A New Species of Xylopia L. (Annonaceae) from Bahia, Brazil

Abstract

Summary. A new species of Xylopia L., X. involucrata, from Bahia, Brazil, is described. Xylopia is a pantropical genus comprising around 160 species. It is one of the largest genera in the Annonaceae and belongs to the subfamily Annonoideae, tribe Unoneae and subtribe Xylopiineae (Hutchinson 1964). In the American continent, there are c. 50 species, the greatest concentration occurring in South America, especially in the Amazonian region and northwards. The Brazilian species were mainly revised by Martius (1841) and Fries (1900, 1930, 1934, 1937, 1939, 1950, 1959). In an account of the extra-Amazonian species of Xylopia in Brazil (Dias 1988), a new species was recognized and is described here as X. involucrata. Xylopia involucrata M. C. Dias & L. S. Kinosh. sp. nov. ab omnibus speciebus notis tribus bracteis involucratis et calyce cupulato lobis irregularibus corollam fere involvente optime distincta. Xylopiae excellenti R. E. Fr. arcte affinis alabastri forma et foliorum indumento ac forma sed calycis et bractearum characteribus differt. Typus: Brazil, Bahia, Mun. Ilhe'us, Mattos-Silva, Santos & Boom 1420 (holotypus CEPEC; isotypus UEC). Trees 3 - 9 m with branches and petioles densely rusty-red-villous, internodes 1.5 3.7 cm. Leaves subsessile, petioles 2 mm long, leaf blade chartaceous to coriaceous, oblong to ovate-oblong, acuminate at the apex, rounded at the base, (10 -)13- 15(26) x (3.5 -)5 - 8(- 10) cm, glabrous on the adaxial surface, secondary nervation prominently reticulate, abaxial surface entirely ferruginous-lanate to villous, midrib prominent. Inflorescence axillary; flowers solitary, the peduncle 1 cm long. Floral bud short and thickened, 2.5 - 3.5 x 1.5 - 2.5 cm, the length to width ratio less than 3, almost entirely surrounded by three imbricate involucral bracts, which are subcoriaceous, triangular-ovate, densely covered in rusty-red silky hairs externally and glabrous internally; outermost bract 2.5 x 4.1 cm, the intermediate one 2.6 x 3 cm and the innermost 2.3 x 3.3 cm, irregularly breaking up in the mature flower. Calyx coriaceous, cupuliform, almost completely covering the corolla, with the lobes not regularly defined, ferruginous-sericeous externally, 1.8 x 1.6 cm. External and internal petals cream-coloured with indumentum outside and glabrous inside;