Leandra fontanae Reginato & R.Goldenb., 2013

Reginato, M. & Goldenberg, R., 2013, Two new species of Leandra s. str. (Melastomataceae) from the Atlantic Forest in Espírito Santo, Brazil, Blumea 57 (3), pp. 210-214 : 214

2. Leandra fontanae Reginato & R.Goldenb. , sp.nov. — Fig. 1c –e , 2e – h , 4

Typus. R. Goldenberg 1520 , M. K. Caddah , F. A. Michelangeli & M. Reginato (holo UPCB; iso MBML, NY), Brazil, Espírito Santo, São Roque do Canaã, Alto Misterioso , 6 Feb. 2011 .

Etymology. This species is named after the botanist André Paviotti Fontana, who has been intensely collecting in this state, and was the first collector of this species.

Shrub, up to 0.5 m. Young stems terete, moderately covered by appressed simple trichomes (1–1.5 mm long) mixed with small dendritic trichomes (0.1 mm long), soon glabrescent, internodes longitudinal ridges absent. Leaves isophyllous; petiole 2 – 4 mm long, the indumentum the same as on the shoots; blade 2.3– 3.6 by 1.3– 2.5 cm, ovate to lanceolate, chartaceous, apex acute to acuminate, base cordate, margin obscurely serrulate, ciliate (1.3–1.6 mm) and revolute, secondary veins basal, with 2 pairs plus an additional marginal faint pair, veins printed on adaxial surface and prominent on abaxial surface, adaxial surface sparsely covered with pedicellate glands (0.1 mm), with simple trichomes restricted to the veins, abaxial surface sparsely covered by simple trichomes, mixed with pedicellate glands (0.1 mm). Inflorescences terminal and lateral, made up by simple dichasia or triad, 1.7–3 cm long; anthopodia 5 –15 mm long, moderately covered by appressed, simple trichomes, mixed with small (0.1 mm), dendritic trichomes; bracts 1–2 mm, linear to lanceolate, entire, glabrous; bracteoles similar to the bracts. Flowers on pedicels 0.5 –1 mm long. Hypanthium 2 –3 by 1.5– 2.5 mm long, campanulate, external surface moderately covered with appressed, simple trichomes mixed with small (0.1 mm), dendritic trichomes, internal surface glabrous, androecial fringe composed by simple trichomes (0.3 mm). Calyx tube 0.3– 0.4 mm long, the lobes 0.4– 0.6 mm, deltoid; calyx teeth linear, 2.5– 4.5 mm long. Petals (3–)4(– 5), 2 – 3 by 1–1.5 mm, white at anthesis, ovate, apex acuminate, margin entire, glabrous. Stamens diplostemonous, isomorphic; filament 1.5–2 mm long, glabrous, white; anthers 1.5 – 2 mm long, oblong with the apex attenuate, opening by 1 dorsally inclined pore, c. 0.15 mm wide, white; connective not prolonged, slightly caudate, unappendaged. Ovary 2-locular, 1/2 inferior, the free portion 0.9 by 1 mm, attenuate, apex sparsely covered by simple trichomes (c. 0.3 mm); style 6 mm long, straight, white, glabrous; stigma punctiform. Berries 3– 4 by 2.5 –3.5 mm, dark violet to black, the indument and calyx persistent when mature. Seeds 0.8 by 0.5 mm long, ovate to oblong-ovate, the hilum covering 90 % of the seed, with tertiary sculpturing, testa yellow, cells periclinal walls flat or slightly concave, the anticlinal walls jigsaw-like; unappendaged.

Distribution & Habitat — Endemic to the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. It has been collected in two neighbouring municipalities, Santa Teresa and Santa Leopoldina, about 20 km distant from each other. The species is found in shrubby vegetation on shallow soils, on rocky outcrops on inselbergs in the Atlantic Forest domain, at an altitude of c. 900 m.

Other specimens examined. BRAZIL, Espírito Santo, Santa Leopoldina, Luxemburgo, 15 Mar. 2005 (fl, fr), A . P . Fontana 1170, L . Kollmann & L . Kosanke ( MBML, UPCB); São Roque do Canaã, Alto Misterioso , 20 Mar. 2007 (fr), C . Esgario 142 & A . P . Fontana ( MBML), idem, 6 Feb. 2011 (fl, fr), M . Reginato 1190, F . A . Michelangeli, R . Goldenberg, M . K . Caddah ( NY, UPCB) .

Notes — Since these plants have both terminal and lateral inflorescences, we opted to describe this species in Leandra , and not in Ossaea . Within Leandra , this species could be placed either in sect. Chaetodon , due to its inflorescences that are also lateral, or in sect. Carassanae, due to the indument on the hypanthium and also the seeds with tertiary sculpturing.

Leandra fontanae can be recognized by the small and cordate leaves with five main nerves plus a faint submarginal pair, the apical and lateral inflorescences made up by single dichasia or triads, the 2-celled ovary and flowers mostly 4-merous. The three petals found in some flowers are remarkably rare among Leandra , but cannot be regarded as diagnostic. Most of the species that are morphologically similar to L. fontanae are also from rocky outcrops, and are also tiny shrubs with minute leaves, depauperate inflorescences (but never single dichasia or triads) and short, stout anthers. However, they are not sympatric with L. fontanae , occurring in southern states (Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná and Santa Catarina). Leandra itatiaiae (Wawra) Cogn. has non-cordate leaves; L. riograndensis (Brade) Wurdack has non-cordate leaves and much shorter calyx teeth; L. microphylla Cogn. (incl. M. dusenii Cogn. ) has dendritic trichomes on the hypanthia; and L. cordigera (Triana) Cogn. has glandular trichomes on the hypanthia.

Figures

Fig. 1 a, b. Leandra cristata Reginato & R.Goldenb. a. Non-fertile branch; b. detail of the ridges nodes. — c–e. Leandra fontanae Reginato & R.Goldenb. c. Fruiting branch; d. flower; e. infructescences (a, b: R. Goldenberg et al. 1524; c–e: Reginato et al. 1190; all NY, UPCB).

Fig. 2 a–d. Leandra cristata Reginato & R.Goldenb. a. Leaf on abaxial view; b. detail of the seed testa; c. detail of the small reddish glandular trichomes; d. seed. — e–h. Leandra fontanae Reginato & R.Goldenb. e. Leaf on abaxial view; f. detail of the seed testa; g. detail of the simple trichome on leaf adaxial side; h. seed (a–d: Vervloet 52, MBML, UPCB; e–h: Reginato et al. 1190, NY, UPCB). — Scale bars: a, d, e, g, h = 100 μm; b, c, f = 10 μm.

Fig. 4 Leandra fontanae Reginato & R.Goldenb. a. Longitudinal section of the hypanthium;b. flower; c. branch with inflorescences; d. detail of the longitudinal section of the hypanthium, showing the simple and dentritic trichomes mixed; e. petal on adaxial view; f. stamen; g. transversal section of the 2-locular ovary; h. leaf on abaxial view (all: holotype).