Nomenclatural novelties in Lessingianthus (Asteraceae - Vernonieae): an extraordinary new species, a lectotypification, and a new combination from a resurrected synonym

Abstract

Lessingianthus spinifolius is here described and illustrated as a new species of the tribe Vernonieae (Asteraceae) from Chapada dos Veadeiros, State of Goiás, Brazil. The new species is thus far known only from the type locality. The characteristics that most differentiate L. spinifolius from congeners are: (i) leaf blade strongly revolute; and (ii) leaf blade with spines on the margins. The new species is similar to L. onopordioides due to both having a similarly shaped involucre and the involucre being eximbricate with lanceolate phyllaries. Taxonomic and ecological comments, a distribution map, conservation status assessment, and illustrations of the new species are provided. Additionally, Vernonia araneosa is resurrected from the synonymy of L. durus, and a new combination, L. araneosus based on V. araneosa, is proposed, a lectotype designated, and its affinities with L. durus discussed.

Novelties in Lepidaploinae (Asteraceae, Vernonieae) from the easternmost campos rupestres of Minas Gerais, Brazil: two new species and a range expansion

“…Cass. and Lessingianthus H.Rob., together accounting for ca 75% of the diversity of the group (Monge et al 2018;Ribeiro & Telles 2018). The delimitation of these two genera is nevertheless problematic, as it relies mostly on micromorphological characters, an issue derived from the circumscription changes in Vernonia Schreb., in which many species of Lepidaploa and Lessingianthus were once placed (Robinson 1999;Keeley & Robinson 2009).…”

“…Following a trend common to species-rich lineages from campos rupestres, many taxonomic novelties belonging to Lepidaploa and Lessingianthus have been published recently (e.g. Borges & Dematteis 2008;Dematteis & Angulo 2010;Ribeiro & Telles 2018), revealing an advance in the knowledge of campos rupestres biodiversity.…”