Jacquemontia staplesii Buril, 2012

Buril, Maria Teresa & Alves, Marccus, 2012, Two new species of Jacquemontia Choisy (Convolvulaceae) endemic to Bahia, Brazil, Phytotaxa 69 (1), pp. 27-32 : 29-31

Jacquemontia staplesii Buril , sp. nov., Fig. 1 F–J

Type:— BRAZIL. Bahia: Lençóis, about 7–10 km, along the main Seabra-Itaberaba road, 41º26’S 12º28’S, 27 May 1980, R. M . Harley 22710 (fl.) (holotype SP!, isotypes SPF!, K!, NY!) .

Perennial shrub, ca. 40 cm high, erect, branched, lanate; trichomes T-shape, and 3–4-armed with the arms equal or unequal; internodes 4–8 mm long, leaves imbricate, densely imbricate at the apex of branches, hiding the inflorescences. Leaf blades 1.7–2.4 × 1.2–1.5 cm, chartaceous, entire, margins slightly revolute, ovate to orbicular, the base rounded to slightly cordate, the apex rounded to acute with a mucron, lanate, discolorous, veins usually apparent on both surfaces; petiole 1–2 mm long. Inflorescences umbelliform cymes, up to 17- flowered, sessile, usually terminal; bracteoles 0.5–1.5 × 0.1–0.3 cm, elliptic, margins sinuate, two per pedicel; pedicels ca. 2 mm long. Sepals unequal, membranaceous, pubescent, entire, the 2 outer 8–10 × 1–2 mm, linear to lanceolate, the base truncate to rounded, the apex caudate, slightly sinuate, the 3 inner 6 × 1.5 mm, lanceolate, the base rounded, the apex acuminate; corolla 1.2–1.5 cm long, funnelform, pale blue, weakly lobed, midpetaline bands glabrescent; stamens heterandrous, 2 longer ca. 1 cm long, 3 shorter ca. 7 mm long, anthers sagittate, ca. 1 mm long, oblong, the base cordate; nectary present, ovary ca. 1 mm long, oblong, glabrous, 2-locular, 2 ovules per locule, style ca. 8 mm long, stigmatic lobes 0.5–1 mm long, ovoid flattened. Fruits not seen. Fig. 1. F–J .

MAP 1. Distribution of Jacquemontia grisea and Jacquemontia staplesii .

Distribution, Habitat and Conservation: —Endemic to Brazil in the Espinhaço Range, in the Chapada Diamantina of Bahia in Brazil (Map 1), occurring in caatinga vegetation. Since there are no data on abundance, this species should be considered as data deficient (DD) according to the IUCN (2001) criteria.

Etymology: —The epithet honours Dr. George Staples III, specialist in Convolvulaceae , who has contributed to the taxonomic revision of Brazilian species of Jacquemontia .

Observations: —In Brazilian herbaria, specimens of this species were found misidentified as Jacquemontia hallieriana Ooststr which is only known from the type. However, J. staplesii is significantly different based on the closely imbricate leaves that hide the inflorescences at the apices of the branches whereas in J. hallieriana the internodes are 1.5 cm long leaving the inflorescences exposed.. Moreover, the leaves of J. hallieriana are larger (ca. 6 × 4 cm) and its outer sepals are slightly rhombic. Jacquemontia hallieriana also appears to have shorter petioles, with almost sessile leaves.

Paratypes: — BRAZIL. Bahia: Abaíra, Riacho do Piçarrão de Osmar Campos , 13º23’S 41º48’W, 1000–1300 m alt., 8 May 1994, W . Ganev 3226 (fl.) ( HUEFS!, NY!); Abaíra, Catolés, Samambaia, Cabeceira da Samambaia , 13º19’S 41º51’W, 1 June 2003, A. S . Conceição , M. J. G . Andrade and M. V . Moraes 617 (fl.) ( HUEFS!); Lençóis, valley of Mucugezinho river , 12º27’48’’S 41º25’6’’ W, 486 m alt., 18 September 2002, L. P . de Queiroz 7431 (fl.) ( HUEFS!) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. A–E. Jacquemontia grisea. A. habit; B. leaf; C. trichome; D. sepals, on left the outer one, on right the inner one; E. gynoecium (drawn from the holotype E. R. de Souza & M.N.S. Stapf 473); F–J. Jacquemontia staplesii. F. habit; G. inflorescence enclosed by leaves; H. trichome; J. sepals, from left to right the outer to the inner (drawn from the holotype R. M. Harley 22710).