Evolvulus altissimus C.V. Silva & Sim.

Evolvulus altissimus C.V. Silva & Sim. View in CoL -Bianch., sp. nov., Fig. 1 A–J View FIGURE 1

Type:— BRAZIL. Bahia: Andaraí, margem do Rio Piaba, estrada para Mucugê , 804 m, 12°56’55,5”S, 41°16’37,7”W, 16 April 2011, C.V. Silva & F.O. Souza-Buturi 191 (holotype SP! GoogleMaps , isotype K! GoogleMaps ).

Inter species sect. Lagopodini Meissner (1869: 332) foliis basi attenuatis (non decurrentibus) ab E. lagopus Martius (1841: 96) similis sed foliis obovatis obtusis vel rotundis imbricatis (non foliis linearibus, acutis) differt; ab. E. echioides Moricand (1837: 55) habitu robustiore, foliis uninerviis, bracteis linearibus et spicis densis (non foliis penninervis, bracteis lanceolatis et spicis laxi) differt.

Erect subshrub, 0.5–1.2 (–2.0) m tall. Stems woody, sparsely branched from the base, densely leafy, internodes 6–15 mm, young branches densely sericeous, older branches glabrescent, trichomes with unequal branches. Leaves sessile, 10–25 × 5–12 mm, obovate to elliptic, flat, apex obtuse to rounded, mucronate, base attenuate, margin entire, sometimes slightly revolute, both surfaces densely appressed villous to sericeous, glabrate with age, greyish; trichomes with equal, crooked branches, 0.2–0.3 mm long, mixed with trichomes with unequal branches, one straight, 0.8–1.3 mm long, and the other 0.2–0.3 mm long; venation hyphodromous. Inflorescence of 1–6 dense terminal spikes; basal bracts 7–13 × 2–3 mm, linear-lanceolate, becoming similar to bracteoles; bracteoles 6–7 × 0.7–1 mm, linear-lanceolate, sericeous beneath, glabrous above; sepals 8 × 2 mm, lanceolate, densely sericeous beneath, glabrous above, with few hairs at the apex; corolla ca. 11 mm long, hypocrateriform, blue, the tube ca. 3 mm, white or blue inside, the limb flat to slight campanulate, ca. 15 mm diam., mid-petaline bands blue or lilac, sericeous outside; filaments 4 mm, anthers 2 mm; styles 2, free at the base, 3 mm, stigmas 2, filiform, 5 mm long.; ovary globose, 1 × 1 mm, 2-locular, 2-ovuled. Fruit a pyriform capsule, 5 × 5 mm, glabrous; seeds 2 × 1 mm, glabrous, minutely verrucose brown.

Distribution and ecology: — Evolvulus altissimus has been found only in the Brazilian state of Bahia, in the counties of Andaraí and Mucugê (the species is endemic to Chapada Diamantina ). It grows on quartzite rock outcrops within campos rupestres. Flowering and fruiting throughout the year, more frequently from June to September.

Conservation status: —Vulnerable according to criteria B1, B2a, D2 ( IUCN, 2013): The extent of occurrence is less than 5,000 km 2, it is severely fragmented, and the area of occupancy is restricted. Nevertheless, it can be considered vulnerable because there are known populations of this species in Protected Areas.

