Cryptanthus apiculatantherus D. M. C. Ferreira, E. M. Almeida & Louzada 2021, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Ferreira, Débora Maria Cavalcanti
name: Almeida, Erton Mendonça De
name: Louzada, Rafael Batista
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Liliopsida
Poales
Bromeliaceae
Cryptanthus
Cryptanthus apiculatantherus

description: Cryptanthus apiculatantherus D.M.C. Ferreira, E.M. Almeida & Louzada, sp. nov. (Figures 1–3).
Type:— BRAZIL. Bahia: Itacaré, Serra dos Vinháticos, 124 m elev., 14°18’45.1”S, 39°14’45.7”W, 24 January 2019, E. M. Almeida 2757 (holotype: UFP!)
Diagnosis: — Cryptanthus apiculatantherus differs from C. bibarrensis by its stem that is 3.5–8 mm in diameter (vs. 15–30 mm), leaf sheaths 2–2.9 cm wide (vs. ca. 3.5 cm) with a glabrous adaxial surface, except for the base that is sparsely lepidote (vs. glabrous), flowers 15–29.5 mm long (vs. ca. 45 mm long), sepals basally white with brown lobes (vs. wholly greenish white), petals 11.4–22 × 2–4.5 mm (vs. 31 × 6 mm) and white, except for the greenish apices (vs. wholly white), filaments 10.5–19.5 mm long (vs. 22–23 mm), the antesepalous ones basally adnate to the petals for 2.8–7.5 mm (vs. ca. 10 mm), anther apices apiculate (vs. obtuse), and ovary 3.2–8 × 2.8–6 mm (vs. ca. 14 × 6 mm).
Description:—Plants terricolous, andromonoecious, propagating by axillary shoots, rhizomes of 2.2–5 cm long and 0.3–0.65 cm in diameter. Stems 8–20.7 cm long, ca. 0.35–0.8 cm in diameter, erect or decumbent. Leaves 10–19 in number; sheath 1.9–2.7 × 2–2.9 cm, very widely ovate, green, abaxial surface densely lepidote, adaxial surface glabrous except for the sparsely lepidote base; prickles 0.1–1 mm long, 0.1–1.5 mm apart, generally antrorse; blade 2.3–24.8 × 1.1–2.1 cm, linear triangular or narrowly triangular, green or greenish-brown, abaxial surface densely lepidote, adaxial surface glabrous except for the sparsely lepidote base, apices acuminate, margins undulate; prickles 0.1–1 mm long, 1–4.3 mm apart, antrorse. Inflorescence compound, spike-like with sessile clusters of flowers; 6–10 lateral clusters of flowers; each cluster with ca. 2 flowers, apical cluster with ca. 22 flowers; rachis (main axis) 1–2.7 cm long; primary bracts 0.7–26.8 × 0.2–1.7 cm, foliaceous, linear triangular or narrowly triangular (at the apex of the inflorescence), green, abaxial surface densely lepidote, adaxial surface glabrous except for the sparsely lepidote base, apex acuminate, margins undulate; prickles 0.1–1 mm long, 1–4 mm apart, antrorse. Staminate flowers: floral bracts 8.5–19.2 × 3.2–6 mm, ovate to lanceolate, cymbiform, brown, glabrous except for the sparsely lepidote apex, apex mucronate or emarginate; flowers 15–24 mm long (including the extended petals); sepals 8.4–11.5 mm long, connate for 3.5–6.5 mm, base white; lobes brown, 3–6 × 2.2–3.5 mm, very widely ovate to orbicular, mucronate; petals 11.4–19.5 × 2.1–3.7 mm, oblanceolate, rounded or emarginate, connate for 3.5–6.5 mm, white with greenish apex, with 2 callosities start on 3.5–6 mm from the base, covered with inconspicuous glandulose trichomes; stamens: filament 10.5–16 mm long, the antepetalous ones basally adnate to the petals for 2.8–5 mm, the antesepalous ones basally adnate to the petals for 5–6.3 mm; anther 2.3–3.5 mm long, subbasifixed, base cordate, apex apiculate; pistil: ovary botuliform, 3.2–4.2 × 2.8–4 mm, placentation axial, ovules 0–3 per locule, epigynous tube 0.5–1 mm long, style reduced, 0.2–1.2 mm long,, stigma reduced, 