Two New Species of Richterago Kuntze emend. Roque (Compositae, Mutisieae) from Minas Gerais and Goias, Brazil

Abstract

Richterago Kuntze (Compositae, Mutisieae) was recently re-established to include species previously placed in Actinoseris (Endl.) Cabrera and Gochnatia sect. Discoseris Cabrera. This genus comprises a total of ten Brazilian species (Roque & Pirani in press) and is a monophyletic clade on the basis of leaf anatomy, as well as other morphological and palynological characters (Roque 1999). The genus Richterago is very closely related to Gochnatia Kunth and lanthopappus Roque & D. J. N. Hind (Roque & Hind 2001), because of the presence of apiculate to acuminate anther appendages. Richterago is characterized by its predominantly herbaceous to sub-shrubby habit, rosette-forming or alternate leaves, pinnate venation, discoid homogamous or radiate heterogamous capitula, and especially by the uniseriate pappus of 25 42 bristles that are united at the base into a fleshy straw coloured ring (Roque 1999). Richterago is endemic to Brazil and has five species restricted to the Serra do Espinhaeo, Minas Gerais State, and another R. discoidea (Less.) Roque which also occurs disjunctly in Bahia State. Richterago amplexifolia (Gardner) Roque and R. polymorpha (Less.) Roque, are widely distributed in Minas Gerais State. Richterago suffrutescens (Cabrera) Roque is endemic to a single locality at Sao Joao del Rey, Minas Gerais State, while Richterago radiata (Vell.) Roque has the widest geographic distribution in the genus, reaching Distrito Federal and the states of Goiais, Minas Gerais, Sio Paulo, and Paranai (Roque & Pirani 1997 and Roque & Pirani, in press). Two new species, Richterago campestris and R. petiolata, occurring respectively in southern Minas Gerais State (Sao Joao Del Rey, Lavras, Itutinga and Sio Tome das Letras) and Goiis State (Chapada dos Veadeiros), were also collected in Serra da