Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 782 No. 1: 28 Oct. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-10-28
DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.782.1.3
Page range: 46-60
Abstract views: 29
PDF downloaded: 1

Two taxonomic novelties in Paepalanthus subg. Platycaulon (Eriocaulaceae) from the highland tropical peatlands in Brazil

Departamento de Botânica; Instituto de Biociências; Universidade de São Paulo; Rua do Matão 277; 05508-090; São Paulo; SP; Brazil
Departamento de Ciências Biológicas; Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri; Campus JK; Rodovia MG 367; 5.000; 39100-000; Diamantina; Minas Gerais; Brazil
Departamento de Ciências Biológicas; Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri; Campus JK; Rodovia MG 367; 5.000; 39100-000; Diamantina; Minas Gerais; Brazil
Departamento de Ciências Biológicas; Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri; Campus JK; Rodovia MG 367; 5.000; 39100-000; Diamantina; Minas Gerais; Brazil
Departamento de Ciências Biológicas; Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri; Campus JK; Rodovia MG 367; 5.000; 39100-000; Diamantina; Minas Gerais; Brazil
Departamento de Ciência do Solo; Universidade Federal de Lavras; Trevo Rotatório Professor Edmir Sá Santos; 37203-202; Lavras; Minas Gerais; Brazil
Departamento de Ciências Biológicas; Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri; Campus JK; Rodovia MG 367; 5.000; 39100-000; Diamantina; Minas Gerais; Brazil
Monocots Cerrado domain endemism Espinhaço Range wetland

Abstract

Recent floristic studies in the peatlands from the highlands of the Espinhaço Range, Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil, brought to light novelties in Paepalanthus subg. Platycaulon. Here, we reestablish the name P. consanguineus as a valid species from the synonym list of P. planifolius and describe the new species P. turficola, both being rare and associated with the peatlands in the Espinhaço Range. Paepalanthus consanguineus is reestablished mainly due to the leaf indumentum and the ovate to orbiculate external involucral bracts that differ from its relatives. Paepalanthus turficola is described having the conduplicate leaves as the diagnostic character, which is rare in the subgenus, besides the dark-cupreous color of its flowers, reported for the first time in the subgenus. Morphological and ecological comments, illustrations, and distribution maps are provided for both species.