Paratypes: — BRAZIL. Bahia: Andaraí, próximo ao Rio Piaba , 15 September 2011, C.V. Silva et al. 210 ( SP!). Lençóis, 24 August 1996, A.A. Conceição & A.A. Grillo 120 ( SPF!) ; About 7–10km along the main Seabra-Itaberaba road, W of Lençois , 27 May 1980, R.M. Harley et al. 22722 ( K!) ; Coqueiro , 8 June 1988, E. Oliveira 98 ( HRB!) ; Rio Mandasia , 21 July 2005, A.A. Conceição 1435 ( HUEFS!) ; Rio Mucugezinho , 17 July 1999, S. Correia 3 ( ALCB!) ; Rodovia Brasília-Fortaleza (BR-242) , 5 July 1983, L. Coradin et al. 6541 ( ARIZ!, CEN!, HUEFS!, RB!, SP!, SPF!) ; Serra da Chapadinha , 27 September 1994, H.P. Bautista et al. 864 ( ALCB!, SPF!) ; 8 July 1996, H.P. Bautista et al. PCD 3475 ( ALCB!, HUEFS!, K!, SPF!) ; 27 October 1994, A.M. Carvalho et al. 1128 ( ALCB!, HRB!, HUEFS!, SPF!) ; 30 June 1995, M.L.S. Guedes et al. PCD 2044 ( ALCB!, HRB!, HRB!, HUEFS!, SPF!) ; 28 June 1997, M.L. Guedes et al. 5016 ( ALCB!) ; 25 August 2002, M.E.R. Junqueira & M.J.G. Andrade 111 ( HUEFS!, SP!) ; 22 November 1994, E. Melo et al. 1212 ( ALCB!, HRB!, HUEFS!, SPF!) ; 31 August 1994, A. Poveda et al. 673 ( ALCB!, HRB!, HUEFS!, SPF!) ; 31 August 1994, A. Poveda et al. 674 ( ALCB!) . Mucugê, 28 October 2002, M.E.R. Junqueira et al. 113 ( HUEFS!, SP!) ; Centro do Projeto de Sempre-Viva. Trilha para Tiburtino , 25 March 2000, A.M. Giulietti et al. 1933 ( HUEFS!) ; estrada para Andaraí , 21 February 1994, R.M. Harley et al. CFCR 14342 ( SPF!) ; estrada de Mucugê para abaíra , 14 June 2010, M.L. Guedes et al. 17124 ( ALCB!) ; estrada Nova Andaraí-Mucugê , 8 October 1981, A. Furlan CFCR 1582 ( K!, SP!, SPF!) ; Parque Municipal de Mucugê , 29 July 2004, A. Ferreira-Silva & A.B. Ambrósio 20 ( HUEFS!) ; Parque Nacional de Mucugê , 27 July 2006, R.M. Harley et al. 55477 ( HUEFS!, SP!) ; próximo ao rio Piranha , 14 June 2010, M.L. Guedes et al. 17168 ( ALCB!) ; trilha cruzeiro dos bêbados até Mendonha , 23 May 2009, N. Roque et al. 2048 ( ALCB!) ; Unidade de Manejo Sustentável , 5 April 1997, H.P. Bautista & S.L. Silva UMS 236 ( HRB!, RB!) ; Unidade de Manejo Sustentável, Piabinha , 12 January 1997, A.S. Conceição et al. UMS 157 e 182 ( HRB!) . Estrada Andaraí-Mucugê, após atravessar o rio Piaba , 21 July 1985, M.G.L. Wanderley et al. 950 ( SP!) . Entre Palmeiras e Lençóis , 14 September 1956, E. Pereira 2194 ( HB!, RB!) .

Discussion: —This species belongs to Section Lagopodini, which is characterized by having stems winged from the decurrent leaf bases, terminal spike-like inflorescences, and linear-lanceolate bracts, that are very distinct from the leaves. In this section, E. altissimus is distinguished by its robust habit and obovate leaves without decurrent bases. E. lagopus Martius (1841: 96) is the only other species in this section with leaves which are not decurrent (or only slightly so), but in E. lagopus the leaves are longer (up to 4 cm long), narrower (ca 3 mm broad), almost linear, acute at the apex, and the internodes are longer. Evolvulus altissimus is the tallest species in the genus.

The habit and the leaves of E. altissimus are similar to those of E. echioides . However, the two may be distinguished by inflorescence and indumentum characters: the bracts of E. altissimus are linear-lanceolate (up to 1.5mm wide), except the basal ones (up to 3mm wide), and possesses a densely appressed villous to sericeous and greenish to greyish indumentum whereas in E. echioides the bracts are large and leaf-like (more than 5mm), and the indumentum is sericeous with some hirsute trichomes and yellowish.