Microlicia pulchra Pataro & R.Romero

Pataro, L., Romero, R. & Roque, N. 2013. Four new species of Microlicia (Melastomataceae) from Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brazil. Kew Bulletin 68: 285. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-013-9448-y

Type

Type: Brazil, Bahia, Mucugê, Serra do Esbarrancado, c. de 40 km de Mucugê, Pataro, Ogasawara & Espírito-Santo 53 (holotype HUEFS!; isotypes ALCB!, HUFU!).

Morphology General Habit

Branched shrub, 1 – 1.5 m tall

Morphology Branches

Young branches terete, yellowish green, becoming brownish grey with age, with glandular trichomes c. 0.2 mm long at the nodes, glabrous with age, leaf scars quite evident

Morphology Leaves

Leaves ascending, imbricated, chartaceous, yellow-green (dry state), concolourous, concentrated at the apex, sessile or with short petiole to 0.5 mm long; blade elliptic to oblanceolate, 10.5 – 12 × 4 – 5 mm, apex acute, with a glandular trichome, c. 0.3 mm long, margin serrate, glandular-ciliate, glandular trichomes c. 1.2 mm long, base cuneate, 3-nerved

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers 5-merous, terminal; pedicel 2.5 – 3 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Hypanthium

Hypanthium 2.5 – 3 × 2.5 – 3 mm, yellow-green, campanulate, glabrous; calyx lobes triangular, 3.5 – 5 × 1 – 1.5 mm, green, apex acute with a terminal seta c. 1 mm long, margin entire, covered with glandular trichomes c. 1.5 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals oblong, 15 – 16.5 × 7 – 8 mm, magenta, apex acute, with a glandular trichome c. 1 mm long, margin entire, glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 10, dimorphic: larger stamens 5: filaments 6 – 7 mm long, magenta, thecae 4.5 – 5 mm long (including beak), dark, oblong, polysporangiate, beak c. 0.5 mm long, connective prolonged 4.5 – 6 mm long, magenta, ventral appendage 1 – 2 mm long, yellow, acute or truncate at the tip; smaller stamens 5: filaments 6 – 6.5 mm long, pink, thecae 3.5 – 4 mm long (including beak), dark, oblong, polysporangiate, beak c. 0.3 mm long, yellow, connective prolonged 2 – 2.5 mm long, yellow, ventral appendage 0.5 – 1 mm long, yellow, truncate or bi-lobed at the tip

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary ovoid, c. 3 × 2 – 2.5 mm, superior, 3-locular, glabrous, style 14 – 16 mm long, terete, magenta, stigma punctiform

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule ovoid, brownish 4 – 5 × 3 – 4 mm, glabrous, dehiscing into 3 valves from the apex, columella persistent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds c. 0.7 × 0.4 mm, reniform, testa foveolate, brown

Note

Related to Microlicia giuliettiana A. B. Martins & Almeda but differs in having petals magenta, apex with a glandular trichome c. 1 mm long (vs magenta pink petals when expanded with an abaxial red band or stripe on one side of each petal, apex glabrous in M. giulettiana) and columella persistent (vs columella deciduous in M. giuliettiana).

The specific epithet refers to the very exuberant habit and the beautiful flowers of this species.

Microlicia pulchra resembles M. giuliettiana, an endemic species from Bahia, by having leaves with crenate to serrate margins and calyx lobes covered with glandular trichomes. M. giuliettiana differs in having pedicels c. 1 mm long, quadrangular branches covered in glandular trichomes, pink anthers longer than 3 mm and styles c. 6 mm long. M. giuliettiana also has an unusual petal colour and pattern with the petals magenta pink when expanded with an abaxial red band or stripe on one side of each petal (Almeda & Martins 2001). M. ciliatoglandulosa R. Romero, endemic from Serra do Cabral in Minas Gerais state, also has leaves with glandular-ciliate margins, but the leaves are crenulate and the abaxial surface has dense indumentum with glandular trichomes and petals are without a glandular trichome.

According to Almeda & Martins (2001), the presence of a persistent columella is an exclusive feature of Lavoisiera species. Although the specimens of Microliciapulchra collected in Mucugê have persistent columellae, we have placed them in the genus Microlicia due to the solitary flowers, five petals, superior ovary with three locules and capsule dehiscence longitudinal from the apex to the base, characters used to distinguish Microlicia from Lavoisiera (Almeda & Martins 2001; Romero 2003).

If using the multi-access key to the species of Microlicia from Bahia (Woodgyer 2005), the formula for M. pulchra is: BDHKOUWbe

Distribution

Endemic to Serra do Esbarrancado, vicinity of Mucugê, Bahia, Brazil.

Ecology

In campo rupestre close to the river; c. 1300 m alt.

Conservation

Endagered (EN), Criteria B1 a,b (i,iii) (IUCN 2001). Microliciapulchra is known only from the type locality, in a small population near to the river. This region is exposed to tourism and the associated human impacts.