Hippeastrum abatinguara Campos-Rocha & A.S.Medeiros

Campos-Rocha, Antonio, Medeiros, Alexandre Da Silva, Meerow, Alan William, Sanz-Veiga, Priscila Andre, Koch, Ingrid & Dutilh, Julie Henriette Antoinette, 2022, A remarkable new species of Hippeastrum (Amaryllidaceae) from the Serra da Mantiqueira, Southeastern Brazil, Phytotaxa 571 (2), pp. 197-208 : 201-204

Hippeastrum abatinguara Campos-Rocha & A.S.Medeiros , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 & 2 )

Hippeastrum abatinguara can be considered similar to H. brasilianum ( Traub & Doran 1976: 40) Dutilh in Meerow et al. (1997: 17) due to its habitat and flower color pattern, but is readily distinguished by having a smaller perigone (up to 9.5 cm long vs. 14–23 cm in H. brasilianum ), with pink striations on the tepals, absent in H. brasilianum .

Type: — BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Bocaina de Minas, zona rural, afloramento rochoso, em área de transição entre Floresta Ombrófila Densa Montana e Mista , 04 September 2021, A. Campos-Rocha, A.S. Medeiros, J.H.A. Dutilh & P.A.S. Veiga 3334 (holotype UEC!; isotypes BHCB!, ESA!, NA!, RB!) .

Terrestrial saxicolous herbs, up to 90 cm tall at flowering. Bulb 6–14 cm long, 6–12 cm in diam., rounded, more often widely ovoid, exposed, white, covered with reddish or brown tunics; bulb neck up to 12 cm long, eventually very short to absent. Leaves 2 to 11, 22–46 × 1.8–3.4 cm, suberect to arcuate, lorate, papery, sometimes asymmetric, similarly green colored on both sides, usually with reddish to vinaceous pigmentation on the margins, eventually near the midrib, base, and apex, occasionally with a longitudinal light green stripe close to the midrib, margins flat, eventually slightly involute, hyaline, midrib inconspicuous adaxially, somewhat prominent abaxially, apex acute to rounded, usually asymmetric, dry at flowering. Inflorescence 2–4 flowered; scape 28–74 cm long, 1.4–2.5 cm in diam., erect, subcylindrical, laterally compressed, fistulose, glaucous, greenish; spathe bracts 2, 5–8.6 × 2–3.2 cm, free, lanceolate, glaucous, reddish, apex acute; bracteoles 1–4, up to 6 cm long, lanceolate to subulate, greenish or reddish. Flowers patent, pedicellate, slightly scented at anthesis; pedicels 2.4–7 cm long at anthesis, 4–6 mm in diam., obtusely triangular in cross section, greenish. Perigone 6.5–9.5 cm long, zygomorphic, infundibuliform; perigonal tube 7–15 mm long, greenish; paraperigone absent. Tepals 6 in 2 whorls, in free portion white, with faint thin pink to magenta striations distally or throughout their length, eventually tessellated, sometimes absent on the lower petal, greenish pigmentation near the base, mostly close to the midrib; outer whorl (sepals) wider than the inner (petals), obovate, apex acute with apicule sub-apical 1.5–3 mm long; upper 5.8–7.8 × 2.4–2.8 cm; lateral 5.8–7.6 × 2.5–3 cm; petals oblanceolate, lateral slightly asymmetric, apex acute with apicule inconspicuous or absent; lateral 6–8 × 2–2.4 cm, lower 6–7.5 × 1.4–2 cm. Stamens of four different lengths, shorter than limb segments, exserted; filaments declinate-ascending, fasciculate, inserted at the mouth of the perigonal tube, free portion white, upper episepal 5–5.8 cm long, lateral episepal 5–5.6 cm long; lateral epipetal 5.4–6.4 cm long, lower epipetal 5.2–6.3 cm long; anthers 4–7 mm long after anthesis, oblong, yellow to cream; pollen yellow. Ovary 0.6–1.2 mm long, oblong to obovoid, obtusely trigonal, greenish; ovules 40–44 per locule, about 1 × 1 mm, clavate to obpyriform; style 6.4–8 cm long, declinate to slightly ascending, white, of similar length or slightly longer than limb segments; stigma trifid, lobes 1.5–3 mm long, slightly recurved, white. Capsule 2.2–3.2 cm long, 2.8–4 cm in diam., obloid to widely obovoid, greenish, eventually with reddish to vinaceous pigmentation; seeds 10–14 × 7–12 mm, irregular, usually widely to very widely obovate or obtrullate, flattened, winged, blackish.