References

  1. Andrino, C.O., Costa, F.N., Simon, M.F., Missagia, R.V. & Sano, P.T. (2023) Eriocaulaceae: A new classification system based on morphological evolution and molecular evidence. Taxon 72: 515–549. https://doi.org/10.1002/tax.12915
  2. Barral, U.M., Silva, A.C., Christófaro, C., Costa, C.R., Tassinari, D., Penafort Filho, A., Macedo, G.M., Bispo, D.F. & Gonçalves, T.S. (2023) Can anthropization govern the water and carbon dynamics? A case study of peatlands in Serra do Espinhaço Meridional, Brazil. Wetlands Ecology and Management 31: 479–497. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-023-09929-0
  3. Berlim, L.S., Gonçalves, H.A., de Oliveira, V.S., Mattoso, N., Prudente, A.S., Bezerra Jr., A.G. & Schreiner, W.H. (2014) Syngonanthus nitens: Why it looks like spun gold. Industrial Crops and Products 52: 597–602. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2013.11.030
  4. Bispo, D.F.A., Silva, A.C., Christofaro, C., Silva, M.L.N., Barbosa, M.S., Silva, B.P.C, Barral, U.M. & Fabris, J.D. (2016) Hydrology and carbon dynamics of tropical peatlands from Southeast Brazil. Catena 143: 18–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2016.03.040
  5. Bongard, M. (1831) Essai Monographique sur les espèces d’Eriocaulon du Brésil. Mémoires de l’Académie Impériale des Sciences de St.-Pétersbourg. Sciences mathématiques, physiques et naturelles. ser. 6: 601–655. [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/94129#page/659/mode/1up]
  6. Costa, C.R., Horák‐Terra, I., Coe, H.H.C., Chueng, K.F., Machado, D.O.B.F., Camargo, P.B., Barral, U.M., Tassinari, D. & Silva, A.C. (2022) Multi-proxy analysis of a Holocene records from a high-altitude tropical peatland in the Serra do Espinhaço Meridional, Brazil. Journal of South American Earth Sciences 116: 103795. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsames.2022.103795
  7. Campos, J.R.R., Christófaro Silva, A. & Vidal-Torrado, P. (2012) Mapping, organic matter mass and water volume of a peatland in Serra do Espinhaço Meridional. Revista Brasileira de Ciências do Solo 36: 723–732. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0100-06832012000300004
  8. Costa, F.N., Andrino, C.O. & Negrão, R. (2023) Plantas raras, ameaçadas e endêmicas dos topos de serra do Espinhaço Meridional. Revista Espinhaço 12: 1–19. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7868219
  9. Eichemberg, M.T. & Scatena, V.L. (2011) Handicrafts from Jalapão (TO), Brazil, and their relationship to plant anatomy. The Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society 138: 34–40. https://doi.org/10.3159/TORREY-D-10-00005.1
  10. Flora e Funga do Brasil. (2025) Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro. Available from: http://floradobrasil.jbrj.gov.br/ (accessed 14 February 2025)
  11. Gonçalves, T.S., Silva, A.C., Filho, C.V.M., Costa, C.R. & Braga, I.L. (2020) The Capões of Seasonal Semi-deciduos Forest in the Cerrados and Rupestrian Fields of the Espinhaço Range Chain. International Journal of Geoscience, Engineering and Technology 1: 43–48. https://doi.org/10.70597/ijget.v1i1.366
  12. Horák-Terra, I., Martínez, Cortizas, A., Fernandes Pinto da Luz, C., Rivas López, P., Christófaro Silva, A. & Vidal-Torrado, P. (2015) Holocene climate change in central–eastern Brazil reconstructed using pollen and geochemical records of Pau de Fruta mire (Serra do Espinhaço Meridional, Minas Gerais). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 437: 117–131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2015.07.027
  13. JSTOR. (2025) Global Plants. Ithaka Harbors, Inc. Available from: https://plants.jstor.org (accessed 11 March 2024)
  14. Körnicke, F. (1863) Eriocaulaceae. In: Martius, C.F.P. & Eichler, A.W. (Eds.) Flora brasiliensis 3 (1). Royal Typography, Munich, pp. 273–508. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.454
  15. Kuntze, O. (1981) Revisio Generum Plantarum: vascularium omnium atque cellularium multarum secundum leges nomeclaturae internationales cum enumeratione plantarum exoticarum in itinere mundi collectarum. Arthur Felix, Leipzig, 1011 pp.
  16. Martius, C.F.P. von (1834) Die Eriocauleae als Selbststaendige Pflanzen-Familie aufgestellt und erlaeutert. Annales des sciences naturelles. Botanique, ser. 2.2: 25–43.
