 January 2013 (fr), Conceição & Moreira 4203 ( HUEFS) ; CDNP, Serra do Mastruz , 12 o 41’08”S 41 o 31’23”W, 1 December 2012 (fl), Conceição, Contreiras, Garcia & Caetano 4173 ( HUEFS) ; CDNP, Morro em frente à Serra dos Cristais, 1170 m, 12 o 32’S 41 o 28’W, 2 March 2013 (fl), Conceição 4214 ( HUEFS) ; CDNP, Serra da Larguinha, 13 January 2015 (fl), Conceição 4297 ( HUEFS, SPF, K, P, F), CDNP, Serra da Larguinha , 14 March 2016 (fr), Conceição 4298 ( HUEFS, SPF, K, NY) ; Mucugê: CDNP, Serra do Miguel , 12 o 49’S 41 o 29’W, 1300 m, 12 May 2012 (fl), Conceição et al. 4103 ( HUEFS) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Vellozia pyrantha. A.Habit with marcescent and reflexed leaves without recent fire influence. B. Habit after fire and flowering. C. Orange flammable resin. D. Flowers. E. Tepal with three stamens. F. Ovary, transversal cut. G–H. Ovary, longitudinal cut. I–M. Fruits morphology variation. K. Apical slits showing seeds inside the fruit. L. Longer fruits in population of Morro dos Ventos. N. Seeds.

FIGURE 2. Vellozia pyrantha. A. Habit. B. Bud. C. Flower. D. Ovary with five tepals removed to show stamens and pistil. E. Tepal with four epitepalous stamens. F. Ovary, longitudinal cut. G. Ovary, transversal cut (illustrator Lucas Cardoso Marinho).

FIGURE 3. Anatomy of Vellozia pyrantha. A–D. Cross section of leaf blade. E–F. Epidermal cells. A. Stomata in non-fibrous adaxial areas. B. Detail of the leaf showing emergences. C. Stomata restricted to furrows areas of abaxial epidermis, presence of papillae. D. Pericyclic fibres bundles surrounded by a distinct endodermis. E. Adaxial surface. F. Furrows and inner-furrows area showing stomata braquiparacytic in abaxial surface. AP: aquiferous parenchyma. Em: emergence. En: endodermis. Hy: hypodermis. Pa: papillae. PF: pericyclic fibres. Ph: phloem. St: stomata.

FIGURE 4. Morphological differences between Vellozia pyrantha and V. sincorana. A–C: Vellozia sincorana. A. Type (Ule 7098). B–C. Rolled leaf-blades (Conceição 4189 and Mello-Silva 781). D. First record of V. pyrantha. E–J: Vellozia sincorana. E. Habit. F. White flower. G. Leaves on the ground. H. Rolled leaf-blades. I. Terete fruit. J. Transversal section of leaf lamina. K–M: V. pyrantha. K. Transversal section of leaf lamina. L. Habit and lilac flowers. M. Ellipsoid fruit truncate at apex, pendent after maturation.