Microlicia eimeariana R. Romero & Versiane, 2025

2. Microlicia eimeariana R. Romero & Versiane sp. nov.

Fig. 4 View Figure 4 , Supplementary material 2

Type

BRAZIL – Bahia • Abaíra, Distrito de Catolés ; 13°17’S, 41°51’W; 1000–1100 m; 20 Dec. 1991; fl.; R. M. Harley, V. C. Souza, C. M. Sakuragui & E. N. Lughadha 50151; holotype: SPF!; isotypes: HUFU! [ HUFU 00075928 ], K GoogleMaps !.

Diagnosis

Microlicia eimeariana is morphologically similar to Microlicia abairana . However, it can be easily distinguished by its branches covered with spherical glands and setose trichomes (vs only spherical glands in M. abairana ), imbricate leaves and leaf blades with obtuse apex (vs non-imbricate, acute).

Description

Shrubs, erect, branched, ca 0.8 m tall. Younger and older branches terete, brownish, covered with spherical glands and setose trichomes, older branches without leaves at the base, bark peeling off with age; nodes not thickened, internodes short 0.6–1 mm long, with setose trichomes, trichomes 0.2–0.4 mm long, not winged. Leaves ascending, imbricate, not amplexicaul, short-petiolate; petiole 0.1–0.3 mm long, flat, glabrous; blade 1.5–4.5 × 0.7–1.6 mm, chartaceous, discolorous (when dry), abaxial surface light brown, adaxial surface dark brown, oblong to oblong-ovate, apex obtuse, sometimes with short-setose trichomes 0.03–0.06 mm long, base rounded, margin entire or barely undulating, glabrous or with setose trichomes, trichomes 0.07–0.2 mm long, both surfaces covered with glandular trichomes, 3 - veined, visible on both surfaces, marginal pairs inconspicuous, tertiary veins absent. Inflorescence in dichasia, at the apices of the branches, bracts 3–2.5 × 1–1.5, oblong-ovate, bracteoles 2–3.3 × 0.8–1.3 mm, oblong-ovate. Flowers 5 - merous, sessile; hypanthium 2.5–3.3 × 1.5–1.8 mm, oblong to oblong-campanulate, brownish, covered with spherical glands; calyx tube 0.2–0.4 mm long; sepals 1.3–1.4 × 0.3–0.4 mm, shorter than the hypanthium, brownish, chartaceous, subulate, apex obtuse, without a terminal setose trichome, covered with spherical glands; petals 6.3–6.5 × 2.3–2.5 mm, yellow, oblong, apex acuminate, margin glabrous; androecium dimorphic, concolorous, yellow, stamens 10, anthers polysporangiate; larger (antesepalous) stamens 5, filaments ca 2.7 mm long, anthers ca 2 mm long including beak, oblong, beak ca 0.1 mm long, pedoconnective 1.8–2 mm long, ventral appendage ca 0.7 mm long, apex truncate; smaller (antepetalous) stamens 5, filaments 2.3–2.4 mm long, anthers 1.7–2 mm long including beak, oblong, beak ca 0.15 mm long, pedoconnective 1–1.3 long, ventral appendage ca 0.5 mm long, apex truncate; ovary ca 2 × 1 mm, 3 - locular, globose, superior, glabrous; style ca 7.5 mm long, yellow, slightly curved at the apex, stigma punctiform. Capsules and seeds not seen.

Distribution and habitat

The exsiccata label indicates that M. eimeariana was found in the Catolés district, Abaíra municipality, Bahia, Brazil, in an area of highland cerrado (Fig. 3 View Figure 3 ).

Phenology

Collected with flowers in December.

Etymology

We name this species after the researcher Eimear Nic Lughadha from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in recognition of her work on the systematics and conservation of tropical plants. She was also part of the team that collected the holotype of the new species.

Preliminary IUCN conservation assessment

The new species is only known from one gathering made 33 years ago, and unfortunately, the location of the collection site is not precise. We tried to locate individuals of this species in Catolés but without success. Due to the lack of data, assessing the species’ extinction risk is complex. Therefore, we preliminarily assess M. eimeariana as Data Deficient (DD) following the IUCN Red List categories and criteria ( IUCN 2022).

Notes

Among the species that occur in Abaíra, Bahia, M. eimeariana is similar to M. abairana R. Romero & Woodgyer , Microlicia aureoglandulosa Woodgyer & R. Romero , and Microlicia parvula (Markgr.) Koschn. & A. B. Martins , with the latter also occurring in Mucugê, Piatã, Rio de Contas, and Seabra ( Pataro et al. 2017). The species share commonly smooth hypanthium covered with spherical glands, sepals shorter than the hypanthium, yellow petals and androecium, and stamens with polysporangiate anthers. Microlicia aureoglandulosa and M. parvula differ from M. eimeariana in having branches covered only with spherical glands (vs setose trichomes, in addition to spherical glands in M. eimeariana ) and isomorphic androecium (vs dimorphic). Microlicia aureoglandulosa also has leaf blades that are acute at the apex (vs obtuse in M. eimeariana ), and triangular sepals (vs oblong), acuminate at the apex, with a terminal trichome (ca 0.1 mm long) (vs obtuse, terminal trichome absent). Microlicia parvula has very short triangular sepals, ca 1 mm long (vs oblong, 1.3–1.4 mm long in M. eimeariana ). Microlicia eimeariana also resembles M. monticola Wurdack , which is endemic to Rio de Contas ( Wurdack 1983; Woodgyer and Nic Lughadha 1995; Santos and Silva 2005). Both species have yellow petals, dimorphic androecium, polysporangiate anthers, and small leaves (3–6 × 0.5–2 mm in M. monticola ). However, M. monticola differs by having branches with only spherical glands (vs spherical glands and setose trichomes in M. eimeariana ), sessile leaves (vs subsessile), leaves acute at the apex (vs obtuse), and oblong-triangular sepals with an apex ending in a setose trichome (vs obtuse, setose trichome absent). The differences between M. eimeariana and M. abairana are mentioned in the diagnosis.