Monteiroa rubra Grings, 2019

9. Monteiroa rubra Grings View in CoL in Systematic Botany 44(4): 851–856, 2019. Holotype: BRAZIL. Rio Grande do Sul. Fontoura Xavier   GoogleMaps , 696m alt., WGS–84– 28.920S - 52.357W, 19 September 2018, M. Grings 1922 & S. A. L. Bordignon (ICN barcode 00043602!; isotypes: CTES!, K!, NY!, HUCS barcode 006939!, RB!). Figures 18 View FIGURE 18 and 22 View FIGURE 22 .

Taxonomic notes: —The species is characterized by: shrubs up to 1 m high in the field (up to 2.3 m cultivated) with stems densely stellate-strigose; leaf blades lanceolate, lanceolate-ovate, or narrowly elliptic, both surfaces stellate-strigose, the abaxial surface denser; corolla red, 5–10 × 4.5–7 mm, the shorter of the genus; epicalyx bracts linear, 4–8 × 0.3–1 mm, margin toothed an ciliate, with simple or bifid trichomes, 1.5–2 mm long in the teeth; mericarps 2–3 × 1.2–2 mm.

Distribution, habitat and conservation status: —This species occurs in Brazil ( Rio Grande do Sul State) ( Figure 19 View FIGURE 19 ), and grows in wetlands of the Provincia Pampeana (Pampa grasslands) and Provincia Paranense, in the highland grasslands in ecotone with the Araucaria forest. According to Grings et al. (2018) criteria A4c and B2ab (i, ii, iii, iv, v), M. rubra can be considered an Endangered species (EN). In its region of occurrence 74% of grasslands were converted or degraded, mostly by soybean cropland ( Andrade et al. 2015). The species presents an extent of occurrence of 117.4 km 2 and an area of occupancy (AOO) of 12,000 km 2, according Grings et al. (2019). Since then, a new place of occurrence has been found, collection of the year 1988. Now, with the available records, the species presents and EOO of 619.8 Km² and an AOO of 12 Km². The species inhabits a severely fragmented habitat, and occurs in just four locations, of which three are historical collections and only one location has a population currently known in the field. So, we considered the species Endangered (EN), IUCN (2017) criteria B2ab (i, ii, iii, iv, v).

Representative specimens: — BRAZIL. Rio Grande do Sul. Augusto Pestana, Rosário, 07 February 1956, Pivetta 1131 ( HRCB, PACA barcode 061412) ; Fontoura Xavier, WGS 84 S 28°55’12.5” W 052°21’28.2”, 696 m, 07 November 2018, M. Grings et al. 1951 ( ICN barcode 00043599) ; ibidem, BR 386 , WGS –84– 28.926S, - 52.380W, 24 September 2002, A. Knob & S. A. L. Bordignon 7228 ( ICN, UNILASSALE) GoogleMaps ; Veranópolis, no vale do rio das Antas, na margem da rodovia, 13 October 1988, J. Mattos 31468 ( HAS barcode 0095680) .