Sauvagesia (Ochnaceae) in the campos rupestres of the Espinhaço Range, Brazil

Abstract

The campos rupestres (rupestrian grasslands) of the Brazilian Espinhaço Range are renowned for harboring extraordinary plant diversity and endemism, yet many groups representative of this habitat remain taxonomically understudied. Sauvagesia, a predominantly neotropical genus of Sauvagesieae (Ochnaceae), is a classic example. In this study, we refine the long-neglected and problematic taxonomy of the Espinhaço-Range-inhabiting species of Sauvagesia. Our taxonomic treatment includes 24 species of which seven are derived from recently described taxa or new combinations presented herein. For each of the three new combinations from variety into species status, we also provide new lectotypifications. The studied species are remarkably variable in habit, leaf, and floral architectures, and their distribution is often narrowly restricted to particular mountains across the Espinhaço Range, a pattern especially observed in the highly endemic S. subsect. Vellozianae. We provide an updated identification key, distribution maps, photographs, and a discussion of diagnostic morphological features.