Commelina sugariae M.Pell., 2025

Commelina sugariae M.Pell. sp. nov.

urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77347327-1

Figs 15 View Fig , 19 View Fig ; Table 2 View Table 2

Diagnosis

Similar to C. robusta and C. vestita due to their gross morphology, paired petals light blue to blue to sky blue or pale lilac to lilac, medial petal involute, entire, ovary and capsules smooth, seeds white-farinose, and testa rugose-foveolate. However, C. sugariae sp. nov. can be readily differentiated from both species due to its medial anther connective with an orange-brown spot at centre, its peculiar 2-carpellate, oblong and dorsiventrally compressed ovary, and capsules equally 2-valved, oblong to rectangular, dorsiventrally compressed, 4-seeded, and seeds homomorphic.

Etymology

The epithet honours Rebecca Rea Sugar, USA animator, director, screenwriter, producer, storyboard artist, voice actor, singer-songwriter, and creator of the Cartoon Network animated series ʻSteven Universeʼ. Sugar is the first non-binary person to create a series for Cartoon Network independently. Sugar identifies as bisexual, non-binary, and genderqueer, using she/they pronouns. Sugar’s queerness has served as their inspiration for stressing the importance of LGBTQIA+ representation in art, especially in children’s entertainment, clearly visible in both ʻSteven Universeʼ and ʻAdventure Timeʼ. The latter series had Sugar up to 2013 as a writer, storyboard artist, singer-songwriter, and voice actor.

Type material

BRAZIL – Mato Grosso • 9 km E of the base camp of the expedition, base camp , ca 270 km N of Xavantina; 18 Apr. 1968; fr.; J.A. Ratter 1073; holotype: K [ K001245927 ]!; isotypes: NY [ NY00872565 ]!, P [ P01742698 ]!, UB [no. 3785 ] n.v .

Other material examined ( Paratypes)

BRAZIL – Goiás • Gouvelândia, Unidade de Conservação Ricardo Machado Borges , floresta estacional semidecídua ; 453 m a.s.l.; 25 Feb. 2023; fl.; I.L. Morais 7965; JAR, K, RB • Gouvelândia ; 455 m a.s.l.; 26 Feb. 2023; fl.; I.L. Morais 7989; JAR, RB • Gouvelândia ; 455 m a.s.l.; 18 Mar. 2023; fl.; I.L. Morais 8063; JAR, K, NY, P, RB, SP, SPF, UB • Gouvelândia ; 449 m a.s.l.; 19 Mar. 2023; fl.; I.L. Morais 8090 JAR, K, RB, SP, SPF, UB • Gouvelândia ; 453 m a.s.l.; 2 Apr. 2023; fl.; I.L. Morais 8125; JAR • Gouvelândia ; 453 m a.s.l.; 29 Apr. 2023; fl.; I.L. Morais 8179; JAR, K, UB • Serra dos Pirineus , Pico dos Pirineus, ca 20 km NW of Corumbá de Goiás, near road to Niquelândia ; ca 1400 m a.s.l.; 28 Jan. 1968; fl., fr.; H.S. Irwin et al. 19370; K, NY, UB . – Mato Grosso • ca 14 km W of Km 90 of the Xavantina-Aragarças road, Vales dos Sonhos ; 1 Apr. 1968; fl., fr.; D. Philcox & B. Freeman 4669; K, NY, P, UB . – Minas Gerais • Monte Belo, Fazenda Lagoa ; 21 Mar. 1981; fl., fr.; M.C. Weyland Vieira 441; K, RB • Monte Belo, Fazenda Monte Alegre, Mata Mundo Novo ; 21 Feb. 1982; fl.; M.C. Weyland Vieira 295; K .

