Monteiroa reitzii Krapovickas (2003: 58–60)

8. Monteiroa reitzii Krapovickas (2003: 58–60) View in CoL . Holotype: BRAZIL. Santa Catarina. Urubici, Arroyo Cambuí, 4 Km NE de Vacas Gordas , 25 December 1982, A. Krapovickas & A. Schinini 38315 (HBR!; Isotypes CTES!, K!, MBM!, TEX!, SI!). Figures 16 View FIGURE 16 and 22 View FIGURE 22 .

Taxonomic notes: — Monteiroa reitzii is characterized by: erect shrubs up to 3 m high; stems covered with stellate trichomes with branches up to 1–1.5 mm; leaves plain, ovate-elliptic, lanceolate or oblong, not bullate, sometimes with vein in grooves, adaxial surface with sparse simple or bifid trichomes, abaxial surface with sparse stellate trichomes with branches up to 1–1.5 mm; epicalyx bracts lanceolate-ovate 0.6–0.9 × 0.1–0.6 cm; corolla pink to lilac. It should be noted that the taxonomic separation between the species M. reitzii and M. bullata is difficult in some specimens. One of the main features used by Krapovickas (2003) to separate M. bullata from M. reitzii are the bullate leaves. In most specimens of M. reitzii the leaves are not bullate, apart from a few veins in grooves, but without forming blisters. However, in other specimens of M. reitzii , as identified by Krapovickas (2003), we noticed the presence of slightly bullate leaves, which contradicts the separation of species that the author himself proposed in the key. For this reason, we prefer to follow the strictest criteria by keeping specimens with bullate leaves in M. bullata . For some specimens it is also difficult to separate M. reitzii from M. dusenii , as they have many similarities in the morphology of the stipules, epicalyx bracts, calyx and leaf. It should be noted that further studies are needed to unravel the boundaries between these species, perhaps phylogeographical studies.

Distribution, habitat and conservation status: —This species occurs in Brazil ( Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul States) ( Figure 17 View FIGURE 17 ), and grows in wetlands at elevations of 1000 to 1800 m of the Provincia Paranense ( Cabrera & Willink 1973), in highland grasslands in ecotone with the Araucaria forest. With the available records the species presents an EOO of 4,577.613 Km² and an AOO of 44 km ². However, conditions B(a), B(b) and B(c) were not met. Therefore, the species is here considered Least Concern (LC). However, the situation of the species must be monitored, because it occurs in a very small area of the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, Brazil.

Representative specimens: — BRAZIL. Rio Grande do Sul. São José dos Ausentes, Pico Montenegro, 28º48’07” S 49º57’01” W, 10 December 2016, E. Valduga 706 ( HUCS). Santa Catarina. Bom Retiro, Campo dos Padres, B. Rambo s.n., 23 January 1957 ( PACA 60136 About PACA ) GoogleMaps ; São Joaquim, 9 Km de São Joaquim, caminho a Bom Jesus, A. Krapovickas & A. Schinini 38321, 26 December 1982 ( MBM) ; Urubici, entre Vacas Gordas e Mundo Novo, margem da SC-110 WGS 84 S 28.08388 W 049.63707, 26 December 2019, M. Grings 2120 ( ICN) ; Urupema, 27 December 1982 A. Krapovickas & A. Schinini 38374 ( CTES, MBM) .