Lychnophora grisea Loeuille, Semir & Pirani, 2019

Loeuille, Benoît, Semir, João & Pirani, José R., 2019, A synopsis of Lychnophorinae (Asteraceae: Vernonieae), Phytotaxa 398 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

7. Lychnophora grisea Loeuille, Semir & Pirani , sp. nov. Type:— BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Serro, Milho Verde , estrada para Capivari , ca. 10 km da entrada, 18°26’37.6”S, 43°25’50”W, 1245 m, 16 November 2011, B. Loeuille et al. 576 (holotype: SPF [ SPF221400 ]; isotypes: K, UFP, US) ( Fig. 23 A–D , 24 ).

Species simile Lychnophorae uniflori habitu caulirosulato, pappo uniseriali, sed foliis rosulae puberulis vel glabrescentibus (nullo modo glabris), foliis ramorum floriferorum glaucis (non virellis), angustioribus (1–1.9 mm, non 2–3 mm), marginibus valde revolutis saepe ad paginas obtectas (pagina nunquam obtecta) differt.

Caulirosula up to 50 cm; underground system woody, thickened; stem woody, simple, short, 2.7–4.2 cm tall, 2.3–4.6 cm diam., bearing dense rosettes of leaves. Leaves sessile, erect or recurved, frequently deciduous; blade linear, 3.5– 18.2 cm × 0.9–2 mm, venation hyphodromous, midrib prominent, furrowed abaxially, canaliculate adaxially, adaxial surface nearly always glaucous, puberulous, when older glabrescent, abaxial surface dirty white, sericeous, margin strongly revolute, frequently concealing abaxial surface, apex acute, spiniform, base slightly expanded. Inflorescences axillary, borne below rosette of leaves, singly or in whorls of 2–4, sometimes retained for a further year, frequently bearing one or several whorls of 2–9 side branches each bearing a terminal syncephalium; stem tomentose, greyish to whitish, more rarely ochreous, leafy throughout, leaf scars semicircular without tuft of trichomes. Leaves sessile; blade linear to subulate, 0.75–9 cm × 1–1.9 mm, smaller and denser towards apex, venation hyphodromous, midrib prominent abaxially, concealed by indumentum, adaxially canaliculate, adaxial surface glaucous or when younger greenish, villous, glabrescent with age, abaxial surface dirty white, sericeous to villous, margin strongly revolute, frequently concealing abaxial surface, apex acute, spiniform with small inconspicuous mucro, base rounded or slightly attenuate. Inflorescence a solitary syncephalium (second-order), terminal on side branches 4.5–18 cm long. Syncephalium 1.1–2.6 cm tall, 1.1–2.5 cm diam., spherical to hemispherical, surrounded by foliage leaves. Capitula ca. 100, closely appressed, interspersed by numerous modified foliage leaves; involucre cylindrical 4.9–8.5 mm tall, 1.3–1.7 mm diam., phyllaries 3-seriate, weakly imbricate, stramineous, glandular-punctate, apex acute, brown to dark purple; outer phyllaries narrowly ovate to lanceolate, 3.3–4.3 × 0.4–0.8 mm, sparsely villous; inner phyllaries narrowly elliptic to lanceolate, 4.9–6.6 × 0.7–1.2 mm long, villous, restricted to upper part; receptacle flat, naked. Florets 1; corolla light purple quickly becoming whitish, sparsely glandular-punctate, corolla tube 4.1–6.5 × 0.7–1.4 mm, corolla lobes 3.1–4.8 × 0.6–0.8 mm, apex acute, sometimes with scattered hairs; anther dark purple, apical anther appendages trullate, acute, anther base shortly sagittate, obtuse; style shaft 8–10.8 mm long, purple, glabrous throughout except for pubescent upper ca. 1.5 mm beneath style-arms, style-arms 3–4.9 mm long. Cypsela cylindrical 2.3–3 × 1–1.3 mm, 10- ribbed, glandular-punctate, glabrous or sparsely glabrescent, apex dark brown; pappus uniseriate, whitish, paleaceous, setae 1.1–2.7 mm, free or slightly fused at base, apex acute, erose.

Distribution and habitat: — Brazil (Minas Gerais). Campo rupestre; 944–1245 m.

Conservation status: — According to results obtained through GeoCAT analysis ( Bachman et al. 2011) (EOO = 12.24 km 2; AOO = 12 km 2; using a cell size of 2 km 2), the species is classified as Critically Endangered ( IUCN 2017). The area is under threat of mining activities, forestry ( Pinus spp. and Eucalyptus spp. ), livestock production and urban expansion (Verdi et al. 2015). The three records of Lychnophora grisea are not situated in protected areas but very close (less than 10 km) to the Parque Estadual do Pico do Itambé and Parque Estadual de Biribiri.

Etymology: —The specific epithet refers to the grey color of the indument.

Taxonomic Notes: — Lychnophora grisea is similar to L. uniflora by its caulirosulate habit and uniseriate pappus but the latter species is more robust with glabrous rosette leaves (vs. puberulous or glabrescent), greenish (vs. glaucous) and larger (2–3 vs. 1–1.9 mm) side-branches leaves with abaxial surface never concealed by the strongly revolute margins (vs. frequently concealed). Unfrequently, some individuals of Lychnophora pohlii have a caulirosulate habit but that species is easily distinguished from L. grisea by its green leaves (vs. glaucous), heads with 3–4 florets (vs. 1) and biseriate pappus (vs. uniseriate). Lychnophora grisea occurs on the eastern slopes of the Diamantina Plateau (Minas Gerais State), whereas L. uniflora is restricted to Chapada Diamantina ( Bahia State) (but see discussion under that species) and L. pohlii is widely distributed in southern portion of the Espinhaço Range (Belo Horizonte to Diamantina ). Putative hybrids with L. staavioides (Loeuille et al. 578 SPF) have been found.

Additional specimens examined (paratypes): — BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Serro, estrada para Capivari, 10 km depois da entrada de Milho Verde-Serro, 18°26’37.1”S, 43°25’47.3”W, 1254 m, 8 April 2010, I. M . Franco et al. 189 ( DIA, HUFU, SPF); Couto de Magalhães de Minas , estrada BR 367 - Cachoeira da Fábrica , 900 m no ramal à direita em direção ao povoado de Cabaçaco, 18°07’27.3”S, 43°28’10.9”W, 944 m, 30 April 2012, B . Loeuille et al. 655 ( SPF, UFP) .

Figures

FIGURE 23. Lychnophora grisea. A. Side-branches. B. Syncephalium. C. Rosette. D. Syncephalium. L. uniflora. E. Habit. F. Syncephalium. A., D. by I.M. Franco. B.–C., E. by B. Loeuille. F. by N. Roque.

FIGURE 24. Holotype of Lychnophora grisea Loeuille, Semir & Pirani (SPF221400).