Vellozia metzgerae L. B. Sm.

Vellozia metzgerae L. B. Smith

Vellozia metzgerae L. B. Smith, Phytologia, 8:512, figs. 10, 11, 1963.

TYPE.—Serra da Lapa (Cipó), Minas Gerais, Brazil, November 1824, Riedel s n (K, holotype).

DISTRIBUTION.—Known only from the type-collection.

100. Vellozia caespitosa L. B. Smith & Ayensu, new species

A V. glandulifera Goethart & Henrard, cui affinis, foliorum laminis subtus laxe tomentosis nervis haud occultis, tepalis valde majoribus differt.

Caudex very short but branching and forming mats, apically 15 mm in diameter (including leaf-sheaths). Leaves about 10 in the terminal fascicle; sheaths subdensely imbricate exposing ca. 5 mm apically, dark castaneous, finely appressed-tomentose, soon dissolving into coarse fibers; blades erect, soon deciduous, linear, acute, 16 cm long (above the leaf-sheaths), 10 mm wide, bicarinate and obscurely serrulate toward apex, revolute, glabrous

above, sparsely tomentose beneath leaving the nerves clearly visible.

Scapes terminal, solitary 12–16 cm long (above the leaf-sheaths), ca 2 mm in diameter, densely and finely stipitate-glandular. Ovary turbinate, 10 mm long, covered with small glands on long fine contorted pale stipes. Tepals elliptic, to 60 mm long, dark violet. Stamens ca. 18, 3 cm long; phalanges unappendaged. Style much exceeding stamens; stigmas terminal, orbicular, spreading.

LEAF ANATOMY (Irwin et al. 22373).—Surface View: Hairs: few small tufts present on adaxial; long, single hairs present on abaxial surface. Epidermis: cells square to rectangular on both surfaces; thin-walled. Stomata: paracytic, 21 × 15 μm; present in abaxial furrows only.

Transverse Section of Lamina: Dorsiventral; deeply V-shaped with median adaxial groove and margins curved downward. Adaxial surface undulating; abaxial surface furrowed about ¼ thickness of blade. Hairs present on abaxial surface, and on extreme margins of adaxial surface. Epidermis: cells on both surfaces rounded to dome-shaped; thin-walled. Subjacent to adaxial epidermis is 2 or 3 layers of rounded, thin-walled parenchyma cells. There is a single layer of distinct parenchyma cells subjacent to abaxial epidermis. Cuticle: thick and smooth on adaxial surface; thin and smooth on abaxial surface. Stomata: present in abaxial furrows only; stomata flush with epidermal surface and associated with many small papillae in furrow; small substomatal chamber present. Mesophyll: 3 or 4 layers of palisade cells followed by compactly arranged rounded spongy cells. Palisade cells above vascular bundles and furrows often large and translucent. Vascular bundles: 31; commissural bundles observed. One or two large vessels present in each bundle, mainly one. Two phloem units lying laterally in flanges of Y-shaped abaxial girder. Fairly large adaxial cap present on each bundle. Each bundle surrounded by a bundle sheath. Crystals: none observed. Tannins: few present.

TYPE.—On rocks, cerrado on steep rocky slopes, ca. 20 km southwest of Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil, 1300 m alt, 21 January 1969, Irwin et al. 22373 (US, holotype; NY, isotype).

DISTRIBUTION.—Known only from the type-collection.

Vellozia metzgerae L. B. Smith

SPECIMENS EXAMINED.—W. Egler s.n.

SURFACE VIEW.—Hairs: present on both adaxial and abaxial surfaces; usually fairly short and in tufts, cells multicellular. Epidermis: adaxial cells square, few rounded; thin walled. Abaxial cells square to rectangular; thin walled. Stomata: paracytic, 21 × 15 μm; present on abaxial surface.

TRANSVERSE SECTION OF LAMINA.—Dorsiventral; V-shaped with median adaxial groove; margins turned inversely. Adaxial surface slightly undulating, abaxial surface furrowed one-third to one-half the thickness of blade. Epidermis: adaxial cells rectangular; abaxial cells rounded to rectangular; cells on both surfaces are thin walled. Two to three layers of parenchyma cells subjacent to adaxial epidermis and interspersed with one to three layers of sclerenchyma strands. Below is a distinct layer or two of large parenchyma cells. Cuticle: fairly thick on both surfaces; only slightly ridged on both surfaces. Stomata: present in furrows; substomatal chamber present; associated with fingerlike projections. Mesophyll: three- to four-layered palisade grading into fairly compact spongy tissue. Two to four layers of large translucent cells arranged radially above vascular bundles and on furrows; large translucent cells quite numerous in median region of lamina. Vascular bundles: 16; few commissural bundles observed. One to three large vessels observed in each vascular bundle. Two phloem units laterally arranged in flanges of Y-shaped or partial U- or V-shaped abaxial girder; each bundle with an inverted V-shaped adaxial sclerenchyma cap. Some abaxial sclerenchyma strands present. Bundle sheath completely

surrounding each vascular bundle. Crystals: not observed. Tannins: few present.