Checklist and One New Species of Bromeliaceae from Pico Do Itambé, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 158, 709–715. With 15 ﬁgures

Checklist and one new species of Bromeliaceae from Pico do Itambé, Minas Gerais, Brazil

LEONARDO M. VERSIEUX*

Instituto de Botânica, Caixa Postal 3005, 01061-970, São Paulo-SP, Brazil

Received 2 January 2007; accepted for publication 5 June 2008

A checklist of the 11 genera and 16 species of Bromeliaceae from the Parque Estadual do Pico do Itambé in Santo Antônio do Itambé and Serra Azul de Minas, Minas Gerais, south-eastern Brazil, is presented. Bromelioideae is the most diverse subfamily and is concentrated in forested areas. Tillandsioideae and Pitcairnioideae are most abundant in elevated areas of campo rupestre vegetation. Vriesea medusa Versieux, a new night-blooming species belonging to section Xiphion (E.Morren) E.Morren ex Mez, was found in the area and is described and illustrated. It appears to be an endemic species distinguished from Vriesea nanuzae Leme by a combination of the usually larger dimensions in the rosette, the curved inflorescence which has lateral peduncles bearing up to five sterile bracts, the larger number of flowers, floral bracts and sepals that become dark purplish-brown towards the apex and the coloration of the leaves. Dyckia glandulosa L.B.Sm. & Reitz and Vriesea densiflora Mez, previously poorly known, were rediscovered and are depicted in their habitat for the first time. Vriesea procera var. tenuis L.B.Sm. is a new record for the state. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 158, 709–715.

ADDITIONAL KEYWORDS: campo rupestre – Serra do Espinhaço – Tillandsioideae – Vriesea – Xiphion.

INTRODUCTION sis V.C.Souza & S.I.Elias (Orobanchaceae) and Orthophytum itambense Versieux & Leme (Bromeli- The state of Minas Gerais is rich in both genera and aceae), revealing that it is a region of great plant species of Bromeliaceae. Versieux & Wendt (2007) endemism, integrating the biologically rich Serra do showed that most Bromeliaceae collections within Espinhaço. Nevertheless, some of these taxa previ- Minas Gerais come from areas of campo rupestre ously considered to be locally endemic now show vegetation, along the Serra do Espinhaço. Despite broader ranges. this, the region encompassing the highest point of A state park was created in 1998, encompassing Espinhaço in Minas Gerais, the Pico do Itambé, has the Pico do Itambé and surrounding areas, totalling produced few records for Bromeliaceae. c. 4700 ha. However, the demarcation of the park The Pico do Itambé region has attracted attention boundaries is still in progress. The area of the Pico do and visits from botanists since the 19th century, Itambé has been occupied for centuries by dairy albeit sporadically. Many taxa have been discovered farmers, who take advantage of the suitable, natural at the Pico do Itambé area since the first explorations fields for pasture. Fire is frequently used to clean and of this remote and elevated mountain, such as reinvigorate these fields, particularly during the dry Lavoisiera itambana DC. (Melastomataceae), Cassia season, and this seems to be the major conservation itambana Mart. ex Benth. (Fabaceae), Laelia itam- problem affecting areas adjacent to the park. bana Pabst (Orchidaceae), Huperzia itambensis This work is an attempt to list Bromeliaceae known B.Øllg. & P.G.Windisch (Lycopodiaceae), Xyris itam- to occur in the Parque Estadual do Pico do Itambé, bensis (Xyridaceae) Kral & Wand., Agalinis itamben- describe one new species and present coloured illus- trations of previously poorly known taxa from this *E-mail: [email protected] area that have been re-collected during this survey.

Figures 1, 2. Study site. Fig. 1. Map of Minas Gerais State showing the location of Parque Estadual do Pico do Itambé (᭡). Fig. 2. Photograph of Pico do Itambé (by W. R. Anderson).

