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A New Species of Pelexia (Orchidaceae, Spiranthinae) from Sao Paulo, Brazil Alessandro W. Ferreira C. Universidade Federal do Maranhao, Campus V. Rua Raimundo Jose Pimenta 65200-000, s.n., MA, [email protected] Pinheiro, Rrazil. Maria Lima Ines S. Departamento de Botanica, Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luis, km 235, Caixa Postal 676, 13565-905, Sao Carlos, SP, Brazil, [email protected] Emerson Pansarin R. Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciencias e Letras de Ribeirao Preto, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, 14040-901, Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil. [email protected] A Abstract. new species of Pelexia Poit. ex Lindl. Within the Orchidaceae, the tribe Cranichideae is (Orchidaceae, Spiranthinae) occurring in central Sao cosmopolitan in distribution and comprises ca. 90 Paulo, southeastern described and genera and 1600 species that are further recognized Brazil, is illus- & trated as P. vinosa A. W. C. Ferreira, M. S. Lima among six subtribes, one of which is the Spiranthinae I. The encompass 39 by (Salazar, 2003). Spiranthinae Pansarin. Pelexia vinosa recognized leaves is its that are present flowering and dark purple leaf genera, of which Pelexia Poit. ex Lindl. contains 76 at its species distributed from Mexico Argentina blades with reddish margins. Inflorescences are to & sparsely pubescent and reddish. The red sepals (Hoehne, 1945; Pabst Dungs, 1975; Salazar, and 2003). Pelexia consists of terrestrial, lithophytic, or contrast with the white hyaline petals labellum. more The rarely epiphytic herbs (Salazar, 2003). In Brazil, species notable for spurlike nectary that is its is 38 parallel and adnate to the ovary. The new species is species of Pelexia are found (Barros et ah, 2012), & occurring in several vegetation physiognomies, in- morphologically similar to P. laxa (Poepp. Endl.) M & cluding ombrophilous er Warren, 1996; need (e.g., ill Lindl. In addition, the to preserve native areas & Romanini semideciduous meso- Barros, 2007), of the interior of Sao Paulo State (habitat of P. vinosa ) & phytic Pansarin Pansarin, 2008, 2010), (e.g., discussed. is Amazonian forests (Ribeiro, 1992), as well as cerrado & Uma Resumo. nova especie de Pelexia ex vegetation Batista Bianchetti, 2003). Fur- Poit. (e.g., Lindl. (Orchidaceae, Spiranthinae) que ocorre na thermore, Brazilian species of Pelexia can be found marshy regiao central do estado de Sao Paulo, e descrita e in diverse habitats that include areas, rocky ilustrada como P. vinosa A. W. C. Ferreira, M. S. outcrops, and both dry and wet grasslands (Cogniaux, I. & & 1893-1896; Hoehne, 1945; Pabst Dungs, 1975; Lima Pansarin. Pelexia vinosa e reconhecida pelas Sprunger ah, 1996). Seven species of Pelexia are folhas que estao sempre presentes durante o perfodo et known com to occur in the central region of the state of de floragao, e pelas laminas foliares roxo-escuras Sao Paulo (Ferreira ah, 2010). This an area margens avermelhadas. As inflorescencias sao aver- et is As melhadas e esparsamente pubescentes. petalas Brazilian biomes, namely the cerrado and Atlantic com avermelhadas contrastam as petalas e labelo, forest (Kronka et ah, 1993; Soares et ah, 2003). The que sao brancos, e pelo nectario paralelamente “Cwa,” namely climate of the region classified as is disposto e adnato ao ovario. Essa nova especie e & mesothermic with a dry winter season (Koppen, morfologicamente semelhante a P. laxa (Poepp. 1948). The new species described herein was discovered while the authors carried out a floristic nativas no interior do estado de Sao Paulo (habitat de survey of the Orchidaceae in central Sao Paulo in tambem P. vinosa e discutida. ), southeastern Brazil. The genus Pelexia characterized by the presence is and and of fleshy fasciculate roots, the leaves are 10.3417/2010102 Novon 22: 155-159. Published on 30 November 2012. doi: hyaline petals and labellum, and with the spur northern Brazil, this species was recorded from the parallel and completely adnate to the ovary. The new central region of the state of Sao Paulo, flowering from However, September November species is closely related to P. laxa. P. to (Ferreira et al., 2010). vinosa differs from P. laxa by the absence of maculae Because species of Pelexia are cultivated as on the leaf blades, the more congested inflorescence, ornamental orchids (Salazar, 2003), we believe that new the lateral sepals not decurrent, the dorsal sepal the species also has ornamental potential, based on beautiful dark purple leaf blades and the its an apical lobe that transversally oval and triangular reddish inflorescences and sepals that markedly is and and with lateral lobes that are falcate. In P. laxa, the contrast with the white petals labellum. more leaves are maculate, the inflorescences are In Brazil, native areas of the cerrado vegetation, elongate and lax, the lateral sepals are decurrent, the the Atlantic rainforests, and ecotonal areas between dorsal sepal is elliptic, and the labellum is yellow in both biomes (the natural habitat of Pelexia vinosa ) the middle with an apical lobe that cordiform and have been considered crucial for preservation and is with lateral lobes that are triangular. Although Barros conservation as rich in species diversity and et al. (2012) reported the occurrence of P. laxa from endemism. Currently, these Brazilian biomes are Novon 158