Description

Herbs 30–100 cm tall, ascending, perennial, robust, terrestrial or paludal. Roots fibrous, thin. Rhizome short. Stems monomorphic, herbaceous to slightly succulent, base prostrate, apex ascending to suberect, rooting at base, occasionally rooting at the nodes touching the substrate, sparsely branched throughout; internodes 1.2–7.5 cm long, distally shorter, green to dark green, sometimes sparsely to densely speckled with vinaceous spots, glaucous, puberulous with glandular microhairs, generally with a sparse hirsute line opposite to the leaves, hairs acicular, rusty to rusty-brown to red to dark red to atro-vinaceous. Leaves distichously-alternate, congested at the apex of the stem, pseudopetiolate; sheaths 1–2.5 cm long, glaucous, green to dark green, sometimes with red to vinaceous striations or reticulations up to almost entirely red to vinaceous, puberulous with glandular microhairs, hairs hyaline, with a hirsute line opposite to the blade, hairs acicular, rusty to rusty-brown to red to dark red to atro-vinaceous, rarely with a sparse line of hirsute hairs continuous to the blade’s midvein, hairs acicular, rusty to rusty-brown, margin upright, hirsute, hairs acicular, rusty to rusty-brown to red to dark red to atro-vinaceous; pseudopetiole 0.3–1.1 cm long; blades (2.3–2.8–)5.8–15.9 × (0.9–1.4–) 2.5–5.5 cm, elliptic to widely elliptic to obovate, slightly falcate, membranous to thinly chartaceous, adaxially evenly dark green or with 2 broad and irregular silvery-green longitudinal stripes, sometimes the stripes so broad as to make the entire blade silvery-green with an irregular dark green stripe along the midvein, drying greyish-green to olive-green with an irregular lighter stripe along the midvein, sometimes dark brown, abaxially light green to greyish-green, drying olive-green to light brown, adaxially scabrid with prickle-hairs, sometimes sparsely hispidulous with a mixture of prickle- and acicular hairs, hairs hyaline, abaxially hispidulous to densely hispidulous with acicular hairs or a mixture of prickle- and acicular hairs, hispid along the midvein with acicular hairs, hairs hyaline, sometimes rusty to rusty-brown at blade base, base asymmetric, cuneate to obtuse, margin flat, scabrid with prickle-hairs, apex acute to acuminate; midvein conspicuous, adaxially impressed, abaxially prominently obtuse, secondary veins 3–4 pairs, adaxially conspicuous, abaxially inconspicuous, becoming conspicuous on both sides when dry. Synflorescence composed of a solitary main florescence or a main florescence and 1–8 co-florescences, restricted to the apex of the stems, sometimes also axillary along the distal part of the stems. Inflorescences terminal and apparently terminal, peduncle 0.3–1.3 cm long, straight, sparsely pilose to pilose with minute hook-hairs, hairs hyaline; spathe 1.3–3.4 × 2.1–4.3 cm, widely ovate to very widely ovate, patent to the peduncle, concolourous with the leaves, internally conspicuously mucilaginous, base connate for 3.7–7.8 mm, truncate to round, rarely cordate, externally sparsely pilose to pilose with minute hook-hairs or with a mixture of hook- and glandular microhairs, hairs hyaline, sometimes with sparse to occasional hispid setose hairs, hairs hyaline, pilose with minute hook-hairs along the fused base, sometimes with a mixture of minute hook- and hispid acicular hairs, hairs hyaline, margin flat, glabrous to sparsely hispid near the base, hairs acicular, hyaline, sometimes rusty, internally with occasional acicular hairs, hairs hyaline, apex obtuse to acute, straight, veins 5–6 pairs, inconspicuous, becoming conspicuous when dry; upper cincinnus developed, 2–4-flowered, flowers mainly staminate, sometimes bisexual, peduncle 0.7–2.4 cm long, exserted, J-shaped to decurved at pre-anthesis, gently decurved at anthesis, post-anthesis and fruit, pilose with hook-hairs, hairs hyaline; lower cincinnus 2–6-flowered, flowers mainly bisexual, rarely staminate, peduncle 0.5–1.3 cm long, thickened in fruit, sparsely puberulous with a mixture of hook- and glandular microhairs, hairs hyaline; bracteoles early deciduous, ovate, hyaline, inconspicuous, margin entire, glabrous. Flowers chasmogamous, strongly zygomorphic, enantiostylous (style gently dislocated to the opposite side to the medial stamen); floral buds 2.2–4.9 × 1.4–2.9 mm, obovoid, slightly falcate, light blue to blue, glabrous; pedicel 1.5–4.3 mm long, deflexed in bud and at anthesis, reflexed and elongating in fruit, light green, apex puberulous with glandular microhairs, hairs early deciduous, hyaline; sepals white, hyaline, persistent and accrescent in fruit, dorsal sepal 3.5–4.7 × 1.3–2.7 mm, elliptic to ovate, concave, glabrous, apex acute, lower sepals 4.3–6.2 × 2.9–4.6 mm, shortly-clawed, connate for a third of their length, claw 0.5–1.2 mm long, limb 3.8–5 × 2.9–4.6 mm, widely oblique-ovate to depressed oblique-ovate, concave, glabrous, apex round; paired petals 3.4–7.1 × 4.8–5.6 mm, clawed, claw 2.1–3.5 mm long, mauve, becoming pale pink to pale lilac towards the limb, rarely white, limb 2.8–4.7 × 4.8–5.6 mm, ovate-reniform to widely ovate-reniform, light blue to blue to sky blue, base asymmetric, cordate to sagittate, apex round to slightly emarginate, medial petal 5.5–6.1 × 0.5–0.9 mm, sessile, oblanceolate, entire, completely involute, discolourous with the paired petals, white, hyaline, glabrous on both sides, apex obtuse; staminodes 3, medial staminode shorter than the laterals, filaments 2–3.4 mm long, straight to arcuate-decurved, vinaceous to mauve, base tan-coloured, antherodes 0.7–0.8 × 0.3–0.6 mm, X-shaped, yellow, minute pollen sacs between the upper and lower lobes present, non-polliniferous or producing very few grains, not apiculate between the upper lobes, upper lobes conspicuous, spathulate to obovate, gently curved outwards, much smaller than the lower, lower lobes spathulate to obovate; lateral filaments 4.8–6.8 mm long, strongly sigmoid, geniculate distal to the middle, apex recurved, vinaceous to mauve, base and apex tan-coloured, anthers 1.1–1.3 × 0.7–1 mm, held near the medial anther, oblong to elliptic, orange-yellow to apricot, drying pale yellow, connective orange-yellow to pale apricot, pollen orange-yellow to pale apricot, drying pale yellow; medial filament 2.2–4.6 mm long, straight to arcuate-decurved, apex gently recurved, white, apex tan-coloured, anther 1.5–1.9 × 0.9–1.6 mm, held near the lateral anthers, widely oblong to widely elliptic, slightly curved, pale orange-yellow to pale apricot, drying pale yellow, connective shield-shaped, orange-yellow to apricot, with a orange-brown spot at centre, anther sacs not appressed to each other, pollen orange-yellow to pale apricot, drying pale yellow; ovary 1–1.9 × 0.4–0.9 mm, 2-carpellate, 4-ovulate, oblong, dorsiventrally compressed, light green, smooth, puberulous with glandular microhairs, style 3.6–7.4 mm long, ca the same length as the stamens, gently sigmoid to sigmoid, apex strongly recurved, base not tapering into the ovary, white, apex sometimes tan-coloured, deciduous in fruit, stigma trilobate, white to tan-coloured. Capsules 3–5 per spathe, 5.2–7 × 2.2–3.5 mm, oblong to rectangular, dorsiventrally compressed, sessile, fruit wall thin, apex truncate to slightly emarginate, constricted between the seeds when immature and mature, light green when immature, tan-coloured when mature, shiny, glabrous, smooth, 2-locular, equally 2-valved, valves splitting to base, locules 2-seeded. Seeds 2 per locule, 2–2.4 × 1.3–1.7 mm, monomorphic, all free from the capsule wall, ellipsoid, dorsiventrally compressed, ventrally flattened, slightly cleft towards the embryotega, testa rugose-foveolate, brown to dark brown, covered by a thin, white farinae, embryotega semilateral, inconspicuous, with a prominent apicule, hilum curved, longer than ½ the length of the seed, on a strong ridge.

