Vellozia ramosissima L. B. Sm.

Vellozia ramosissima L. B. Smith

Vellozia ramosissima L. B. Smith, Contr. U.S. Nat. Herb., 35:263, pl. 9: figs. 4, 5, 1962.

TYPE.—Serra do Cipó 2½ miles (4 km) from Hotel Chapeu de Sol, Jaboticatubas, Minas Gerais, Brazil, 1110 m alt, 19 December 1959, Maguire & Pires 44666 (US, holotype; NY, isotype).

DISTRIBUTION.—Known only from the type-collection.

33. Vellozia bicarinata L. B. Smith & Ayensu, new species

A V. ramosissima L. B. Smith, cui parum affinis, scapo erecto, foliis flores plus minusve superantibus differt.

Caudex to 2 m high (!Maguire & Pires), apparently much branched, ultimate branches 2 cm thick including leaf-sheaths. Leaves ca. 12-ranked; sheaths densely imbricate with minimum exposure, soon dull and fragmented; blades erect, quickly deciduous, linear, retuse, to 75 mm long, 7–8 mm wide at base, somewhat revolute when dry, subdensely vestite on both sides with minute sessile glands, the margins minutely serrulate.

Scape terminal, solitary, erect, mostly shorter than the leaves, laxly and minutely scabrous. Ovary obovoid, 15 mm long, laxly and minutely scabrous; epigynous tube broadly funnelform, 5 mm high. Tepals elliptic; broadly rounded and apiculate, 3 cm long, purple, glabrous. Stamens ca. 18; phalange appendages coarsely lacerate; anthers ca. 1 cm long. Style 3 cm long; stigmas deflexed.

LEAF ANATOMY (Maguire & Pires 44639).—Surface

View: Hairs: few tufts present on extreme margins. Epidermis: cells on both surfaces square to rectangular; walls slightly thickened. Stomata: paracytic and tetracytic, 18 × 12 μm; present in abaxial furrows only.

Transverse Section of Lamina: Dorsiventral; widely V-shaped with small median adaxial groove. Adaxial surface ridged; abaxial surface furrowed about half to three-fourths thickness of blade. Epidermis: cells rounded to dome-shaped on both surfaces; walls slightly thickened. Subjacent to adaxial epidermis is a row of sclerenchyma fiber bundles interspersed with few thin-walled cells; below this is a layer of large, thin-walled cells. One or two layers of sclerenchyma fiber bundles subjacent to abaxial epidermis followed by a layer of rounded, thin-walled cells. Cuticle: very thick and ridged over entire surface; few conspicuous conical protrusions on adaxial cuticle. Stomata: present in abaxial furrows only; stomata flush with epidermal surface. Mesophyll: 2 or 3 layers of large, translucent palisade tissue followed by narrow, compactly arranged cells present on either side of each vascular bundle. This is followed by a compact spongy tissue. Vascular bundles: 35; commissural bundles few observed. One xylem vessel present in each bundle. Two phloem units lying laterally in flanges of short Y-shaped abaxial girder. Large adaxial cap present on each bundle. Bundle sheath completely surrounding each vascular bundle. Crystals: none observed. Tannins: few present.

TYPE.—Common on rocks, dominant, Serra de Cipó, 3½ miles (5.6 km) from Hotel Chapeu de Sol, Minas Gerais, Brazil, 3700 feet (1110 m) alt, 19 December 1959, Maguire & Pires 44639 (US, holotype; NY; RB, isotypes).

DISTRIBUTION.—Brazil: Minas Gerais: Jaboticatubas: 6 km north of Palacio, October 1953, Segadas-Vianna & Loredo Jr. no. Serra II–1085 (R, US).

Subkey II

34. Vellozia pterocarpa L. B. Smith & Ayensu, new species

Ab omnibus speciebus adhuc cognitis ovario late tenuiterque alato, angulis glandulosis differt.

Caudex (incompletely known) over 12 cm high, 2–4 cm thick including old leaf-bases, simple(?). Leaves very densely imbricate; sheaths ca. 4 cm long; blades persistent, reflexed in age, linear-triangular, long-attenuate but minutely obtuse, to 19 cm long, 6 mm wide at base, laxly serrulate on the margins, otherwise even and glabrous.

Scapes 3, terminal, erect, 9–10 cm long, sulcate, very sparsely and minutely glandular. Ovary sub-orbicular, trigonous with broad thin glandular-margined wings on the angles, 14 mm long without the 7 mm long epigynous tube. Tepals lance-elliptic, 35 mm long, dark lilac (!Hatschbach), glabrous. Stamens about 24; phalange appendages papillate. Style exceeding the stamens; stigmas suborbicular, horizontal.

LEAF ANATOMY (Hatschbach & Ahumada 31705).—Surface View: Hairs: few, tufts of epidermal projections present on adaxial surface. Epidermis: cells square to rectangular on adaxial and abaxial surfaces. Stomata: paracytic, few tetracytic, 27 × 15 μm; present in abaxial furrows.

Transverse Section of Lamina: Dorsiventral; almost horizontal with margins turned slightly downward. Adaxial surface ridged; abaxial surface furrowed ½ thickness of blade. Epidermis: cells on both surfaces small, rounded, and thick-walled. Cells fairly large and thin-walled above midvein. Subjacent to adaxial and abaxial epidermis is 1 or 2 layers of sclerenchyma cells followed by 1 layer of large, thin-walled parenchyma cells. Cuticle: slightly thickened and smooth over entire surface. Stomata: present in abaxial furrows only; flush with epidermal surface; small substomatal chamber present; stomata associated with projections from walls of furrows. Mesophyll: 4 layers of small, thin-walled palisade cells followed by 22 or 23 layers of equally small, closely packed, rounded cells. Two layers of large, translucent palisade cells above each bundle; large palisade cells plus 4 or 5 layers of small, spongy tissue above midvein. Vascular bundles: 25, commissural bundles not observed. One or two large vessels in each bundle. Two phloem units lying laterally in fairly long flanges of thin, Y-shaped abaxial girder. Small adaxial cap on each bundle. Bundles surrounded by distinct bundle sheath. Crystals: none observed. Tannins: few present.

TYPE.—Sandy campo, Guinda to Conceição da Mata, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil, 17 February 1973, Hatschbach & Ahumada 31705 (US, holotype).

DISTRIBUTION.—Known only from the type-collection.