MATERIAL AND METHODS Figs 3–14). Bromelioideae, the best represented (six STUDY SITE genera and eight species) is concentrated along the forested areas, including the riparian forests at The Parque Estadual do Pico do Itambé is situated lower altitudes. Pitcairnioideae (three genera and between the municipalities of Santo Antônio do Itambé three species) and Tillandsioideae (two genera and and Serra Azul de Minas, in the north-central part five species) are concentrated in open and elevated of Minas Gerais, c. 40 km south-east of the town areas of campo rupestre, where the rupicolous life of Diamantina (Fig. 1). The Pico do Itambé (2062 m, form prevails (Table 1). 18°23′57″S, 43°20′53.5″W, Fig. 2) is a quartzite massif Two endemic species are restricted to the bound- that corresponds to the highest point of the Serra aries of the park: Dyckia glandulosa L.B.Sm. & Reitz do Espinhaço in Minas Gerais. Itambé, from the (Figs 7, 8) and Orthophytum itambense Versieux & Tupi-Guarani language, means ‘sharp rock’ (Silveira- Leme (Fig. 12). The former occurs in campo rupestre Bueno, 1998). vegetation and, although quite common above METHODS 1200 m, is rare in herbaria collections; the latter is restricted to shaded and moist quartzite outcrops The preliminary list of Bromeliaceae species occur- inside the riparian forest (Fig. 9), close to cachoeira ring in the Parque Estadual do Pico do Itambé was da Fumaça (Versieux & Wendt, 2006; Versieux & obtained from the database of Bromeliaceae of Minas Leme, 2007). Vriesea densiflora Mez is also a rare Gerais, which contains c. 2700 records from 14 her- species, known from only one collection besides the baria collections from Brazil and the USA (Versieux & type specimen. Currently, the species range is larger Wendt, 2006, 2007). Three expeditions to the study than previously believed as one new population was site were carried out in August 2003, December 2005 recently found in Parque Estadual do Rio Preto, and November 2006. During the fieldwork, annota- c. 50 km north–north-west of Pico do Itambé (P. L. tions were made regarding the habitat, and geo- Viana, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Hori- graphical coordinates and approximate elevation zonte, pers. com.). Blooming and fruiting specimens range were obtained for each species using a Global are presented in Figures 13, 14. Tillandsia sp. and Positioning System (GPS). Specimens were photo- Vriesea minor (L.B.Sm.) Leme (Fig. 6) have been graphed in their habitat and then collected, dried and observed and photographed in the study area but included in RFA, SP and SPF herbaria; duplicates were not collected. were sent to BHCB. The collection area encompasses The total number of Bromeliaceae genera and the trail leading to the Pico do Itambé and also species found in Parque Estadual do Pico do Itambé is private farms close to the waterfalls Lajeado and already higher than that from Serra do Ambrósio, Fumaça (c. 800–1200 m). also an elevated range of the Espinhaço, c. 40 km towards the north, which has six genera and eight RESULTS AND DISCUSSION species (Pirani et al., 1994). These areas share Encho- The Parque Estadual do Pico do Itambé supports 11 lirium subsecundum and Vriesea minor. The total genera and 16 species of Bromeliaceae (Table 1, number of genera and species is expected to increase

Table 1. Preliminary list of Bromeliaceae from Parque Estadual do Pico do Itambé, Minas Gerais, Brazil

SUBFAMILY

Taxon and voucher Distribution within the park

BROMELIOIDEAE Acanthostachys strobilacea (Schult. & Schult.f.) Klotzsch MSF; 800 m; Epi L.M. Versieux 340 (SP) Aechmea bromeliifolia Baker ex Benth. & Hook.f. var. albobracteata Philcox MSF; 800–900 m; Epi, Ter A.P.G. Faria 171 (RFA) Aechmea nudicaulis Griseb. var. cuspidata Baker MSF; CR; 700–1100 m; Epi, Rup W.R. Anderson 36001 (NY, US) Ananas nanus (L.B.Sm.) L.B.Sm. MSF; <900 m; Ter L.M. Versieux 153 (RFA) Billbergia amoena (Lodd.) Lindl. var. amoena MSF; CR; 700–1500 m; Rup L. Rossi CFCR 3013 (RB) Neoregelia bahiana (Ule) L.B.Sm. CR; >1000 m; Rup E. Leme 775 (RB) *Neoregelia aff. brownii Leme MSF; 800–900 m; Ter W.R. Anderson 36017 (NY, SEL, US) †Orthophytum itambense Versieux & Leme RFO; 800–900 m; Rup L.M. Versieux 149 (BHCB, HB, RFA) PITCAIRNIOIDEAE †Dyckia glandulosa L.B.Sm. & Reitz CR; 1100–2000 m, Rup L.M. Versieux 334 (SP) *Encholirium subsecundum (Baker) Mez CR; 1100 m; Rup G. M. Magalhães 18938 (HB) *Pitcairnia curvidens L.B.Sm. & Read CR; >1200 m; Rup W.R. Anderson 35851 (SP, US) TILLANDSIOIDEAE *Vriesea densiﬂoraMez CR; 1200–2000 m; Rup L.M. Versieux 332 (SP) †Vriesea medusa Versieux CR; 1500–2000 m; Rup L.M. Versieux 331 (SP) *Vriesea minor (L.B.Sm.) Leme CR; 1500–2000 m; Rup Only photographed with remnants of fruits (Fig. 3D) Vriesea procera var. tenuis L.B.Sm. MSF, RFO; 700–1000 m; Epi L.M. Versieux 257 (SP) Tillandsia sp. MSF, RFO; 700–1000 m; Epi Only observed from sterile specimens

