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Issue: Vol. 767 No. 1: 16 Jul. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-07-16
DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.767.1.10
Page range: 85-92
Abstract views: 26
PDF downloaded: 7

A remarkable and little-known new species of Fritzschia (Melastomataceae, Marcetieae) from Minas Gerais, Brazil

Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro; Rua Pacheco Leão 915; 22460-030; Rio de Janeiro; RJ; Brazil
Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro; Rua Pacheco Leão 915; 22460-030; Rio de Janeiro; RJ; Brazil
Brazilian Cerrado endemism Gerdt Guenther Hatschbach little-known species sandstone outcrops Eudicots Myrtales

Abstract

We describe and illustrate Fritzschia hatschbachii (Melastomataceae, Marcetieae), a new species endemic to the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. This species is known from a single collection made in the 1990s by the renowned Brazilian botanist Gerdt Guenther Hatschbach, who is honored in the specific epithet. Since its collection, the specimen had remained unidentified in herbarium, and despite an exhaustive search conducted since 2016, no additional collections representing the new species have been found. Fritzschia hatschbachii is preliminarily assessed as Data Deficient according to IUCN guidelines and criteria. Morphologically, it is most similar to F. anisostemon and F. rupestris, but F. hatschbachii can be readily distinguished by a unique combination of floral traits and by being the only species that bears both tetramerous and pentamerous flowers. In this study, we also provide scanning electron microscopy images of the leaves and seeds of F. hatschbachii.

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How to Cite

Silva, D.N.D. & Guimarães, P.J.F. (2026) A remarkable and little-known new species of Fritzschia (Melastomataceae, Marcetieae) from Minas Gerais, Brazil. Phytotaxa 767 (1): 85–92. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.767.1.10