Cryptanthus spathulatifolius Leme & E.H. Souza, 2025

Leme, Elton M. C., Souza, Everton Hilo De, Till, Walter, Barfuss, Michael H. J., Filho, José Alves Siqueira, Kollmann, Ludovic J. C., Couto, Dayvid R., Fraga, Claudio Nicoletti De, Fontana, André P., Farias-Castro, Antônio S., Fernandes, João B. & Silva, Da, 2025, Twenty Miscellaneous New Species and One New Nothogenus and Nothospecies in Brazilian Bromeliaceae, Phytotaxa 692 (1), pp. 1-60 : 21-24

Cryptanthus spathulatifolius Leme & E.H. Souza , sp. nov. ( Fig. 9 A–K )

Diagnosis:––This new species can be distinguished from the morphologically closest relative, Cryptanthus pseudopetiolatus Philcox (1992: 265) , by its shorter leaf blades (30–48 cm vs. 50–75 cm long), the basal ones subpetiolate with the subpetioles to equaling the length of the broader distal portion (vs. the basal ones distinctly narrowed toward the base but not subpetiolate), floral bracts and sepals white lepidote (vs. brown lepidote).

Type: –– BRAZIL. Bahia: Guaratinga, ca. 6 km from the city in the road Guaratinga to Cajuíta , ca. 250 m elev., 16º39’ S, 39º48’W, leg. J . E. dos Santos s.n., fl. cult. December 2020, E . Leme 9815 (holotype RB!, isotype HURB!) .

Description:–– Plants stemless, propagating by short basal shoots. Leaves 7 to 12 in number, subspreading at anthesis, laxly arranged and forming an open rosette; sheath broadly subtrapeziform to subtriangular-reniform, greenish toward the base, reddish near the apex, densely lepidote, corrugated, nerved abaxially, adaxially glabrescent; blade narrowly spathulate to narrowly lanceolate, distinctly narrowed toward the base and the basal ones subpetiolate, 30–48 × 3.6–6.4 cm (subpetiole included), coriaceous, reddish-ferruginous or sometimes green toward the apex, abaxially densely and coarsely white lepidote, adaxially glabrous toward the apex and subdensely to densely white lepidote near the base, apex caudate, margins slightly undulate, canaliculate mainly toward the base, flat toward the apex, densely spinulose; spines triangular, reddish-ferruginous, antrorsely uncinate, 0.3–0.5 mm long, 1–4 mm apart; subpetiole 8–25 × 1.5–2.2 cm, gradually merging into the much broader distal portion, distinctly shorter than to equaling the length of the broader distal portion. Inflorescence (fertile part) sessile, shortly corymbose, ca. 4.5 cm long, ca. 3.5 cm in diameter, once branched at the base with prevailingly perfect flowers and bearing a simple central head of densely arranged staminate flowers; primary bracts resembling the leaves; fascicles ca. 6 in number, subpulvinate, sessile, the basal ones ca. 35 × 17 mm (petals excluded), with 3–6 perfect and staminate flowers; floral bracts ovate-lanceolate, greenish-white to reddish along the keel, 20–22 × 7–11 mm, membranaceous, sparsely white lepidote near the apex to glabrescent, acute, margins densely spinulose towards the apex, those of the fascicles slightly exceeding the ovary, carinate, those of apical simple head of flowers to equaling the middle of the sepals, ecarinate. Flowers sessile, odorless, the perfect ones ca. 52 mm long (with the petals extended), the staminate ones ca. 45 mm long; sepals 16–19 mm long, connate for 8–10 mm, greenish-white, sparsely white lepidote, lobes broadly ovate-lanceolate, long acuminate, 7–8 × 3.5–4 mm, symmetrical, obtusely carinate, margins densely and irregularly spinulose, spines membranaceous; petals narrowly spathulate, apex acute to subrounded, white, exceeding the stamens but spreading-recurved at anthesis and exposing them, 34–36 × 7–8 mm, weakly connate at the base for ca. 12 mm, bearing 2 longitudinal callosities at the base of the free lobes; filaments ca. 28 mm long, adnate to the petal tube and free above it; anthers 3.5–6 mm long, dorsifixed at 2/5 of its length above the base, base long bilobed, apex apiculate; stigma conduplicate-patent, lobes ca. 3 mm long, white, margins scalloped, without papillae; ovary narrowly subclavate, trigonous, ca. 15 × 5 mm, white, glabrous; epigynous tube lacking; placentation subapical; ovules few, obtuse. Fruits not seen.

