Sisyrinchium diversicarpum C.D.Inácio & L.Eggers, 2018

Inácio, Camila Dellanhese, Chauveau, Olivier & Eggers, Lilian, 2018, Three new species of Sisyrinchium (Iridaceae) from Campos of South America, Phytotaxa 361 (2), pp. 198-210 : 203-205

Sisyrinchium diversicarpum C.D.Inácio & L.Eggers , sp. nov. ( Figs. 4 and 5 )

Sisyrinchium diversicarpum resembles S. nidulare , differing by the verrucose ovaries and fruits, and leaves with papillose surface and ciliate margins.

Type: — BRAZIL. Paraná: Ponta Grossa, Parque Estadual de Vila Velha, 843 m, 25°14’40.0”S, 50°00’47.6”W, 29 August 2015, C.D. Inácio & E.D. Lozano 302 (holotype ICN!, isotypes MBM!, RB!, SPF!, SI!, NY!, P!).

Perennial herb, caespitose, (17–)30–56(–70) cm tall. Rhizome thickened, with fleshy roots. Basal leaves linear, 12 − 56(− 70) × 0.3–0.7 cm, papillose, acute, margin thickened, ciliate. Flowering stem simple, erect, narrowly winged, 0.5 − 3.2 × 0.3 − 0.4 cm, often hidden by leaf sheaths, with a terminal bract 4 − 19 cm long, and an opposite bract 3 − 6.8 cm long. Synflorescence cyme, 4 − 8 rhipidia. Rhipidium 2 − 4 flowers, pedunculate, peduncle 4 − 21 mm long, subtended by sterile bracts. Spathes bivalved, lower valve 18.2 − 27.5 × 2.7 − 4.4 mm, upper 17.3 − 24.3 × 2.3 − 3.7 mm, acute to acuminate, margin narrowly membranaceous. Pedicel longer than spathes, (12 −) 19 − 35 mm long, glabrous. Perigone disk shaped, yellow, (3.3 −) 3.5 − 4 cm diameter (fresh flowers). Tepals subequal, 13.7 − 18.6 × 6.7 − 9.1 mm, connate 0.5 mm at base, oblanceolate, acute to acuminate, with conspicuous central vein at adaxial side, glabrous. Filaments yellow, basally connate for 0.9 − 1.3 mm, then 1.2 − 1.9 mm free, ascending to patent, glabrous. Anthers yellow, versatile and incurved when dehiscent, 4.2 − 5.8 mm long. Ovary subglobose, 2.9 − 4.5 × 2.7 − 3.5 mm, conspicuously verrucose. Style yellow, 0.9 − 1.3 mm long, glabrous, style branches 3 − 3.4(− 4.1) mm long, alternate to the stamens, ascending to patent, stigma capitate to truncate, papillose. Capsule globose, 7 − 12 × 7 − 10 mm, tawny when immature to terracotta and sometimes black in dry material, shinny, distinctly verrucose.

Distribution and Habitat:— Sisyrinchium diversicarpum was collected in Southern Brazil, in three municipalities of Paraná: Ponta Grossa, Palmeira and Curitiba ( Fig. 3 ), in the Atlantic Forest Biome. It occurs in grasslands or savannah vegetation, usually above 800 m a.s.l. The species can be found in the Parque Estadual de Vila Velha conservation unit, where it grows in large populations. Plants of S. diversicarpum inhabit fire prone environments inside the Park.

Phenology:—Flowering and fruiting from August to November.

Conservation Status: —According to the IUCN Red List guidelines ( IUCN 2016), the species is considered to be Endangered (EN), with subcriteria B1(a) and (b)iii: continuing decline of extent of occurrence and decline of quality of habitat due to loss or reduction of the natural distribution by agricultural expansion of crops. Recent collections are just from conservation areas, since depletion of natural vegetation in which this species was currently found in Paraná has drastically increased ( Cervi et al. 2007).

Etymology:—The species name is a reference to the remarkable distinctive ovaries and fruits, which present an unusual verrucose surface.

Paratypes:— BRAZIL. Paraná: Ponta Grossa, Parque Estadual de Vila Velha , 1 November 2014 (fr), C. D. Inácio et al. 258 ( ICN!) ; Ponta Grossa, Anfiteatro , 5 September 1966 (fl), G. Hatschbach & O. Guimarães 14638 ( MBM! NY! UPCB! US!) ; Ponta Grossa, Fazenda Rivadávia , 4 August 1965 (fl), G. Hatschbach 12649 ( MBM! US!) ; Curitiba, Fazenda Padre Inácio, estrada Curitiba-Palmeira , 10 km antes de Palmeira , 16 October 1947 (fl), G. Tessmann s.n. ( MBM 271187 !) ; Irati , 15 September 1966 (fl), J. Lindeman & H. Haas 2468 ( MBM!, RB!) ; Palmeira , perto da rede da linha do trem, 18 August 2005 (fl), W. Maschio 489 ( MBM! RB!) ; Palmeira , Córrego das Antas, 11 October 1989 (fl), J. Cordeiro & J. M. Silva 646 ( MBM! UPCB! US!) .

Taxonomic relationships: — Sisyrinchium diversicarpum belongs to S. sect. Viperella Ravenna (sensu Inácio et al. 2017), which is characterized by species with simple inflorescence without terminal bract or synflorescence with terminal bract, flowers without trichomes and filaments connate at different lengths but never to the top. The species was incorrectly identified as S. nidulare ( Handel-Mazzetti 1908: 216) Johnston (1938: 383) in exsiccates of collections made in 1947, 1965 and 1966. In first appearance, the two species strongly resemble and plant height, leaf length and width, terminal and secondary bracts length, peduncle length, valves length and width and pedicel length present similar measurements ( Table 2). Nevertheless, careful observation on fruit surface, leaf indumentum and margin allow differentiation. In plants collected without flowers or fruits, leaf characters should be analyzed with caution for a correct identification. In S. diversicarpum , the verrucose fruit surface, the papillose leaf surface and the ciliate margin contrast with the glossy fruit surface, and the glabrous leaf surface and margins of S. nidulare . Other features as flowering stem length, flower diameter and ovary width can also be useful to distinguish S. diversicarpum and S. nidulare ( Table 2).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Distribution map of Sisyrinchium pampeanum (squares), S. diversicarpum (circles) and S. sectiandrum (triangles) in Southern Brazil and Uruguay border.

FIGURE 4. Habit of Sisyrinchium diversicarpum C.D.Inácio & L.Eggers. From C.D. Inácio & E.D. Lozano 302 (ICN). Scale bar: 5 cm. Drawing by Anelise Scherer.

FIGURE 5. Sisyrinchium diversicarpum C.D.Inácio & L.Eggers.A. Habit. B. Synflorescence. C. Flowers. D. Verrucose fruits. E. Habitat, grassland in Parque Estadual de Vila Velha, Paraná, Brazil. F. Grassland after fire, Parque Estadual de Vila Velha, Paraná, Brazil. From C.D. Inácio & E.D. Lozano 302 (ICN).