Calliandra bromelioides E.R. Souza & L.P. Queiroz, 2014

Calliandra bromelioides E.R. Souza & L.P. Queiroz View in CoL , sp. nov.

Type:— BRAZIL. Bahia: Mucugê, Serra do Gobira , 1450 m., 13°5’S, 41°22’W, 15 September 2006 (fl.), E.R. de Souza, D. Cardoso, A. Conceição 514 (holotype HUEFS GoogleMaps ; isotype K GoogleMaps ).

Figures 1A–E View FIGURE 1 , 2 View FIGURE 2 , 5A–B View FIGURE 5 and 6A–B View FIGURE 6 .

Similar to C. semisepulta Barneby (1998: 174) by prostrate to decumbent, densely branched subshrubby habit but differing from this species by higher number of pairs of leaflets per pinna, smaller leaflets and bicoloured stamens.

Subshrub prostrate to decumbent, densely branched; branches, peduncles and leaf axes cinereous in living specimens, puberulous with granular reddish trichomes, new branches ferrugineous; distichous phyllotaxy. Stipules foliaceous, lanceolate, 4–6 × 1 mm. Leaves petiolate; petiole 1–1.5 cm long; rachis 2.3–3.5 cm long; pinnae 3–5 pairs, more or less equal in length, 2.8–5 cm long; leaflets 15–29 pairs, more or less equal in length, 5–8 × 1–2 mm, coriaceous, oblong, apex obtuse to rounded, base truncate, asymmetric, adaxial face puberulous to glabrescent, abaxial face puberulous with granular trichomes, ciliate margin, venation palmate-dimidiate, midrib eccentric, arranged overlaying the inner portion of the following leaflet. Inflorescences pedunculate glomerules, 2–3 glomerules clustered in fascicles along a terminal pseudoraceme; peduncle 10–17 mm long; peduncular bracts absents; floral bracts lanceolate 5–8 × 1 mm. Flowers homomorphic, tetramerous, sessile; calyx campanulate, with granular trichomes, tube 2–3 mm long, lobes acute, ca. 4–6mm long; corolla campanulate, with granular trichomes, tube 2–3 mm long, lobes obtuse, 3.5–4 mm long; stamens bicoloured, pink at apex and white at base, stemonozone ca. 1 mm long, staminal tube white, 6–7 mm long, filaments free 21–24 mm long, anthers wine-coloured; intrastaminal nectary absent; ovary obovate, puberulous, 2–2.5 mm long, style ca. 30 mm long, stigma capitate. Pods linear-oblanceolate, apex acute, mucronate, base cuneate, ca. 6 × 0.9 cm, ligneous valves, glabrous. Seeds not seen.

Polyad description:— Ellipsoid, calymmate, large-sized (211.3 µm in length × 100 µm in width), eightgrained (2 central grains surrounded by 6 heteromorphic peripheral grains). Apical peripheral pollen grain (93.8 µm in length) has a long sticky appendage (37.5 µm length). Central pollen grains are smaller than peripheral ones (37.5 µm diam.), with 4–5 pores on the perimeter of the outer face. Exine is 3.9 µm thick, with rugulate surface and some depressions close to apertures (SEM); exine is psilate to rugulate when examined on LM.

Ecology and distribution: — This species is endemic to Mucugê. It occurs in areas of “campo rupestre”, prostrate to decumbent on rocky outcrops. Specimens were found flowering in March and September and fruiting in January and September.

Notes: — Calliandra bromelioides is morphologically similar to C. semisepulta and the two species are the only ones in sect. Monticola that present a prostrate to decumbent habit. Nevertheless, C. bromelioides differs from C. semisepulta by a suite of characters including a higher number of pairs of leaflets per pinnae (15–29 vs. 4–8); leaflets with 5–8 × 1–2 mm (vs. 13–25 × 7–12 mm); stamens bicoloured, pink at apex and white at base pinkish (vs. uniformly coloured bright pink). C. bromelioides differs from all other species from the Chapada Diamantina including all species in section Monticola by its cinereous appearance in living specimens.

Etymology: — the epithet alludes to the resemblance of the plant to a bromeliad when seen at a distance.

Paratypes: — BRAZIL. Bahia: Mucugê, Parque Nacional da Chapada Diamantina, Machambongo, 1200 m , 13°0’S, 41°23’W, 25 March 2005 (fl.), L.S. Funch & R. Funch 2007 ( HUEFS) GoogleMaps ; Gerais do Gobira : 13°0’S, 41°23’W, 29 September 2002 (fl.), E.C. Smidt 258 ( HUEFS) GoogleMaps ; Serra do Gobira : 1471–1568 m, 13°4’24’’S, 41°22’46’’W, 21 January 2005 (fr.), J.G. Nascimento et al. 293 ( HUEFS) GoogleMaps .