Leandra salicina (DC.) Cogniaux (1886: 150)

Reginato, Marcelo & Goldenberg, Renato, 2018, Taxonomic notes on Leandra (Melastomataceae, Miconieae) - II, Phytotaxa 371 (2), pp. 84-92 : 88-89

7. Leandra salicina (DC.) Cogniaux (1886: 150) . ≡ Melastoma salicinum Ser. ex Candolle (1828: 199) . Type:—

BRAZIL. Anon. s.n. (holotype G-DC-311242!).

= Leandra linearifolia Cogniaux (1886: 149) . Type:— BRAZIL. Rio de Janeiro: Petrópolis, “Rio Itamaraty”, A. F. M. Glaziou 14776 (lectotype BR-5193264! designated here, isolectotypes B, destroyed, C-10014616!, K-535635!, P-117332!, P-117333!, R-10018!, R-10018a!). Syn. nov.

= Leandra parvifolia Cogniaux (1886: 150) . Type:— BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: “in rivulis ad Serra da Carassa”, A. de Saint-Hilaire 404 (lectotype P-117166! designated here). Additional syntype: BRAZIL. Langsdorff 2148 (LE, not seen). Syn. nov.

Specimens examined:— BRAZIL. Bahia: Rio de Contas, A.K.A. Santos 814 (UPCB). Distrito Federal: Brasília, E. Pereira 7370 (RB). Goiás: Alto Paraíso de Goiás, M. Reginato 1376 (NY); Corumbá de Goiás, A. Macedo 4337 (NY). Minas Gerais: Barão de Cocais, H.S. Irwin 29018 (NY); Diamantina, H.S. Irwin 22608 (NY); Lima Duarte, R.C. Forzza 3970 (CEPEC, RB); Ouro Preto, E.H.G. Ule 2498 (R); Rio Pardo de Minas, M.J.R. Rocha 448 (NY); Santa Bárbara, R. Goldenberg 1494 (NY, UPCB); Santana do Riacho, F. Barros 1350 (SP); Santo Antônio do Itambé, W.R. Anderson 35665 (NY); São Roque de Minas, R. Romero 3755 (R). Paraná: Campo Largo, G.G. Hatschbach 7581 (NY, UPCB); Ponta Grossa, R. Goldenberg 501 (UPCB); Tibagi, M.R.B. Carmo 631 (UPCB). Rio de Janeiro: Itatiaia, A.C. Brade 17390 (NY, RB). São Paulo: Biritiba-Mirim, A. Custodio Filho 2118 (SP); Cunha, J.B. Baitello 494 (SP); São José do Barreiro, M. Reginato 1435 (NY).

Cogniaux (1888) placed the three species together in his key, differentiating them by minor details of leaf shape, indumentum density on the bracteoles and shape of the external calyx teeth. All these characters show some degree of variation even in each type specimen. If the recognition of three species was possible among five collections by the late nineteenth century, it is utterly impossible nowadays, with so many specimens available. Leandra salicina is readily identified in the field, as well as in the herbarium, by its linear leaves, a feature not observed in other Leandra s.str.

8. Leandra strigilliflora (Naudin) Cogniaux. (1886: 126) . ≡ Clidemia strigilliflora Naudin (1851: 372) . Type:— BRAZIL. Rio de Janeiro: C. Gaudichaud 726 (lectotype P-115616! designated by Martin & Cremers 2007, isolectotype P-115617!). = Leandra pubescens (Triana) Cogniaux (1886: 188) . ≡ Oxymeris pubescens Triana (1871: 95) . Type:— BRAZIL: Pohl [Schott] 1162

(lectotype K-535671! designated here, isolectotype K 535672!). Additional syntype: BRAZIL. W.J. Burchell 2529 (K-969689!).

Syn. nov.

Specimens examined:— BRAZIL. Espírito Santo: Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, G.R. Souza 136 (UPCB); Cariacica, R. Goldenberg 1216 (RB, UPCB); Itaguaçu, A.C. Brade 18142 (RB); Marilândia, V. Demuner 3341 (RB); Santa Leopoldina, R. Goldenberg 1243 (RB, UPCB); Santa Teresa, R. Goldenberg 917 (NY, UPCB); Teresópolis, D. Sucre 4552 (RB); Viana, L. Daneu 19 (CEPEC, UPCB). Minas Gerais: Caratinga, M.A. Lopes 218 (SP). Rio de Janeiro: Itatiaia, M. Reginato 1331 (NY); Macaé, J.F.A. Baumgratz 806 (RB); Rio de Janeiro, A.C. Brade 13979 (RB); Santa Maria Madalena, L. Emigdio 1233 (R); Santo Antônio do Itambé, A.C. Brade 11726 (R). São Paulo: Peruíbe, R. Goldenberg 773 (UPCB); Ubatuba, M. Kirizawa 1694 (RB, SP).

Cogniaux (1888) listed L. strigilliflora in section Carassanae , and described L. pubescens in section Chaetodon . Similar cases are discussed in Reginato & Goldenberg (2012, see Introduction), and happened when the author described one species in one section, and the same species again in other section. Nevertheless, the inflorescences in the types of both species are clearly terminal, and there are no other characters that could keep these two species apart. There is a lot of variation in L. strigilliflora regarding leaf bases (from rounded to cuneate), and lateral inflorescences are fairly common, and this may have also confounded Cogniaux when he described the species that is here considered a synonym.