Distribution

Commelina sugariae sp. nov. is endemic to Brazil and is currently known by a handful of collections from the States of Goiás, Mato Grosso and Minas Gerais ( Fig. 15 View Fig ).

Ecology

It grows in the understory of gallery forests of central Brazil in the Cerrado biome, between 850–1400 m a.s.l. It is found growing on permanently moist soil along riverbanks.

Phenology

It was found in bloom and fruits from January to April, which coincides with the rainy season in central Brazil.

Vernacular name

Trapoeraba gigante ( Brazil).

Conservation

Despite its wide EOO (192 551 km 2), C. sugariae sp. nov. has a considerably reduced AOO (ca 32 km 2) due to the limited number of known records and extant populations. The species is most likely more frequent throughout its EOO, but due to its superficial similarity to the frequent and widely distributed C. robusta , most specimens are currently misidentified. Until herbaria from central Brazil have their collections reviewed and more recent collections become known, we follow the IUCN (2012) criteria and the IUCN Standards and Petitions Committee (2024) recommendations and suggest C. sugariae should be considered Data Deficient (DD).

Remarks

Commelina sugariae sp. nov. is peculiar among the Neotropical species of Commelina due to its 2-carpellate ovary, which develops into a dorsiventrally compressed, rectangular, equally 2-valved capsule. In the Neotropics, these characters are only shared with the distantly related and morphologically very distinct C. platyphylla Klotzsch ex Seub. It is morphologically most closely related to C. robusta and C. vestita due to their paired petals being light blue to blue to sky blue or pale lilac to lilac, medial petal involute, entire, ovary and capsules smooth, seeds white-farinose, and testa rugose-foveolate. However, C. sugariae can be easily differentiated from these species due to its peculiar 2-carpellate, oblong and dorsiventrally compressed ovary, equally 2-valved oblong to rectangular, dorsiventrally compressed, capsules 3–4 per spathe, 4-seeded, and seeds monomorphic.

