Summary
A few years after the publication of the revision of Encholirium by the first author, two new species have been found in neighbouring municipalities on the west side of the Serra do Cipó, Cadeia do Espinhaço, in Minas Gerais. Both have a quite restricted habitat, growing on quartzitic/arenitic rocks above 1000 m alt., within 10 – 12 km of each other. Encholirium agavoides Forzza & Zappi has striking silvery leaves and a small, agave-like habit while Encholirium ctenophyllum Forzza & Zappi also has small rosettes that can be distinguished by their narrow, strongly pectinate and reflexed leaves. A key for the species in the region is presented.
Resumo
Passados apenas alguns anos após a publicação da revisão do gênero Encholirium estas duas espécies aqui apresentadas foram encontradas em municípios vizinhos na encosta oeste da Serra do Cipó, na Cadeia do Espinhaço, Minas Gerais, sendo ambas restritas aos afloramentos de quartzito e arenito, acima de 1000 m s.n.m., a aproximadamente 10 – 12 km uma da outra. Encholirium agavoides Forzza & Zappi possui pequenas folhas prateadas agrupadas em rosetas com aspecto de Agave, enquanto que as rosetas, também relativamente pequenas de Encholirium ctenophyllum Forzza & Zappi apresentam folhas estreitas, fortemente pectinadas e reflexas. Uma chave de identificação para as espécies da região é apresentada.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the tireless ‘empresário’, Charles Frewen, owner of the Toucan Cipó Farm, who shares his enthusiasm for nature with us and is involving and supporting botanists in his project to protect the area; the Brazilian Research Council (CNPq) for the grant [Bolsa de Produtividade] to the first author and collecting permit to develop research in the area (EXC 020/08-C); Rufford Foundation for a grant that covered part of the fieldwork expenses; Bentham-Moxon Foundation for fieldwork funds; Renato de Mello-Silva from the Universidade de São Paulo, responsible for the expeditions; Paulo Ormindo, who prepared the black and white line drawings; Sr João Carrinho and his wife Maria Geralda, for hospitality received when visiting the site of Encholirium ctenophyllum, and many friends and companions who joined us in the field, including Leandro Freitas, Claudio Nicolleti Fraga, Mariana Saavedra, Nigel Taylor, Elton Leme, William Milliken, Denise Sasaki and Sara Edwards. We also acknowledge two anonymous reviewers for their useful suggestions towards improving the manuscript.
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Forzza, R.C., Zappi, D. Side by side: two remarkable new species of Encholirium Mart. ex Schult. & Schult. f. (Bromeliaceae) found in the Cadeia do Espinhaço, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Kew Bull 66, 281–287 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-011-9283-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-011-9283-y