Distribution and habitat:–– Cryptanthus spathulatifolius is known from its type locality only, which is situated about 6 km from the city of Guaratinga along the road to the locality of Cajuíta, southern Bahia state, northeastern Brazil. It grows as a terrestrial (fig. 9 A) in a low-elevated hill (about 250 m elevation) covered by a humid Atlantic Forest fragment, nearby a small farm community.

Etymology:––The name of this new species is a reference to its narrowly spathulate leaf blades, which are distinctly narrowed toward the base and much broadened in their distal portion.

Additional specimen examined (paratype): –– BRAZIL. Bahia: Guaratinga, ca. 6 km from the city in the road Guaratinga to Cajuíta , ca. 250 m elev., 16º39’ S, 39º48’W, leg. J . E. dos Santos s.n, fl. cult. February 2021, E . Leme 9944 ( RB!)

Distinctive characters:— Cryptanthus spathulatifolius is morphologically closely related to C. pseudopetiolatus due to plant size, inflorescence conformation, and the shape of the floral bracts, sepals, and petals. However, C. pseudopetiolatus is a confusing species with floral morphology poorly known due to its partially inaccurate original description and the broad species concept adopted by Ramírez (1998) including three or more taxa ( Leme et al. 2020), making it challenging to accurately establish morphological differences.

Cryptanthus pseudopetiolatus is an inhabitant of low-elevated area of the coastal Atlantic Forest in the southern region of Bahia State, about 15 km from the ocean in straight line, while C. spathulatifolius has a more inland occurance about 70 km in straight line from the ocean, in areas at about 250 m elevation. The new species differs from its likely closest relative by the shorter leaf blades (30–48 cm vs. 50–75 cm long), the basal ones subpetiolate with the subpetioles to equaling the length of the broader distal portion (vs. the basal ones distinctly narrowed toward the base but not subpetiolate), floral bracts equaling the middle of the sepals (vs. exceeding the middle of the sepals), smaller (20–22 × 7–11 mm vs. 25–26 × 10–25 mm), white lepidote (vs. brown lepidote), and sepals white lepidote (vs. brown lepidote).

In comparison to Cryptanthus ruthae Philcox (1992: 268) , which also has distinctly subpetiolate leaf blades and grows in the lowland, coastal region of Maraú and neighbourhood, south Bahia state, this new species differs by the much broader leaf blades (3.6–6.4 cm vs. 2.5–3 cm wide), margins densely spinulose throughout (partially entire, mainly toward the base), fascicles with more numerous flowers (3–6 vs. 2–3 in number), floral bracts densely spinulose towards the apex (vs. entire or nearly so), sepals with lobes broadly ovate-lanceolate (vs. narrowly ovate to elliptic), larger (7–8 × 3.5–4 mm vs. 6 × 3–3.5 mm) and margins densely and irregularly spinulose (vs. entire to laxly and inconspicuously spinulose), and petals larger (34–36 × 7–8 mm vs. 28–30 × 4–4.5 mm).

Another species with petiolate leaves and similar floral morphology is Cryptanthus capitellatus Leme & L. Kollmann ( Leme et al. 2010: 29) , which growns in the mountainous region of Santa Teresa, Espírito Santo state. In relation to it, the distinctive characteristics of C. spathulatifolius are the larger leaf blades (30–48 × 3.6–6.4 cm vs. 9–31 × 1.5–4.5 cm), the basal fascicles with more numerous flowers (3–6 vs. ca. 2 in number), floral bracts ovate-lanceolate (vs. sublinear-lanceolate to narrowly triangular), larger (20–22 × 7–11 cm vs. 14–17 × 3–7 cm), flowers longer (ca. 52 cm vs. 32–40 cm long), sepals with lobes broadly ovate-lanceolate (vs. narrowly ovate) and larger (7–8 × 3.5–4 mm vs. 6 × 2–2.5 mm), and petals larger (34–36 × 7–8 mm vs. 24–30 × 4–5 mm) and completely white (vs. white with greenish apex).

Figures

FIGURE 9. Cryptanthus spathulatifolius (J.E. dos Santos s.n.): A. Terrestrial habit. B. Inflorescence. C. Basal fascicle. D. Perfect flower. E. Floral bract. F. Sepals. G. Petal and antesepalous stamen. H. Adaxial surface of the anther. I. Abaxial surface of the anther. J. Longitudinal section of the ovary. K. Conduplicate-patent stigma type. Bars = 10 mm (C–D). Bars = 5 mm (E–J).