Two new species of Miconia s.lat. (Melastomataceae) from Espírito Santo, Brazil

Abstract

We here describe two new species endemic to the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil, that belong to different clades within Miconia s.lat. Miconia quartzicola is presumably part of the Leandra s.str. clade, as indicated by its terminal inflorescences and petals with an acute apex. It has been collected only once in the municipality of Vargem Alta in disturbed vegetation on loose quartzitic substrate (‘morros de sal'). Miconia spiritusanctensis belongs to Miconia sect. Cremanium, as indicated by its small white and obovate anthers with four apical pores. The latter encompasses populations previously identified as M. hirtella that are morphologically, geographically and climatically segregated from typical populations of the species from more dry and inland regions of Brazil. In addition to the descriptions of the new species, we present comments, conservation status and plates for both, as well as climatic modelling analyses on the populations of M. spiritusanctensis and M. hirtella. We recommend that Miconia quartzicola and M. spiritusanctensis should both be considered as threatened, ‘critically endangered' and ‘endangered', respectively, according to the IUCN extinction risk criteria.