Wrongly identified material of Davilla macrocarpa (Dilleniaceae) represents two new species from Brazil

Abstract

Background – Davilla Vand. is a monophyletic genus and member, with other genera endemic to the Neotropics, of the Doliocarpoid clade, a natural lineage of the subfamily Doliocarpoideae J.W.Horn. Its sepals, unequal in size, with two inner ones large and crustaceous and completely covering the fruit, represent a morphological synapomorphy for the genus.Methods – Our fieldwork in remnants of the Atlantic forest in the states of Bahia and Espírito Santo, Brazil, led to the discovery of two new Davilla species. Herbarium collections were consulted for their determination and comparison with identified specimens. Morphological data were obtained through the study of herbarium specimens and of fresh material collected in the field. Key results – Davilla coriacea Fraga & Stehmann and D. undulata Fraga & Stehmann, are herein described and illustrated. Diagnostic characters and affinities of the new species are discussed, accompanied by notes on their ecology, geographic distribution and conservation status. A key to all species of Davilla sect. Homalochlaena is also provided. The new species are similar to D. sessilifolia Fraga and Davilla flexuosa A.St.-Hil. and have been identified in most herbaria as Davilla macrocarpa Eichler. In accordance with the criteria of the IUCN Red List of endangered plant species, D. coriacea and D. undulata are to be assessed as Endangered (EN) and Near Threatened (NT) respectively.