Miconia lucenae (Melastomataceae), a new species from montane Atlantic Forest in Espírito Santo, Brazil.

Marcelo Reginato,Renato Goldenberg,Fabián A Michelangeli

doi:10.7717/peerj.8752

Abstract

We describe Miconia lucenae R.Goldenb. & Michelang., a new species from the montane Atlantic Forest in Santa Teresa in the state of Espírito Santo. Our analysis, based on three plastid spacers (atpF-atpH, psbK-psbl and trnS-trnG), one plastid gene (ndhF, not available for M. lucenae), and two nuclear ribosomal loci (nrITS and nrETS), showed that it belongs to a small clade with Miconia paradoxa (Mart. ex DC.) Triana (Minas Gerais) and M. michelangeliana R.Goldenb. & L.Kollmann (Espírito Santo). The three species in the “Paradoxa clade” can be recognized by the plants with glabrous or glabrescent branches and leaves, white petals and yellow stamens, these with the connectives not prolonged below the thecae, ventrally unappendaged, dorsally unappendaged or with a minute tooth, the latter bilobed or not, glabrous ovary, and the fruits with a persistent calyx. Miconia lucenae can be recognized, among the species in this clade, by the shrubby plants with terete young branches, short inflorescences, usually with red axes, and the 2-bracteolate, sessile, 4-merous flowers, with a ciliolate inner portion of the sepals, lanceolate petals, and 4-celled ovaries. This species can be considered as endangered according to IUCN criteria.

Highlights

Miconia Ruiz & Pav. has nowadays about ca. 1900 species native to the Neotropics (Michelangeli et al, 2016)
Miconia lucenae was recovered nested in an early divergent subclade of a clade containing Miconia IV and Miconia V, all of them sister to the Clidemia/Leandra clade (Fig. 1)
Miconia lucenae is resolved in a clade with M. michelangeliana R.Goldenb. & L.Kollmann and M. paradoxa (Mart. ex DC.) Triana, called ‘‘Paradoxa clade’’ on

Summary

Introduction

Miconia Ruiz & Pav. has nowadays about ca. 1900 species native to the Neotropics (Michelangeli et al, 2016). Its circumscription has been recently modified (see Michelangeli et al, 2016; Michelangeli et al, 2019), and it is equivalent to the whole tribe Miconieae, in its modern definition (Michelangeli et al, 2004; Michelangeli et al, 2008; Goldenberg et al, 2008; see Penneys et al, 2010; Michelangeli et al, 2011). This new circumscription includes former Miconia sensu stricto and several other genera, such as Leandra Raddi, Clidemia D.Don, Ossaea DC.

Methods

Results

Conclusion