*Endemic to Minas Gerais. †Endemic to Parque Estadual do Pico do Itambé. Taxa are organized by subfamily and followed by the collector/s of a voucher (herbarium in parentheses). The distribution within the park is listed as follows: habitat (CR, campo rupestre; MSF, montane semi-deciduous forest; RFO, riparian forest with quartzite outcrops); elevation; life form (Epi, epiphyte; Rup, rupicolous; Ter, terricolous). as more locations inside the park undergo additional São Paulo (Smith & Downs, 1977), now recorded for explorations, allowing more complete comparisons the first time in Minas Gerais. with other regions of the Espinhaço range. While checking specimens from the US herbarium, Other species of interest found in the area are one indeterminate collection of Vriesea from Pico Aechmea bromeliifolia var. albobracteata (Fig. 11) and do Itambé (W. R. Anderson et al. 35866) caught our Ananas nanus, which are known from a few popula- attention by its dark brown colour of the leaf sheath tions in the state of Minas Gerais (Versieux & Wendt, and the size of the inflorescence and flowers. Now, 2006), and Vriesea procera var. tenuis (Fig. 10), pre- after finding blooming specimens in the same habitat viously known only in the states of Rio de Janeiro and and location as those collected by W. R. Anderson, it

Figures 3–14. Figs 3–5. Vriesea medusa. Fig. 3. Habit. Fig. 4. Inflorescence and close-up of the campanulate corolla. Fig. 5. Inflorescence showing the curved branches. (Figs 3, 4, from Versieux 330; Fig. 5, from Versieux 331.) Fig. 6. Vriesea minor with remnants of fruits. Figs 7, 8. Dyckia glandulosa. Fig. 7. Habit. Fig. 8. Close-up of the flowers, showing the ferruginous trichomes along the rachis. Fig. 9. Riparian forest upstream from the cachoeira da Fumaça. Fig. 10. Vriesea procera var. tenuis. Fig. 11. Aechmea bromeliifolia var. albobracteata. Fig. 12. Orthophytum itambense. Figs 13–14. Vriesea densiflora. Fig. 13. Blooming individual. Fig. 14. Fruiting individuals. Photographs by L. M. Versieux, except Fig. 13 (P. L. Viana). ᭣ is possible to conclude that it is a distinct taxon related to Vriesea nanuzae Leme, which is proposed as a new species below.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION VRIESEA MEDUSA VERSIEUX SP. NOV. (FIGS 3–5, 15A–E) Type: L. M. Versieux, A. M. Calvente & R. B. Louzada 330, Parque Estadual do Pico do Itambé, Santo Antônio do Itambé, Minas Gerais, Brazil, 11.x.2006 (holotype SP; isotype BHCB, R).

Diagnosis: Species nova V. nanuzae Leme proxima sed statura majore, inﬂorescentia latiore, ramis longioribus curvatis, pedunculis lateralibus 1–5- bracteatis, stylo quam petalis breviore differt.

