A Newly Described Species of Microlicia (Melastomataceae) from Minas Gerais, Brazil Rosana RomeroInstituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlandia, Caixa Postal 593, CEP 38400-902, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
[email protected] rCT. Another species in Microlicia (Melas-tomataceae) is describedt ant illustrated. Microliciaobtusifolia is known from the rocky slopes of Dia-mantina, Minas Gerais. Brazil. Microlicia obtusifol-ia Cogniau x ex R. Romero is distinguished fromaffined species (M. pusilla Cogniaux) by its obovate,1-to 3-nerved leaves with obtuse apices and atten-uate bases. Key words: Brazil, "campo rupestre," endemic. highland vegetation. Melastomataceae. Microlicia, Minas Gerais. The Neotropical genus Microlicia 1). Don con-sists of approximately 170 species occurring mainly throughout central and eastern Brazil (Wurdack, 1993) with ca. 100 endemic species in the states of Minas Gerais, Goias, and Bahia. During prepa-ration of a treatment of Microlicia sect. Pseudomi-crolicia Cogniaux, two specimens were found with an unpublished name that had been annotated lby A. Cogniaux on the label. Microlicia obtusifolia Cogniaux ex R. Romero. sp. nov. TYPE: Brazil. Minas Gerais: Diaman-tina, subida para o Cruzeiro, 1 Jan. 1963. A. P Duarle & G. M. Barroso 7858 (holotype. HB; isotype, NY). Figure 1. Suffrutex 5(-60( cm altus. Caulis subteres, glaler. Ran-uli primum punctato-glandulosi dlentun glahriusculi.Laminae sessiles vel bre\ibus pctiolis. erectac, obovatae.apice obtuso, base attenuata. margine integerrima raro in-conspicuo-crenulata. supra et subtus iimpresso-punctatae,I-3-nerves. Hypanthium trichomatibus glanlulosis pedi-cellaribus ad apices. Petala magentea, apice curto-acu-minato. Ovarium 3-loculare. Microliciae pusillae maxime affinis sed praecipue lam-ina folii obovata, apice obttuso, base atlenuata diversa. Erect subshrub, 50-60 (cm tall, branching di-chotomously or trichotomously, young branches fas-tigiate, quadrangular, glutinous, covered with ses-sile glands, older branches brown, quadrangular,without leaves at the base, leaf scars conspicuous,glabrescent. leaves sessile or with short flattenedpetiole to 0.5 mm, imbricate, erect, plane, bladesNovoN 13: 116-118. 2003.1-7 X 2-4 mm, obovate, apex obtuse, base atten-uate and slightly constricted, margin entire or in-conspicuously crenulate, hyaline, covered with ses-sile glands on both surfaces, glutinous or not. 1-to3-nerved, with inconspicuous lateral veins. Flowers5-merous. sessile or almost sessile. solitary, termi-nal or grouped in the branch apex. Hypanthium2.0-2.5 X ca. 2.5 mm, campanulate. with stalkedand sessile glands. on the apex with dense stalkedglands, eventually with caducous glands. Calyxlobes 3.5-5.5 mm long, lanceolate, apex acute,apiculate or not, covered with stalked glands. Pet-als 8-9 X ca. 6 mm, magenta, obovate. apex asym-metrically acute, briefly acuminate. glabrous. Sta-mens 10. dimorphic. Larger stamens 5, filaments3.5-4.0 mm long, purple, thecae 2.0-2.5 mm long,purple, oblong, not corrugate, with rostrum ca. 0.5mmu long, white, prolonged connective 3.0-3.3 mm,purple, with ventral appendage ca. 1 mm long. yel-low, expanded and truncate; smaller stamens 5. fil-aments 3.5-4.0 mm long. purple, thecae 1.5-2.0mm long, yellow, oblong, not corrugate, with ros-trum 0.2-0.3 mm long, prolonged connective 1.2-1.5 mm, yellow, with ventral appendage 0.3-0.5mm long, obtuse. Ovary superior. 3-locular, gla-brous; style ca. 6 mm long, filiform, glabrous, stig-ma punctiform. Capsule ca. 3 X 3-5 mm, greenishbrown, globose, the superior portion (almost 1/3) ofthe mature ovary not covered by the hypanthiumand loculicidally dehiscent in the upper part. Seeds0.6-0.7 X ca. 0.3 mm, numerous, slightly curved,foveolate. Microlicia obtusifolia is endemic to the regionaround Diamantina. Minas Gerais, Brazil, on rockyslopes. According to specimen labels, this speciesflowers in January and April, and fruits in Marchand November. Microlicia obtusiflia resembles M. pusilla Cog-niaux, which occurs sympatrically in Diamantina.Both have dense stalked glands in the hypanthiumapex and in the calyx lobes. The obovate leaveswith an obtuse apex and attenuate, slightly con-stricted base with I to 3 veins distinguish M. ob-
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