Commelina sugariae sp. nov. can be further differentiated from C. vestita due to their obvious differences in stature (robust in C. sugariae vs delicate in C. vestita ), stem posture, branching, appearance and pubescence (base prostrate, apex ascending to scrambling, branched throughout or branched in the upper third, glaucous, and puberulous with glandular microhairs vs ascending to erect throughout, unbranched or branched only at base, not glaucous, and velutine to hispid with acicular hairs), sheath pubescence (puberulous with glandular microhairs, rarely with a sparse line of rusty to rusty-brown hairs continuous to the blade’s midvein, margin with rusty to rusty-brown to red to dark red to atro-vinaceous hairs vs velutine to hispid, margin with light brown to brown hairs), leaf-blades’ colouration and pubescence (abaxially light green to greyish-green, adaxially scabrid, sometimes sparsely hispidulous, abaxially hispidulous to densely hispidulous, hispid along the midvein vs abaxially light green speckled with vinaceous to dark purple to completely vinaceous to dark purple, adaxially densely velutine to velutine, abaxially velutine to hispid), spathe shape (widely ovate to very widely ovate vs cordate to widely cordate, rarely depressed ovate), lower sepals limb shape (widely oblique-ovate to depressed oblique-ovate vs obovate to widely obovate), paired petals claw colouration (mauve to lilac, rarely white vs blue to sky blue), medial petal colouration and posture (light blue to pale lilac, completely involute vs white, apex slightly involute), filament colouration (vinaceous to mauve vs white to tan-coloured), anther colouration and placement (orange-yellow to apricot, lateral anthers held near the medial anther vs pale orange-yellow to pale apricot, lateral anthers held near the stigma, medial anther held near the antherodes), and the number of capsules per spathe (3–4 vs 6–9) ( Table 2 View Table 2 ).

Despite being morphologically very similar to the widespread and still morphologically variable C. robusta , C. sugariae sp. nov. can be unambiguously differentiated based on the following characters: stem pubescence (puberulous with glandular microhairs in C. sugariae vs glabrous to scabrid with prickle-hairs in C. robusta ), leaf-blade variegation (adaxially evenly dark green or with 2 broad and irregular silvery-green longitudinal stripes vs never variegated), leaf-blade abaxial pubescence (hispidulous to densely hispidulous, hispid along the midvein, sometimes rusty at blade base vs scabrid to pilose, hairs hyaline), spathe shape, pubescence and apex (widely ovate to very widely ovate, externally sparsely pilose to pilose with minute hook-hairs or with a mixture of hook- and glandular microhairs, sometimes with sparse to occasional hispid setose hairs vs depressed ovate to widely depressed ovate, rarely very widely ovate, externally scabrid with prickle-hairs, apex obtuse to round), bracteole shape (ovate vs very widely ovate to depressed ovate), dorsal sepal shape (elliptic to ovate vs triangular to widely triangular), paired petals limb shape (ovate-reniform to widely ovate-reniform vs very widely ovate-reniform to depressed ovate-reniform), medial petal shape and pubescence (oblanceolate, glabrous on both sides vs spathulate to obovate, abaxially puberulous at base with glandular microhairs), antherode morphology (upper lobes conspicuously shorter than lower ones vs upper lobes equal to subequal to lower ones) ( Table 2 View Table 2 ).

It is also superficially similar to C. scabrata due to their gross morphology, leaf-blades abaxially hispid to hirsute with rusty hairs along the midvein, spathe eventually hispid to hirsute with rusty hairs, and 2-valved fruits. However, they can be readily differentiated by their leaf-sheath pubescence (scabrid in C. sugariae sp. nov. vs hirsute in C. scabrata ), blades shape, curvature, pubescence and apex (lanceolate to ovate, straight, scabrid or velutine on both sides, apex obtuse to acute vs narrowly oblong to narrowly elliptic, obliquely asymmetric, abaxially hirsute along the midvein, apex acuminate to long-acuminate), spathe connation and aspect in fruit (connate up to mid-length, remaining green vs connate to the apex or almost so, marcescent), upper cincinnus development and pubescence (developed, flowered, peduncle exserted from the spathe, lower cincinnus pilose with hook-hairs vs vestigial, flowerless, peduncle included in the spathe, lower cincinnus glabrous to sparsely puberulous with minute hook-hairs towards the apex), lower sepals connation (connate up to the upper third vs connate up to mid-length), paired petals limb base shape (cordate vs cuneate), medial anther colouration (with a vinaceous to dark purple spot on the connective vs lacking a vinaceous to dark purple spot on the connective), capsules colouration when mature (tan-coloured and shiny vs off-white and opaque), and the number of seeds per locule (locules 2-seeded vs locules 1-seeded) ( Table 2 View Table 2 ).

It is worth mentioning that the specimen Weyland Vieira 441 housed at the UEC herbarium (barcode 131898) actually represents Tripogandra diuretica (Mart.) Handlos , and thus, is excluded as a paratype.