Six New Species of Eremanthus (Compositae: Vernonieae) from Brazil

Abstract

Six new Brazilian species are described and illustrated. Eremanthus argenteus, E. auriculatus, and E. uniflorus are restricted to the Chapada dos Veadeiros of central Goias. Eremanthus seidelii is endemic to the cerrado surrounding Furnas reservoir in southwestern Minas Gerais, and E. graciellae is limited to the Serra Geral mountain range separating Goias and Bahia. Eremanthus rondoniensis is closely related to E. mattogrossensis and represents a western extension (into Rond6nia) of the glomerulatus-goyazensis-mattogrossensis complex. Eremanthus Less. has traditionally comprised an amalgam of Brazilian herbs, shrubs, and trees that exhibit the combined traits of syncephaly (secondary aggregation of heads into a glomerule), pluriseriate phyllaries, and achenes with a persistent pappus. Syncephalous heads are characteristic of Lychnophorinae, which is currently considered to be an artificial assemblage (Jones 1978). Historically, Albertinia Sprengel, Chresta Vell. Conc., Glaziovianthus G. Barroso, Pithecoseris DC., Prestelia Schultz-Bip., Pycnocephalum DC., Sphaerophora Schultz-Bip., Stachyanthus DC., and Vanillosmopsis Schultz-Bip. have been placed in synonymy with or adjacent to Eremanthus. These genera are restricted to arid portions of southern Brazil and have not been comprehensively evaluated since Baker's (1873) treatment of Compositae in Martius's Flora Brasiliensis. Eremanthus and related genera are currently under monographic revision at the University of Georgia by the senior author. During the course of several collecting trips through the Central Brazil Plateau, six previously undescribed species were discovered by the authors. The junior author's expedition followed the northern portion of Gardner's route (for details see Gardner 1846 and Schumacher 1982) through the mountainous portions of Brazil. Of particular interest is his rediscovery of limited populations of Vanillosmopsis arborea (Gardner) Baker in C. Martius in the Chapada do Araripe of southern Ceara, which had previously been known only from the type collection. Much of the Central Plateau of Brazil remains botanically unknown, and, undoubtedly, further explorations into these arid regions will yield not only range extensions for many of the following species but also additional taxa new