Besleria is a Neotropical genus of terrestrial herbs, shrubs and small trees growing in the understory of rainforests, with more than 160 recognized species, and is one of the larger and more diverse genera of Gesneriaceae. It belongs to the monophyletic tribe Beslerieae, and recent phylogenetic studies indicate that the genus is monophyletic. During field expeditions in the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest, we collected specimens that could not be identified as any described species. After morphological analysis and comparison with related species, we assigned these specimens to three new species of Besleria. In this paper, we describe and illustrate Besleria aurea, B. brevicalyx and B. diabolica and provide data on their ecology, distribution and conservation status.
A new species, Conchocarpus hendrixii (tribe Galipeinae, Rutaceae), is described and illustrated. To date, this new species is known from populations observed in the municipalities of Cardoso Moreira and São Fidélis in Serra da Bandeira/Serra da Vista mountain ranges in northern Rio de Janeiro state in the Atlantic Rainforest biome and was brought to light as an undescribed species thanks to photographs shared on the social media site Facebook. The epithet “hendrixii” is in honor of Jimi Hendrix, guitarist and singer-songwriter, who wrote the song “Purple Haze,” in reference to the purple color of the flowers of the new species. Analyzes showed that flowers of the new species bear a staminal tube, a characteristic present only in C. odoratissimus among the Conchocarpus. However, this species bears flowers with much shorter staminal tubes (c. 2–2.5 mm in length v. 1–1.2 cm in the new species) and smaller flowers, among other morphologically dissimilar characteristics. Molecular phylogenetic analysis using nuclear (ITS-1 and IT-2) and plastidial markers (trnL-trnF and rps16 intron) were conducted and demonstrated that the new species belongs to an internal clade in Conchocarpus, together with species formerly assigned to Almeidea (currently included in Conchocarpus). The presence of pantoporate pollen grains, a synapomorphic trait to this clade supports the molecular results. Conservation status as well as data from foliar and floral (with an emphasis on the staminal tube) anatomy are presented.
Eugenia asema, E. trichogyna, Myrcia altomontana, M. fria and M. macucana are described and illustrated, and the new combination Eugenia subglomerata, based on Myrtus subglomerata, is proposed. Eugenia asema, from the state of Rio de Janeiro, seems related to E. subavenia, but has glabrous shining blades and smaller flowers; E. trichogyna, also from Rio de Janeiro, is apparently close to E. pluriflora, but has wider blades and pilose flowers with unequal pairs of calyx lobes; Myrcia altomontana, from Espírito Santo, is related to M. neocambessedeana, but differs by its denser indumentum and shorter inflorescences; M. fria, also from Espírito Santo, is apparently related to Calyptranthes pauciflora but has glabrous flowers and larger inflorescences, and M. macucana, from the state of Minas Gerais, is apparently close to Calyptranthes anceps, from which it is distinguished by its markedly shorter inflorescences. Additionally, conservation status is assessed for the species described here.
A new species of Rudgea (Rubiaceae) was discovered in a forest remnant in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, within the Atlantic Rainforest, and is distinguished by its relatively small leaves, reduced inflorescences, and the broadly infundibular, externally densely tomentose corolla. Rudgea infundibuliformis is categorized as Critically Endangered, and is known so far from a single locality, the “Mata do Quimbira”, in the municipality of Italva. This rare species is probably related to other species of the Jasminoides informal Group, sharing characters as the leaf blade with axillary domatia in the secondary veins beneath, terminal and pedunculate inflorescences, lobed calyx, infundibular corolla, and ripe fruits orange or red.
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