Description: Plant rupicolous, heliophyte, flowering 1.6–2.2 m tall, propagating by axillary shoots. ROSETTE 55–80 cm diameter, c. 70 cm high, funnelform. LEAVES numerous, weakly arcuate. LEAF SHEATH widely ovate, 23–27 ¥ 16–18 cm, dark brown and densely brown lepidote on both surfaces. LEAF BLADE ligulate, apex rounded to acute, apiculate (40–) 47–50 ¥ 9–11.5 cm, green becoming purple spotted to completely dark purple towards apex, inconspicuously glaucous, coriaceous, canaliculate, densely to subdensely pale brown lepidote. SCAPE erect, stout, 0.7– 0.8 m ¥ 1.2–1.5 cm, internodes 4.8 cm (proximal) to 9 cm (distal), green underneath the bracts, purplish- green to dark brown at sun-exposed portions, distinctly nerved, glabrous or nearly so. SCAPE BRACTS widely ovate to triangular, apex acute and apiculate, 4–7 ¥ 3.5–4.5 cm at the base, purplish-green and purple spotted to dark brown or paleaceous, densely pale brown lepidote adaxially, sparsely lepidote abaxially, the basal ones imbricate, the upper ones shorter than the internodes and not enclosing them, erect, chartaceous. INFLORESCENCE compound, with three to nine curved flowering branches, obovoidal to irregularly shaped in outline, c. 50 ¥ 40 cm, (7–)14–24 flowers per branch, internodes 3–8 cm. PRIMARY Figure 15. Vriesea medusa: A, leaf; B, scape bract; C, BRACTS widely ovate, c. 3–4 ¥ 4–5 cm, apiculate, green primary bract; D, floral bract; E, petal and antepetalous stamen (from the holotype). to purplish-brown. LATERAL PEDUNCLES linear to slightly curved, terete to flattened, (2.7–)7–11 cm ¥ 5–

Table 2. Morphological comparison of Vriesea medusa and V. nanuzae

Feature V. medusa V. nanuzae

Plant height (m) 1.5–2.2 1.2–1.5 Rosette Funnelform Crateriform Leaf apex (colour) Dark purple Bright red Scape 70–80 ¥ 1.2–1.5 cm, green to dark 70 ¥ 1 cm, green purplish-brown Inﬂorescence shape (outline) Obovoidal to irregularly shaped Ellipsoidal Primary bracts (colour) Green or purplish-brown Purplish-green Sterile bracts of the lateral peduncles (1)2–4(5) 0 or 1 Flowering branches (form) Curved Straight Number of ﬂowers per branch (7–)14–24, densely arranged 6–8, subdensely arranged Pistil length Shorter than the petals Equalling the petals

