Agarista subrotunda (Pohl) G.Don, Gen. Hist.

Garcia, Lívia & Jr, José Nascimento, 2024, Ericaceae from Serra de São José and Serra do Lenheiro, Minas Gerais, Brazil, Rodriguesia (e 00832024) 76, pp. 1-12 : 8

1.5. Agarista subrotunda (Pohl) G.Don, Gen. Hist. 3: 837. Fig. 2 g-h

Shrub 0.4–1 m tall; branches densely pubescent; non-glandular trichomes on branches, leaves, calyx, hypanthium, flowers and fruits; glandular trichomes absent; glands clavate and pitted absent. Leaves with reticulodromous venation, petiolate, petiole robust, 1–4.2 × 0.2–1.6 mm, leaf blade coriaceous, elliptical to ovate, 11–40.7 × 8.5–29.5 mm, apex cuspidate to acuminate, base subcordate to cordate, margin flat to revolute near the base, entire to repand, adaxial surface pubescent throughout the lamina, abaxial surface densely pubescent throughout the lamina, with darkened foveolate glands associated with secondary vein visible or not visible, depending on the trichome density. Inflorescence axillary raceme or panicle, peduncle 6.5–16.4 mm, rachis 31.4–72.7 mm long, densely pubescent; bracts triangular to deltoid and bracteoles deltoid. Pedicel 6.6–9.8 mm long; calyx lobes 2.5 × 1.6 mm, pubescent; corolla 6.9–10.2 × 3.3–5 mm, pink to reddish, urceolate, sparsely pubescent at the angles to entirely pubescent, style 6–6.5 mm long, glabrous; 10 stamens with filaments 3.9–5 mm long, sparsely pubescent, geniculate below the anther, anthers 1.5–2 mm long. Submature capsules 5.5–5.9 mm diam., globose, glabrous or pubescent, brown to black in sicco.

Examined material: São João del-Rei, Serra do Lenheiro, 21°14’55”S, 44°30”20” W, 5.VIII.2017, fl., MTR Costa et al. 1068 ( HUSFJ; R); 10.X.2009, fl., M Sobral 12881 ( HUFSJ); 22.VIII.2018, fl., G Nascimento et al. 3 ( HUFSJ); 16.IX.2013, fl., A Francener 1389 ( HUFSJ); 21°13’11”S, 44°29’71”W, 8.VIII.2015, fl., MTR Costa et al. 336 ( HUFSJ); 21°10’33”S, 44°19’45”W, 9. VI.2017, fr., MTR Costa et al. 964 ( HUFSJ); 21°13’49”S, 44°29’57”W ”, 17. VI.2017, fr., MTR Costa et al. 1047 ( HUFSJ)

Agarista subrotunda is an endemic species in Brazil, exclusively found in rocky fields in the state of Minas Gerais. The species flowers and bears fruit from June to October.

In the studied region, this species is primarily similar to A. coriifolia var. coriifolia and A. pulchella var. cordifolia due to the colour of the flowers. However, A. subrotunda has the abaxial surface of its leaves densely pubescent, while A. coriifolia var. coriifolia and A. pulchella var. cordifolia have glabrous or sparsely pubescent leaves only near the base of the central vein.

Figures

Figure 2 – a-h. Species of Agarista with pink to red flowers – a-c. Agarista coriifolia – a. general aspect of the paniculate inflorescence; b. leaf with glabrous abaxial surface and foveolate gland at the base of the lamina; c. immature fruits; d-f. Agarista pulchella – d. branch with terminal racemose inflorescence; e. branch with axillary racemose inflorescences; f. mature fruits after seed dehiscence; g-h. Agarista subrotunda – g. habit; h. paniculate inflorescence, and leaves with densely tomentose abaxial surface. Photographs: a. Maria Tereza Costa; g-h. Marcos Sobral; all other photographs are by the authors.