  17. Martius, C.F.P. von (1835) Die Eriocaulaceae als selbstständige Pflanzen—Familie aufgestellt und erläutert. Nova acta physico-medica Academiae Caesareae Leopoldino-Carolinae Naturae Curiosorum exhibentia ephemerides, sive observationes historias et experimenta 17 (1): 1–72.
  18. Mendonça Filho, C.V., Costa, F.N., Machado, E.L.M., Gonzaga, A.P.D, Lourenço, A.P., Oliveira, C.N.S., Moura, C.C., Fonseca, S.N., Costa, T.R. & Rech, A.R. (2022) Biodiversity. In: Silva, A.C., Rech, A.R. & Tassinari, D. (Eds.) Peatlands of Southern Espinhaço Mountain Range, Brazil: ecosystem services, biotic interactions and paleoenvironment. Appris, Curitiba, pp. 77–99. [https://pt.everand.com/book/642299736/]
  19. Minayevaa, T.Y. & Sirinb, A.A. (2012) Peatland Biodiversity and Climate Change. Biology Bulletin Reviews 2: 164–175. https://doi.org/10.1134/S207908641202003X
  20. Moldenke, H.N. (1975) Additional notes on the Eriocaulaceae LV. Phytologia 30: 251–280.
  21. Nazari, M. (2021) Plant mucilage components and their functions in the rhizosphere. Rhizosphere 18: 100344. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rhisph.2021.100344
  22. Nees, C.G. (1834) Uebersicht der Cyperaceengattungen. Linnaea 9: 273–306.
  23. Oxford English Dictionary. (2004) “turf (n.1), sense 5.c,”.
  24. Parish, F., Sirin, A., Charman, D., Joosten, H., Minayeva, T., Silvius, M. & Stringer, L. (2008) Assessment on Peatlands, Biodiversity and Climate Change: Main Report. Global Environment Centre, Kuala Lumpur and Wetlands International, Wageningen, 179 pp.
  25. Porto Editora (2001) Dicionário de Latim-Português, ed. 2. Editora Porto.
  26. Rydin, H. & Jeglum, J.K. (2013) Adaptations to the peatland habitat: With contributions from Baptiste Regnery. In: Rydin, H. & Jeglum, J.K. The Biology of Peatlands. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 48–64. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:osobl/9780199602995.003.0003
  27. Ruhland, W. (1903) Eriocaulaceae. In: Engler, A. (Ed.) Das Pflanzenreich. Regnivegetabilisconspectus. Wilhelm Engelmann, Leipzig, pp. 1–294.
  28. Silva, A.C., Barbosa, M.S., Barral, U.M., Silva, B.P., Fernandes, J.S.C., Viana, A.J.S., Mendonça Filho, C.V., Bispo, D.F.A., Christófaro, C., Ragonezi, C. & Guilherme, L.R.G. (2019) Organic matter composition and paleoclimatic changes in tropical mountain peatlands currently under grasslands and forest clusters. Catena 180: 69–182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2019.04.017
  29. Silva, M.L., Horàk-Terra, I., Barral, U.M., Costa, C.R., Gonçalves, S.T., Pinto, T., Silva, B.P.C., Fernandes, J.S.C., Mendonça Filho, C.V. & Vidal-Torrado, P. (2020) Altitude, vegetation, paleoclimate, and radiocarbon age of the basal layer of peatlands of the Serra do Espinhaço Meridional, Brazil. Journal of South American Earth Sciences 103: 102728. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsames.2020.102728
  30. Silva, A.C., Horák, I., Cortizas, A.M., Vidal-Torrado, P., Racedo, J.R., Grazziotti, P.H., Silva, E.B. & Ferreira, C.A. (2009) Turfeiras da Serra do Espinhaço Meridional—MG. I—caracterização e classificação. Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo 33: 1385–1398. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0100-06832009000500030
  31. Silva, M.L., Silva, A.C., Silva, B.P.C., Marral, U.M., Soares, P.G.S. & Vidal-Torrado, P. (2013) Surface mapping, organic matter and water stocks in peatlands of the Serra do Espinhaço Meridional—Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo 37: 1149–1157. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0100-06832013000500004
  32. Silveira, A.A. (1928) Floralia Montium. vol. 1. Imprensa Official, Belo Horizonte, 262 pp.
  33. Thiers, B. (continuously updated) Index Herbariorum: A global directory of public herbaria and associated staff. New York Botanical Garden’s Virtual Herbarium. Available from: http://sweetgum.nybg.org/ih/ (accessed 12 September 2025)
  34. Tissot-Squalli, M.L. (1997) Monographische Bearbeitung von Paepalanthus subgenus Platycaulon. Dissertationes Botanicae 280: 7–242.

How to Cite

Sauthier, L.J., Paula, L.T.F.D., Cabral, C.M., Fonseca, D.D.C., Francino, D.M.T., Tassinari, D. & Costa, F.N.D. (2026) Two taxonomic novelties in Paepalanthus subg. Platycaulon (Eriocaulaceae) from the highland tropical peatlands in Brazil. Phytotaxa 782 (1): 46–60. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.782.1.3