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Bol. Mus. Int. de Roraima ISSN (online): 2317-5206 v. 9(1): 19-22. 2015
Rodrigues
Notes on the taxonomy and nomenclature of Monotrema bracteatum
(Rapateaceae)
Rodrigo Schütz Rodrigues1
1. Universidade Federal de Roraima, Centro de Estudos da Biodiversidade, Campus do Paricarana, Av. Ene Garcez
2413, CEP 69310-000, Boa Vista, Roraima, Brasil. E-mail: rodrigo.schutz@ufrr.br
Recebido em: 11/08/2015 Aceito em: 31/08/2015 Publicado online em PDF: 21/09/2015.
RESUMO
Notas sobre a taxonomia e nomenclatura de Monotrema bracteatum (Rapateaceae). Monotrema é um pequeno gênero de Rapa-
teaceae que abrange quatro espécies. Esta nota discute aspectos taxonômicos e nomenclaturais de Monotrema bracteatum Maguire,
uma espécie recentemente registrada para o Brasil, que ocorre em campinas de areias brancas no estado de Roraima. .
PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Amazônia, Brasil, Escudo das Guianas, Poales, Roraima
ABSTRACT
Notes on the taxonomy and nomenclature of Monotrema bracteatum (Rapateaceae). Monotrema is a small genus of Rapateace-
ae comprising four species. This note discusses taxonomic and nomenclatural aspects of Monotrema bracteatum Maguire, a species
recently recorded for Brazil, in white sand campinas in the state of Roraima.
KEY WORDS: Amazonia, Brazil, Guiana Shield, Poales, Roraima
INTRODUCTION
Monotrema Körn. is a small genus of
Rapateaceae and comprises four species and an
interspecific hybrid. These taxa occur in the
Guiana Shield region, especially in southern
Venezuela and adjacent regions of Colombia
and Brazil (Berry 2004).
Monotrema bracteatum Maguire was
described based on collections from wet
savannas from Yapacana, Amazonas State,
Venezuela. Later, Maguire (1982), in his
treatment of Rapateaceae for the Flora of
Venezuela, recognized an infraspecific taxon,
named M. bracteatum subsp. major Maguire.
This taxon was described for few specimens
from the savannas of Río Atabapo, also in the
Venezuelan State of Amazonas. Since then, the
name M. bracteatum subsp. major has been
accepted and used in floristic treatments (e.g.,
Berry 2004). According to Maguire (1982) and
Berry (2004), M. bracteatum subsp. major
differed from M. bracteatum subsp. bracteatum
in having both wider leaves and primary
(outermost) bracts of the inflorescence (both >
6.0 mm wide).
During the ongoing floristic study of
Rapateaceae in Roraima State, Brazil
(Rodrigues & Flores 2010), I participated of an
expedition to Serra da Mocidade National Park
(SMNP), and observed a population of
Monotrema bracteatum in the field. Other new
collections of M. bracteatum are now available
in Brazilian herbaria, specially from the
adjacent Viruá National Park (VNP). In this
note, I analyzed collections at MIRR and
UFRR, and additionally, digitalized images of
types and other specimens from NY, US, K,
RB, UEC.
Bol. Mus. Int. de Roraima v. 9(1): 19-22. 2015
20
Rodrigues
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Monotrema bracteatum has been recently
added to Brazilian flora (Oriani & Scatena
2013). Previously, only two species of
Monotrema had been recorded in Brazil (Berry
2004, Monteiro 2014), M. aemulans Körnicke
and M. xyridoides Gleason. The primary bracts
of the inflorescence provide the two diagnostic
characters of M. bracteatum (Figure 1): they
range from 20-35 mm long and are longer than
the heads (Maguire 1958, Berry 2004).
Monotrema bracteatum comprises perennial
herbs 30-60 cm high, with outer bracts green,
inner white, and petals pale yellow. It occurs in
lowland partially open scrub savannas, on wet
or flooded soils. Especially in Brazil, it is found
in Rio Branco basin campinas, in open grassy
to shrubby formations on white sandy soils.
A nomenclatural issue arose when reading
the protologue in Maguire (1982). According to
McNeill et al. (2012: art. 39), M. bracteatum
subsp. major was not validly published.