8 mm, glabrescent, bearing (1)2–4(5) sterile bracts. (NY!, SEL!, SPF!, US!). Brazil. Minas Gerais: Santo RACHIS 11–20 cm ¥ 5 mm, distinctly nerved, slightly Antônio do Itambé, Parque Estadual do Pico do geniculate, sulcate, glabrescent. FLORAL BRACTS Itambé, 11.x.2006, L. M. Versieux, A. M. Calvente & R. orbicular, apex usually emarginated, (1.8)2.1– B. Louzada 331 (SP). 2.6(2.9) ¥ 1.9–2.5(3) cm, green with purplish-brown apex when young becoming brown and dark purple toward apex and along margins in the living plant, Etymology: The specific epithet was chosen because of yellowish brown becoming dark purplish-brown the form of the flowering branches, which are curved toward apex in the dried material, lustrous, sub- and have densely imbricate, green to purplish-brown densely lepidote along the apex abaxially, densely lustrous bracts resembling serpents or the ‘hair’ of brown lepidote adaxially, secund with the flowers at Medusa, the mythological Greek character. anthesis, weakly carinate toward apex or ecarinate, decurrent with the rachis, margins membranous and Notes: Vriesea medusa is morphologically related to revolute in the dried material. FLOWERS secund, c. V. nanuzae Leme, which was described from plants 5.3 cm, producing a translucent viscous nectar, with collected in Diamantina, Minas Gerais (Leme, 1997). 5–8 ¥ 3–5 mm angular pedicels, anthesis nocturnal, Most similarities between these taxa are found in with a subtle garlic smell. COROLLA campanulate. floral characters, such as the size and shape of the SEPALS elliptic to oblong, convex, apex obtuse, 2.4– petals and petal appendages and the size of the 3.1 ¥ 1.5–1.7 cm, symmetric or nearly so, green with a stamens. Apart from this, V. medusa can be separated dark purple apex, subdensely brown lepidote adaxi- from V. nanuzae by the larger rosette and by the ally, weakly carinate to ecarinate but with small unique curved format of the inflorescence (Fig. 5). traces along the base in the dried material. PETALS Other differences are listed in Table 2. spreading, narrowly obovate, discretely cucullate, The flowering period observed was between October free, yellow, 3.9–4.5 ¥ 1.5–1.9 cm. PETAL APPENDAGES and February. Flowers are completely opened by lanceolate, asymmetric, c. 11 ¥ 3 mm, the distal 7 mm 19.00 h and remain so overnight, when the garlic free, apex acute to acuminate. STAMENS included. smell can be easily perceived. The anthers are dis- ANTHERS linear to narrowly sagittate, elliptic, c. played side by side, resting clustered on the lower 10 ¥ 2 mm, dorsifixed near the base, yellow. FILA- petal (Fig. 4). The green colour of the bracts, the MENT flattened, 2.1–2.8 cm ¥ 1–2 mm, adnate to the obovate petals, the campanulate corolla, the noctur- petal at the base for 3 mm, yellow. STYLE terete nal anthesis and the garlic-like odour produced by the c. 3.3 cm, yellow, shorter than the petals. STIGMA flowers justify the inclusion of this new species in convolute–bladed, yellow, c. 1.5 mm diameter. OVARY section Xiphion (E.Morren) E.Morren ex Mez, and ovate, 9 ¥ 4 mm. OVULES numerous. FRUITS AND suggest pollination by bats. SEEDS unknown. As observed for V. densiflora, V. medusa seems to occur in the Parque Estadual do Rio Preto (P. L. Paratypes: Brazil. Minas Gerais: Serra do Espinhaço, Viana, pers. com.). A larger number of collections with eastern slopes of Pico do Itambé, 12.ii.1972, W. R. a wider distribution inside these two neighbouring Anderson, M. Stieber & J. H. Kirkbride Jr. 35866 parks areas are needed to allow future comparative

© 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 158, 709–715 BROMELIACEAE FROM PICO DO ITAMBÉ 715 analysis and to highlight the importance of both areas REFERENCES for the conservation of endemics and narrowly ranged Leme EMC. 1997. Revision of the lithophytic Vriesea species species of Bromeliaceae. from Minas Gerais state, Brazil – Part II. Journal of the Bromeliad Society 47: 168–177. Pirani JR, Giulietti AM, Mello-Silva R, Meguro M. 1994. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Checklist and patterns of geographic distribution of the The author thanks the Instituto Estadual de Flores- vegetation of Serra do Ambrósio, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Botânica 17: 133–147. tas de Minas Gerais for issuing the necessary plant Silveira-Bueno F. 1998. Vocabulário Tupi-Guarani Portu- collection permits and for facilitating the ﬁeldwork guês, 6th edn. São Paulo: Éfeta Editora. during the expeditions, Dr Maria das Graças Lapa Smith LB, Downs RJ. 1977. Tillandsioideae (Bromeliaceae). Wanderley for comments and suggestions on the Flora Neotropica Monograph 14: 663–1492. paper, Pedro L. Viana for providing the photograph of Versieux LM, Leme EMC. 2007. A new lithophytic Ortho- V. densiﬂora and also for discussing distribution data, phytum (Bromeliaceae) from the Espinhaço range, Minas the New York Botanical Gardens for allowing the use Gerais, Brazil. Novon 17: 130–134. of the photograph of Pico do Itambé (Fig. 2), and the Versieux LM, Wendt T. 2006. Checklist of Bromeliaceae of curators and keepers of the herbaria NY, SEL and US Minas Gerais, Brazil, with notes on taxonomy and ende- for providing access to their collections. This work mism. Selbyana 27: 107–146. was partially funded by Fundação de Amparo à Pes- Versieux LM, Wendt T. 2007. Bromeliaceae diversity and quisa do Estado de São Paulo and by the US National conservation in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Biodiversity and Science Foundation (DEB 0129446). Conservation 16: 2989–3009.