Etymology: —The specific epithet refers to an indigenous people who inhabited the southern region of the state of Minas Gerais and were decimated as a result of the colonization of their territory. The Abatinguaras would have lived on the banks of the Grande and Sapucaí rivers, and offered a strong resistance to the advance of the Bandeirantes (colonial crusaders) at the end of the 17th century ( José 1965, Guimarães 2017). Awati-wára is a word of Tupi origin, an indigenous language, being a translation of ‘white man eaters’ ( Guérios 1948, Michaelis 2015). It is also a call for the defense of Brazilian indigenous people, in a context of violence against these peoples and their territories ( Bonilla & Capiberibe 2021, Ferrante & Fearnside 2021, CIMI 2022). The specific epithet is used here as a noun in apposition, in accordance with Article 23.1 of the International Code of Nomenclature ( Turland et al. 2018).

Distribution and habitat: — Hippeastrum abatinguara is known only from the type locality, in the municipality of Bocaina de Minas, located in the south of the State of Minas Gerais, close to the border with Rio de Janeiro ( Fig. 3 ). The municipality is part of the Upper Grande River region, which houses the headwaters of the Grande River and some of its major tributaries, on the continental slopes of the Itatiaia massif ( Carvalho et al. 2005, Pereira et al. 2006). The new species was found on a granitic rocky outcrop in the rural area of Bocaina de Minas, about one kilometer from the Grande River, at 1500 meters above sea level. Individuals distributed over the entire exposed northward slope of the rocky outcrop were observed, which is about 250 m high and covers 10 hectares of area. We are estimating a local population of a few dozen mature individuals, while some areas of the rocky outcrop are difficult to visualize and can be reached only by climbing. Hippeastrum abatinguara is a rupicolous species, occurring on shallow soils in vegetation islands, mostly formed by a species of Alcantarea (É. Morren ex Mez 1894: 516) Harms (1929: 802) (Bromeliaceae) , although some isolated clonal clumps have also been observed. They also occur associated with other monocots, e.g. Anthurium Schott (1829: 828) sp. (Araceae) , Bifrenaria Lindley (1832: 152) sp. (Orchidaceae) and Cyperus ( Linnaeus 1753: 44) sp. (Cyperaceae) , and some species of ferns, e.g. Doryopteris Smith (1841: 404) sp. (Pteridaceae) and shrubs, e.g. Pleroma Don (1823: 283) sp. (Melastomataceae) . One individual of H. abatinguara was found growing in the understory of an area with a few small trees and shrubs. The rocky outcrop is inserted in a region with a predominance of Montane Ombrophilous Dense Forest, in addition to Mixed Ombrophilous Forest and highaltitude grassland ( Carvalho 2005, Simas et al. 2010). According to Carvalho et al. (2005), the locality has a climatic type Cb, by Köppen Procedure Classification, with mean annual temperature of 16.7ºC, varying from 13ºC in July to 19.7ºC in January, and a mean annual precipitation of about 2,100 mm, ranging from 340 mm per month in the wettest quarter (December to February) to 35 mm per month in the driest quarter (June to August).

Two other species of Hippeastrum are recorded from rocky outcrops nearby: H. glaucescens (Martius ex Schultes & Schultes 1830: 813) Herbert (1837: 139) and H. morelianum Lemaire (1845: 37) .

Conservation status: — Hippeastrum abatinguara should be considered Critically Endangered (CR) based on sub-criteria B1ab(i, ii, iii, v)+2ab(i, ii, iii, v), due to the number of locations (1) and continuous decline of EOO, AOO, and habitat quality, and criterion D, since the only known population likely consists of fewer than fifty mature individuals. Most of the observed individuals were located in very steep places, which preserves them from the advance of pasture areas and cattle raised in the vicinity, but does not protect from the threat of fire, visible in several patches of vegetation. According to local residents, the rocky outcrop has faced annual fires over the past five years, which have consumed all or most of its area. Man-made fires are the main threat to rocky outcrop ecosystems worldwide, resulting in major changes in the structure and composition of their flora, which can lead to local extinction of species ( Burke 2003, Fitzsimons & Michael 2016, Campos-Rocha et al. 2018). Open areas created by fire are more likely to be colonized by invasive species, another major threat to vegetation in rocky outcrops ( Pigott 2000, Porembski 2000).

