Vellozia viannae L. B. Sm.

Vellozia viannae L. B. Smith

Vellozia viannae L. B. Smith, Contr. U.S. Nat. Herb., 35:261, pl. 9: fig. 1, 1962.

TYPE.—Some 6 km north of Palacio, Serra do Cipó, Jaboticatubas, Minas Gerais, Brazil, October 1953, Segadas-Vianna & Lorêdo Jr. no. Serra–II, 1103 (US, holotype; R, isotype).

DISTRIBUTION.—Known only from the type-collection.

50. Vellozia subalata L. B. Smith & Ayensu, new species

A V. viannae L. B. Smith, cui parum affinis, capsula subduplo majore, carpellis subalatis differt.

Caudex (“like that of V. alata”) tall and stout, but branched. Leaves (detached) with blades sharply curved at base and so probably reflexed and persistent, very narrowly triangular, caudate-attenuate, over 7 dm long, 3 cm wide at base, flat, dull when dry, margins pectinate-serrate with divergent slender spines 4 mm long, elsewhere even and glabrous.

Scapes curved when dry, 13–15 cm long in all, sulcate, laxly and finely glandular. Ovary subglobose, obtusely trigonous, 27 mm long including the epigynous tube, laxly and finely stipitate-glandular. Tepals withered, unknown. Stamens largely unknown but apparently at least 3 per tepal; phalange tall and narrow, unappendaged.

LEAF ANATOMY (Menezes 193).—Surface View: Hairs: tufts present on both surfaces. Epidermis: cells on both surfaces square to rectangular; thin-walled. Stomata: tetracytic, 21 × 12 μm; mostly in abaxial furrows; few on both surfaces.

Transverse Section of Lamina: Dorsiventral;

widely V-shaped. Adaxial surface slightly ridged; abaxial surface furrowed ⅓ thickness of blade. Epidermis: adaxial cells rounded to dome-shaped; few conical, especially in area above midvein; thin-walled. Subjacent to adaxial epidermis is a layer of small, rounded, thin-walled cells interspersed with sclerenchyma fibers; below this is a single layer of large, thin-walled parenchyma cells. Abaxial epidermis consists of small, rounded, thin-walled cells, most of which have been replaced by sclerenchyma fibers. Subjacent is 1 or 2 layers of thin-walled parenchyma cells. Cuticle: thickened and slightly ridged over entire surface. Stomata: present in abaxial furrows only; stomata flush with surface and with a small substomatal chamber, accompanied by few projections from walls of furrows. Mesophyll: 3 or 4 layers of small, palisade tissue followed by compactly arranged spongy tissue. Two or three layers of large, translucent palisade cells radially arranged above vascular bundles and furrows. Many translucent cells above midvein. Vascular bundles: 19; commissural bundles observed. One or two large vessels present in each bundle, mainly one. Two phloem units lying laterally in flanges of short, Y-shaped abaxial girder. Adaxial cap present on each bundle. Vascular bundles surrounded with bundle sheath. Crystals: none observed. Tannins: few present.

TYPE.—Km 10–18 of the road between Chapeu do Sol and the dam on the Rio Cipó, Minas Gerais, Brazil, 11 December 1971, Menezes 193 (SP, holotype; US, photo).

DISTRIBUTION.—Known only from the type-collection.