Pombalia velutina Paula-Souza, Phytotaxa
Creators: name: Paula-Souza, J.
name: Lima, A. G.
name: Souza, V. C.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Malpighiales
Violaceae
Pombalia
Pombalia velutina

description: 6. Pombalia velutina (Schulze-Menz) Paula-Souza, Phytotaxa 183(1): 11, f. 1D, 3H (2014).
– Hybanthus velutinus Schulze-Menz, Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin-Dahlem 12(111): 111 (1934).
Type: Paraguay. “In regione fluminis Yhú”, x 1905, E.Hassler 9514 (lectotype G! [G76156], designated by Seo et al., 2009; isolectotype BM!, G! [G76155, G76157, G76158]). Figures 1D,E, 9E–G, 11.
Suffrutescent herb, 15–30 cm high, branched from a well-developed, bud-bearing underground root-like system, erect; internodes 3–26 mm. Stipule 5–7 × c. 0.5 mm, margin entire; leaves alternate, sessile to subsessile; blade 17–33 × 6–12.5 mm, oblanceolate, elliptic to lanceolate, apex acute to obtuse or rounded, margin entire, subentire or serrate, or less frequently sharp-toothed, base acute to attenuate, tomentose to villous or woolly, hairs all stellate or frequently simple with sparse or rare stellate hairs. Flowers white, with a yellow spot at the base of the anterior petal, axillary in poorly defined racemose inflorescences or most frequently arranged in congested terminal inflorescences; pedicel 9–18(29) mm; bracteoles c.2 × 0.5 mm wide; sepals equal, 8–9.5 × 3.5–8 mm, lanceolate to ovate, margin fimbriate, base truncate to rounded or cordate, villous; posterior petals 6.5–9 × 2–3.5 mm, oblong to lanceolate; lateral petals 14–20 × 8.5–17 mm, clawed or less frequently spatulate, falcate, villous; anterior petal 13–17 × 11–25 mm, including a claw 7–10 mm long, transversely oblong or less frequently subsquare, apex truncate to emarginate, smooth, villous; filaments 1–1.5 mm, connective appendages hyaline, 0.3–0.5 mm long, frequently asymmetrical, nectar glands noduliform, sometimes much reduced and inconspicuous, inserted on the filaments, villous; style 3–3.7 mm, glabrous, straight, ovary c. 2.5 mm, villous. Capsule 9–10.5 × 6–7.5 mm, ellipsoid to ovoid; seeds c.3 × 2 mm.
Etymology. The epithet refers to the dense, villous indument of the species.
Distribution and habitat. Pombalia velutina is found in grasslands and savannas from southern São Paulo to Paraná states in Brazil and adjacent areas of Paraguay, showing the southernmost distribution of this group, isolated from the other species that are typical of the core area of the Brazilian Cerrado (see Figure 3; for a more detailed discussion on its geographical distribution, see Paula-Souza et al., 2011).
Phenology. Flowering and fruiting specimens of Pombalia velutina have been collected from September to November, with a single record in December.
Conservation status. The AOO of Pombalia velutina (20 km 2) fulfills IUCN’s AOO criterion for Endangered status (EN); however, there are records of the species in conservation units, and many notes accompanying herbarium specimens refer to it as being frequent in the area. Moreover, personal observations have been of recorded populations growing in disturbed sites along roadsides. This information, combined with the species’ large EOO (61,264 km 2) suggest that it would be more accurate to assign to Pombalia velutina a conservation status of Least Concern (LC).
Selected specimens examined. BRAZIL. Paraná: Castro, na rodovia entre Castro e Itararé, Parque Florestal de Caxambú, 30 xi 1984, Mattos 26914 (HAS); Jaguariaíva, BR 151, entrada da Fazenda 3 Ledes II, a c. 1 km E do pedágio, 24.33310°S, 49.79395°W [24°19′59.2′′S, 49°47′38.2′′W], 26 ix 2007, Paula-Souza et al. 8736 (SPF); Palmeira, 25 x 1976, Dombrowski 6627 (MBM); Ponta Grossa, Furnas, 10 ix 1997, Cervi 6326 (MBM, NY, UPCB); Tibagi, Três Pontões, 12 x 1959, Hatschbach 6377 (ESA, HBR, MBM, US); Ventania, arredores de Ventania, 15 x 1996, Chagas e Silva & Soares-Silva 2035 (ESA, FUEL, HUEFS, HUFU). Rio Grande do Sul: Tucunduva, 1861-62, Weir 378 (BM, F, K [K001215439, K001215440]). Santa Catarina: Abelardo LuZ, 8–9 km N of Abelardo LuZ, 26°33′S, 52°20′W, 900–1000 m a.s.l., 8 xii 1964, Smith & Klein 13868 (US). São Paulo: Itararé, 9 km de Itararé para Bom Sucesso de Itararé, beira de estrada, 24.115°S, 49.340833°W [24°11′12′′S, 49°16′22′′W], 13 xi 2003, Paula-Souza et al. 3645 (ESA).
This species is readily recognised by its broad and fimbriate sepals, unique among species of the Pombalia lanata complex, and the flowers usually forming congested inflorescences.
description: Published as part of Paula-Souza, J., Lima, A. G. & Souza, V. C., 2021, THE VIOLETS OF THE BRAZILIAN SAVANNA: A REVISION OF THE POMBALIA LANATA COMPLEX (VIOLACEAE), WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF TWO NEW SPECIES, pp. 1-32 in Edinburgh Journal of Botany 78 (357) on pages 25-28, DOI: 10.24823/EJB.2021.357, http://zenodo.org/record/10513850