The colonization of the SM by European settlers started very early in Brazilian history, with the region playing a key role in the occupation of the interior of the country from the 18th century onwards ( Dean 1996, Rodrigues 2003). Since then, SM faced a process of continuous environmental degradation, with the replacement of its native vegetation cover by agricultural areas, pasture, and secondary vegetation ( Pelissari & Romaniuc Neto 2013, Gonzaga & Menini Neto 2017). In the Upper Rio Grande region, deforestation process was intensified during the 1940s, with the increasing demand for wood and charcoal represented by the construction of the National Steel Mill (Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional) in Volta Redonda, state of Rio de Janeiro ( Carvalho et al. 2005). As a result, the vegetation cover of this region is now reduced to forest fragments restricted to hilltops, elevated or steeper areas ( Carvalho et al. 2005, Pereira et al. 2006, Simas et al. 2010). The rocky outcrop on which H. abatinguara was found belongs to private farms located in its surroundings, and is inserted in the Serra da Mantiqueira Environmental Protection Area (EPA Serra da Mantiqueira ). Sustainable use conservation units, EPAs were established as the least restrictive category of protected area in Brazil, often covering quite extensive areas, consisting of both public and private land ( Brasil 2000). It is also considered the least effective category in ensuring conservation of biodiversity and natural resources ( Cozzolino 2005, Rylands & Brandon 2005, WWF-Brasil & ICMBIO 2017). The slope of occurrence of the new species is considered a Permanent Preservation Area (PPAs) by the Brazilian Forest Code, as a slope with a declivity greater than 45 degrees, equivalent to 100% in the line of maximum slope ( Brasil 2012). Together with conservation units, PPAs are the main legal instrument for the protection of biodiversity in Brazil, comprising spaces with inherent environmental vulnerability, where no human activity is allowed, and vegetation clearing only in exceptional cases. In the SM region, most PPAs revealed conflicting land use, generally more pronounced in water PPAs than in PPAs of slope ( Silva et al. 2015, Silva et al. 2019, Vilela et al. 2021). The preservation of native vegetation in PPAs is the responsibility of their owners ( Brasil 2012).

In Minas Gerais, the SM is classified as an extremely high priority area for conservation ( IEF 2021), as well of special biological importance ( Drummond et al. 2005).

Phenology: — Hippeastrum abatinguara was observed flowering in winter (July and September). Immature fruits were seen in early September. Apparently, H. abatinguara is a hysteranthous species. Plants in cultivation were found to be self-incompatible.

Notes: — Hippeastrum abatinguara can be considered quite unique among Brazilian species of Hippeastrum . It is a large-sized rupicolous species, with bulbs of up to 12 cm in diameter, which can present more than 10 contemporary leaves, reaching close to 1 m tall at flowering. It can be considered related to H. brasilianum , a rupicolous whiteflowered species endemic to rocky outcrops in Southeastern Brazil. Hippeastrum abatinguara is distinguished by having a smaller perigone (6.5–9.5 cm long), and perigonal tube representing between 1/6 and 1/9 of the total perigone length (vs. flowers 14 cm or more long and perigonal tube representing about 1/3 of the perigone length in H. brasilianum ), besides the presence of pink striations on the upper two thirds of the tepals or throughout their entire length, absent in H. brasilianum . Due to the size and color pattern of its flowers, can also be considered similar to Hippeastrum reticulatum Herbert (1824 : sub t. 2475), a pinkish-flowered species spread mainly in the Ombrophilous and Semideciduous Forests of Southern and Southeastern Brazil. However, H. abatinguara can be distinguished even vegetatively by its sessile and lorate leaves (vs. pseudopetiolate leaves, rarely obscurely pseudopetiolate, with lanceolate to oblanceolate lamina in H. reticulatum ). Moreover, H. abatinguara has white flowers with pink striations, and trifid stigma (vs. pink flowers with longitudinal white stripes, tessellated with red-violet, and a capitate stigma in H. reticulatum ). The mature dehiscent capsule of H. abatinguara is green and dry, with numerous papery winged seeds, while that of H. reticulatum is pigmented bright red on the interior surfaces, with a few globose, glossy seeds.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Hippeastrum abatinguara. A. Habit in flower. B. Detail of bulb and leaves developing. C. Spathe bracts. D. Flower with perigone removed, showing stamens and style. E. Sepals and petals. F. Tips of sepals and petals. F1. Upper sepal. F2. Lateral petal. F3. Lateral sepal. F4. Lower petal. G. Stigma. H. Longitudinal section of the ovary. I. Cross section of the ovary. J. Flower, frontal view. K. Capsule. Drawn by Alexandre Medeiros.

FIGURE 2. Hippeastrum abatinguara. A–B. Typical habitat (September 2021). C. Surroundings of the rocky outcrop, with an individual of Araucaria angustifolia in the foreground. D–E. Individual plants flowering at type locality. F. Detail of bulbs and dry leaves. G. Leaf shoots. H–J. Detail of inflorescence. K. Stigma. L. Dehiscent capsule showing the seeds. M. Capsule, back view. N. Seeds. Photos: A–D, F, G, J, K: Alexandre Medeiros. E, H, I, L–N: Antonio Campos-Rocha. Scale bars: 1 cm (L); 5 mm (M); 3 mm (N); 1 mm (K).

FIGURE 3. Distribution map showing the only known collection of Hippeastrum abatinguara (white star), in Minas Gerais state, Brazil.