Paepalanthus (Eriocaulaceae) of the Brazilian Flora: Nomenclatural Survey Reveals Twenty-Five New Synonyms and Widely Applied Illegitimate Names

Abstract

Abstract— Paepalanthus is the second largest genus of Eriocaulaceae, with about one-third of the species recorded for the family, but it has not received a recent comprehensive taxonomic treatment. Detailed taxonomic studies show that many names currently in use are actually synonyms. In addition, it was necessary to lectotypify some names. Twenty-five synonyms, associated with 15 species and 10 varieties, and 18 lectotypifications in Paepalanthus are here presented, yielding a revised total of 395 species in the genus, 327 of which occur in Brazil. For each taxon treated here we provide taxonomic status, typification, synonymy, nomenclatural notes, comments, and distribution data.

A missing piece is found: a new species of Paepalanthus (Poales, Eriocaulaceae) and the puzzling relations of the campos rupestres mountaintop floras of eastern Minas Gerais, Brazil

“…Besides the aforementioned unique features of P. magnus in comparison with the putative closely related species, these taxa can be distinguished by their unique features: P. bombacinus can be recognized by its involucral bracts that are densely tomentose (lanuginose) abaxially; P. regelianus (including the synonym P. coronarius Silveira; Andrino et al 2022 ) is distinctive in having densely pilose scapes; P. regalis is not to be confused by its glabrous leaves, spathes, and scapes, as well as by its unique laterally flattened capitula; P. serrinhensis presents a slender habit, glabrous leaves and small capitula with ovate involucral bracts; and P. spathulatus presents spatulate glabrous leaves and distinctive lanceolate bracts with an acute apex that surpass the length of the flowers (see Table 1 for further distinctive characters).…”

Figure 1 from: Rocha LH, Gonella PM, Oliveira Andrino C (2024) A missing piece is found: a new species of Paepalanthus (Poales, Eriocaulaceae) and the puzzling relations of the campos rupestres mountaintop floras of eastern Minas Gerais, Brazil. PhytoKeys 242: 317-332. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.242.122824

“…Besides the aforementioned unique features of P. magnus in comparison with the putative closely related species, these taxa can be distinguished by their unique features: P. bombacinus can be recognized by its involucral bracts that are densely tomentose (lanuginose) abaxially; P. regelianus (including the synonym P. coronarius Silveira; Andrino et al 2022) is distinctive in having densely pilose scapes; P. regalis is not to be confused by its glabrous leaves, spathes, and scapes, as well as by its unique laterally flattened capitula; P. serrinhensis presents a slender habit, glabrous leaves and small capitula with ovate involucral bracts; and P. spathulatus presents spatulate glabrous leaves and distinctive lanceolate bracts with an acute apex that surpass the length of the flowers (see Table 1 for further distinctive characters).…”

Eriocaulaceae: A new classification system based on morphological evolution and molecular evidence

“…Moldenke (1939Moldenke ( , 1941Moldenke ( , 1946Moldenke ( , 1948Moldenke ( , 1951Moldenke ( , 1953Moldenke ( , 1957aMoldenke ( ,b, 1960Moldenke ( , 1968Moldenke ( , 1972Moldenke ( , 1977Moldenke ( , 1979Moldenke ( , 1981 published 185 new names within Paepalanthus but did not assign them to any infrageneric category, and frequently did not explicitly compare newly described species to others, making several of his taxa difficult to interpret. Recently, some of these taxonomic issues have been addressed, and 25 names have been synonymized (Andrino & al., 2022).…”

“…Paepalanthus as traditionally circumscribed is the second-largest genus of the family after Eriocaulon L., comprising 395 species (Andrino & al., 2020a(Andrino & al., , 2021a(Andrino & al., , 2022 widely distributed in the grasslands, savannas, and shrublands of the Neotropics, ranging from Central America and the Caribbean to the Andean paramo of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, the Guayana Shield, and to the campos rupestres of central-eastern Brazil. Around 60% of its species (ca.…”