0.5–3.5 mm long. Perfect flowers: floral bracts 15–18.7 × 3.8–8 mm, elliptic-falcate or ovate, cymbiform, abaxial surface glabrous or glabrous except the sparsely lepidote apex, adaxial surface glabrous except the sparsely lepidote apex, apex mucronate or emarginate; flowers 28–29.5 mm long (including the extended petals); sepals 11.5–14 mm long, connate for 5.5–9 mm, base white; lobes brown, 4.2–5.3 × 2.5–4.2 mm, very widely ovate to orbicular, mucronate, obtuse or emarginate; petals 20.5-22 × 2-4.5 mm, oblanceolate, emarginate or rounded, connate for 6.2–7.3 mm, white except for the greenish apices, with 2 callosities start on 7 mm from the base, covered with inconspicuous glandulose trichomes; stamens: filament 17–19.5 mm long, the antepetalous ones basally adnate to the petals for ca. 5 mm, the antesepalous ones basally adnate to the petals for 6.5–7.5 mm; anther 3–5 mm long, subbasifixed, base cordate, apex apiculate; pistil: ovary trigonous, 5–8 × 4–6 mm, placentation axial, ovules 7–9 per locule, epigynous tube 1–2 mm long, style 16–21 mm long, stigma 2.2–3.5 mm long, conduplicate-patent. Fruits ca. 13 × 8.2 mm, trigonous, white. Seeds 3.8–4.5 × 2.5 mm, reniform, conical or pyriform.
Etymology: —The specific epithet refers to the apiculate apices of the anthers.
Distribution and habitat: — Cryptanthus apiculatantherus is a terricolous plant and only known from a single locality from Atlantic Forest in the municipality of Itacaré, Bahia State, Brazil, at 124 m elevation (Fig. 1). It occurs in closed hygrophilous forest with trees of about 5 m tall and some areas with partial exposure to sun (Fig. 3A and 3B). The area is humid and is located on the edge of a rocky outcrop called Serra dos Vinháticos.
Phenology: —The specimens in cultivation were blooming in January and March and fruits were found in January in specimens in nature.
Conservation status: —The species is known only from one locality in a private property. It can be classified as Critically Endangered (CR) based on the criterion B2 ab(ii), since the species is only known from one location and possible decline of the area of occupancy.
Additional specimens examined (Paratypes):— BRAZIL. Bahia: Itacaré, Serra dos Vinháticos, 124 m, 14°18’45.1”S, 39°14’45.7”W, 24 January 2019, fl. cult. 27 August 2019, E. M. Almeida 3246 (UFP!); ibidem, 24 January 2019, fl. cult. 28 January 2021, E. M. Almeida 3318 (UFP!).
Notes on taxonomic affinities:— Cryptanthus apiculatantherus is morphologically similar to C. bahianus, C. bibarrensis and C. warren-loosei, due to the leaf blade shape, but it differs in petal color, and apiculate anther apex (see Table 1). Besides this, C. bahianus and C. warren-loosei occur in Brazilian dry forest called Caatinga, while C. apiculatantherus occurs in wet Atlantic Forest. Cryptanthus apiculatantherus is also morphologically similar with C. venecianus and C. viridipetalus, mainly due to the long caulescent habit and petal color. However, C. apiculatantherus differs from C. venecianus by flower length and apiculate anther apex (see Table 1), and can be also distinguished from C. viridipetalus by the apiculate anther apex.
description: Published as part of Ferreira, Débora Maria Cavalcanti, Almeida, Erton Mendonça De & Louzada, Rafael Batista, 2021, Two new species of Cryptanthus (Bromelioideae, Bromeliaceae) from northeastern Brazil, pp. 99-109 in Phytotaxa 523 (1) on pages 100-101, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.523.1.6, http://zenodo.org/record/5572026