Diplusodon stellatus T. B. Cavalc. 2015, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Cavalcanti, Taciana B.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Myrtales
Lythraceae
Diplusodon
Diplusodon stellatus

description: 2. Diplusodon stellatus T.B. Cavalc., sp. nov.   
 Type:— BRAZIL. Goiás: Parque Nacional da Chapada dos Veadeiros, estrada para Colinas, a 34 km do entroncamento da GO, 15 August 1990 (fl.), Cavalcanti et al. 684, (holotype CEN!, isotypes MO!, NY!, SPF!). Figure 3.   
Species characterized by dense stellate trichomes forming tufts throughout the plant, narrow leaves with revolute margin, flowers with 12 stamens and epicalyx segments longer than sepals.  
Subshrubs 0.4–1 m tall, with a xylopodium. Upper branches cylindrical, lax, unwinged, covered by stellate trichomes forming tufts, internodes 0.8–3 cm long. Leaves decussate, not imbricate, suberect, coriaceous, petiolate, slightly discolorous, eucamptodromous; petiole 1.5–2 mm long; blades 15–35 × 1.5–4(–6) mm, narrow-lanceolate or narrow-elliptic to linear, base acute, apex acute, margin revolute, adaxial surface olive-green, covered by dense stellate trichomes forming tufts; abaxial surface canescent, covered by dense stellate trichomes in tufts, veins 1 or 2 on each side of the midvein, prominent on the abaxial surface; domatia absent. Synflorescence frondose, diplobotryum spiciform to pleiobotryum spiciform type, lax; accessory branches absent, principal florescence 3–5 mm long, botryum spiciform type, paraclades 5–17 mm long; bracts similar to the vegetative leaves, except diminishing in size toward the apex of the branch, 10–17 × 1.5–3 mm wide, linear, margin revolute; flowers subsessile, hypopodium ca. 0.5 mm long, epipodium ca. 0–0.3 mm long; prophylls 3.1–3.2 × 1–1.1 mm, slightly surpassing the middle of the floral tube, narrow-oblong, with strongly prominent midrib, base retuse, apex acute, margin plane; floral tube 4–4.5 mm long, canescent, funnel-shaped, covered by dense stellate trichomes forming tufts; sepals 1.5–1.6 mm long, rose, triangular, not deflexed, not caudate, not ciliate, covered by dense stellate trichomes forming tufts; epicalyx segments 3–4 mm long, rose, cylindrical, erect, exceeding the sepals 2–3 mm, covered by dense stellate trichomes forming tufts; corolla 3.5–4 cm in diam, rose-magenta to lilac, petals 21–22 × 6–10 mm, obovate, apex obtuse; stamens 12, free portion of the filaments ca. 5.5 mm long, rose, exserted 2–2.1 mm, surpassing the sepals ca. 1 mm; ovary ca. 1.8 × 1.9 mm, obovate-depressed, glabrous, style 10–11 mm long, rose, ovules 10. Capsules 2.5–2.8 × 2.6–2.9 mm, oblong, glabrous; seeds ca. 5, 1.9–2 × 1.2–1.5 mm.  
 Distribution and ecology:— Diplusodon stellatus occurs on sandy soils of campos rupestres, campos sujos, campos limpos and cerrado with rocky outcrops on the Chapada dos Veadeiros, Goiás, at 880–1,200 m. Flowers from April to August; fruits observed in January.   
Etimology:—Specific epithet related to the presence of stellate trichomes on the whole plant.  
 Paratypes:— BRAZIL. Goiás: Alto Paraíso de Goiás, 15 May 1986 (fl.), Toledo et al. 113 (IBGE!); Alto Paraíso de Goiás, 14 June 1993 (fr.), Hatschbach et al. 59523 (BR!, MBM, MO!); Alto Paraíso de Goiás, Parque Nacional da Chapada dos Veadeiros, trilha para a Sede do parque, 14°10’27”S, 47°49’28”W, 11 March 2014 (fl.), Cavalcanti et al. 3820 (CEN!); Alto Paraíso de Goiás, Parque Nacional da Chapada dos Veadeiros, estrada para Colinas, a 34 km do entroncamento da GO, 14º10’0”S, 47º47’29”W, 15 August 1990 (fr.), Cavalcanti et al. 682 (CEN!, SPF!); Alto Paraíso de Goiás, povoado São Jorge, 20 May 2003 (fl.), Pastore & Suganuma 651 (CEN!); Alto Paraíso de Goiás, estrada Alto Paraíso de Goiás-São Jorge, próximo à casa do IBAMA, 29 January 2003 (fr.), Cavalcanti et al. 3162 (CEN!, MO!); Alto Paraíso de Goiás, São Jorge, caminho para mirante, 11 April 2004 (fl.), Rodrigues & Chesini 191 (CEN!); Alto Paraíso de Goiás, estrada Alto Paraíso de Goiás-Colinas do Sul, a 1 km de São Jorge, 2 June 1999 (fr.), Cavalcanti & Silva 2508 (CEN!, MO!, SPF!); Alto Paraíso de Goiás, margem da estrada entre Alto Paraíso e São Jorge, 14º6’13” S, 47º28’50” W, 5 April 2014 (fl.), Faria, Jr. et al. 3959 (CEN!, UB!); Alto Paraíso de Goiás, Chapada dos Veadeiros, 28 July 1985 (fl., fr.), Romaniuc-Neto & Sajo 380 (SP!); Alto Paraíso de Goiás, Chapada dos Veadeiros, 14 o 8’ S, 47 o 31’ W, 19 May 1987 (fl.), Menezes 1209 (K!, SPF!); Cavalcante, GO-327, Colinas do Sul-GO- 118, 14 o 10’ S, 47 o 49’ W, 8 March 1989 (fl.), Cavalcanti et al. 394 (CEN!, IBGE!, NY!, K!, SP!). Colinas do Sul, estrada de terra em direção a Alto Paraíso de Goiás, 27 April 2009 (fl.), Cardoso 2570 (HUEFS!).   
 Comments:— Diplusodon stellatus is characterized by the dense tufts of stellate trichomes close to one another covering the entire plant that confers a flaky aspect to the surface. It is also characterized by its narrow-lanceolate or narrow-elliptic to linear leaves with revolute margin, androecium with 12 stamens and epicalyx segments with 3.1–3.5 mm long. The species resembles D. rosmarinifolius A. Saint-Hilaire (1833: 119) because of its stellate trichomes over the entire plant and the shape of the leaf blades with revolute margins. Diplusodon rosmarinifolius differs from it by its androecium with 15 stamens and the epicalyx segments ca. 0.5 mm long, spreading to deflexed.
description: Published as part of Cavalcanti, Taciana B., 2015, New species in Diplusodon (Lythraceae) from Brazil, pp. 144-156 in Phytotaxa 226 (2) on pages 147-149, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.226.2.4, http://zenodo.org/record/13636314