Hohenbergia lativaginata J.R. Maciel & Louzada, 2014

Hohenbergia lativaginata J.R. Maciel & Louzada View in CoL , sp.nov. ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 )

Type:— BRAZIL. Bahia: Ourolândia, caminho da Serra da Babilônia , 25 February 2012, fl., O. Ribeiro & A. Araújo s.n. (holotype: UFP 75193 ) .

Hohenbergia lativaginata is closely related to H. arcuata Leme & M. Machado ( Leme et al. 2010: 41) but differs mainly by its broadly triangular floral bract (versus subtriangular-orbicular to suborbicular), slightly asymmetric sepals (versus sepals strongly asymmetric), shorter flowers (1.4−1.5 cm versus 2−2.1 cm) and appendages inserted at the median portion of the petals (versus appendages inserted at base).

Terrestrial herbs, vegetative plants ca. 50 cm tall, flowering 65–85 cm tall. Rosette infundibuliform, forming a tank. Leaves 50–51 cm long; leaf sheaths 8–10 X 5–6.5 cm, ovate, brown, scale trichomes brown on both surfaces, margins entire; leaf blades 40–42 cm long, 1.3–2 cm wide at middle section, 2.7–4.6 cm wide at base, linear-triangular, green, lepidote on both surfaces, margins densely serrate at the base, becoming sparsely serrate to entire toward the apex; prickles 0.3–0.5 cm long at the base, 0.1–0.2 cm long toward the apex, dark-brown to black, antrorse; apex acute, mucronate. Inflorescence one-divided panicle; peduncle ca. 60 cm long, erect, vinaceous, densely woolly-lepidote, scale trichomes white; peduncle bracts 5.3–6.5 cm long, margins entire, nervate, lepidote, apex mucronate; fertile part of the inflorescence ca. 28 cm long, compound, rachis vinaceous, densely woolly-lepidote, scale trichomes white; spikes 2.1–2.7 cm long, one per node, ovoid; primary bracts 2.8–4.2 X 1.2–1.7 cm, narrowly ovate, margins entire, vinaceous at the base to white-greenish toward the apex, strongly nerved, woolly-lepidote, scale trichomes white, apex attenuate, mucronate. Floral bracts 11–12 X 10–11, deltoid, convex, pink to red, margins entire, strongly nerved, woolly-lepidote, scale trichomes white, apex attenuate, mucronate. Flowers 1.6–1.8 cm long, sessile; sepals green, 8–9 X 3–4 mm, asymmetric, margins entire, connate for 3 mm; petals 1.2–1.4 cm long, 2.8–3 mm wide at widest portion, 1.6–1.8 mm at base, purple, white at the base; petal appendages 0.4−0.5 mm long, inserted at median portion of the petal, obovate to quadrate, apex lacerate; stamens included; filaments flat, the outer whorl (opposite the sepals) free, the inner whorl adnate to the petals for ca. 6 mm; anthers ca. 2.3−2.5 mm long, basifixed; stigma conduplicate-spiral, clavate, margins lacerate. Ovary broadly conic; epigynous tube inconspicuous; ovules obtuse. Fruits and seeds not seen.

Etymology: —The name Hohenbergia lativaginata refers to the conspicuous leaf sheaths that confer a special aspect to the rosette of the species in natural habitats.

Distribution and habitat: —This species is only known from Ourolândia county, growing under shrubs in Caatinga ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ). The local flora is composed of Mimosa spp. , Poincianella sp. , Tacinga sp. , Pilosocereus sp. , and other typical species of the Caatinga flora from northeastern Brazil. The species, H. lativaginata , grows in sandy soil with rocks originated by the erosion of the local mountain slope. The climate at the location where H. lativaginata occurs, is semi-arid with a rainy season between January and March.

Phenology: —The species flowers in the rainy season between December and February.

Conservation status: —The lack of knowledge about other populations and herbaria records does not allow a precise diagnosis about its conservation status. Therefore, it is classified as DD (data deficient according IUCN 2001).

Comments: — Hohenbergia lativaginata is morphologically related to H.arcuata Leme & M. Machado ( Leme et al. 2010: 41) , H. catingae (1908: 195) , H. horrida Harms (1935: 525) and H.humilis Smith & Read (1976: 437) . Hohenbergia lativaginata presents slightly asymmetric sepals and flowers that are 1.4–1.5 cm long while H. arcuata has strongly asymmetric sepals and flowers that are 2–2.1 cm long. Comparing to H. horrida , the main difference is the mucronate apex of the floral bracts in H. lativaginata versus long aristate in H. horrida . In Hohenbergia catingae the flowering plants are taller (1−1.5 m tall) than H. lativaginata (65–85 cm tall), inflorescence branches are lax (vs. congested in H. lativaginata ) and floral bracts are green (vs. pink to red in H. lativaginata ). When comparing H. lativaginata with H. humilis , the former species presents densely woolly-lepidote and shorter floral bracts and spikes while the latter has glabrous bracts and spikes ( Leme et al. 2010). Additional characters to distinguish the related species mentioned above from H. lativaginata are are shown in Table 1 View TABLE 1 .