Maguire (1982) described it in Spanish
("Láminas de la hoja 6,0-12,0 mm. de ancho,
brácteas involucrales primarias 6,0-9,0 mm. de
ancho") and did not provide a reference to a
previous Latin description or diagnosis.
Another observation is that the infraspecific
epithet should be "majus", since Monotrema is
a neuter noun according to McNeill et al.
(2012: art. 24.2.).
Regarding the features used by Maguire
(1982) and Berry (2004) to separate the two
subspecies of M. bracteatum from each other, I
observed instances of overlapping in the leaf
width and primary bract width. This overlap
occurs in specimens from different Roraiman
sites, and particularly collections from SMNP
were difficult to fit conveniently under any
subspecies. For example, different specimens
(Schütz Rodrigues et al. 2450) at UFRR and
MIRR possessed leaves with 3–8mm wide, and
primary bracts with 4.5–8.3 mm wide (Figure
1). A similar intermediate condition was
observed in some specimens from VNP (e.g.,
Barbosa & Costa 1281; Damasco et al. 1317).
After having checked the type material of
both subspecies, there is evidence for
considering the Venezuelan materials as
extreme forms of a more geographical spread
and variable taxon. Since I have not been able
to recognize infraspecific taxa within M.
bracteatum, I refrain from validating M.
bracteatum subsp. major.
Monotrema bracteatum Maguire, Memoirs
of the New York Botanical Garden 10: 47.
1958.
Type: VENEZUELA. AMAZONAS: Cerro
Yapacana, Rio Orinoco; Yapacana Savanna II,
20 Nov. 1953, B. Maguire, J.J. Wurdack &
G.S. Bunting 36624 (holotype NY!, isotypes:
K!, NY!, RB!, US!, VEN).
Monotrema bracteatum var. major Maguire
in Luces & Steyermark, Flora de Venezuela 11
(2): 175. 1982, nom. nud.
Additional specimens examined: BRAZIL.
RORAIMA: Caracaraí, Parque Nacional da
Serra da Mocidade, Rio Capivara, 8 Dec. 2013,
R. Schütz Rodrigues et al. 2450 (MIRR,
UFRR); Parque Nacional do Viruá, 25 Jan.
2011, S.M. Costa & K.G. Cangani 887 (UEC);
Parque Nacional do Viruá, Rio Anauá, 27 Mar.
2011, T.D.M. Barbosa & S.M. Costa 1417
(INPA, UEC); Parque Nacional Viruá, Estrada
da perdida, Trilha, 22 Feb. 2013, G. Damasco
et al. 1317 (INPA); Parque Nacional do Viruá,
22 Jul. 2010, T D.M. Barbosa & S.M. Costa
1281 (INPA, UEC, UFRR); Parque Nacional
do Viruá, 4 Dec. 2009, N.C. Dávila et al. 5845
(INPA, UFRR); VENEZUELA. AMAZONAS:
Cerro Yapacana, Río Orinoco, Yapacana
savanna III, 31 Dec. 1950, B. Maguire et al.
30490 (RB); Rio Atabapo, frequent in Sabana
Caname on left bank of Cano Caname (Rio
Atabapo 5 km below Guarinumo), 8 Jun. 1959,
J.J. Wurdack & L.S. Adderley 42853 (RB); in
Sabana Cumare on right bank of Caño Cumare
(20 kilometers above San Fernando de
Atabapo), 5 Aug. 1959, J.J. Wurdack & L.S.
Adderley 43771 (NY, "holotype" of M.
bracteatum subsp. major).
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I thank Instituto Chico Mendes de
Conservação da Biodiversidade, especially the
Parque Nacional da Serra da Mocidade staff,
for facilities during the "Terra Incognita"
expedition in December 2013 (collecting
authorization 42090-1).
Bol. Mus. Int. de Roraima v. 9(1): 19-22. 2015
21
Rodrigues
Figure 1. Monotrema bracteatum Maguire (Rapateaceae). Specimen from the Serra da Mocidade National Park,
Roraima, Brazil (Schütz Rodrigues et al. 2450, MIRR).
Bol. Mus. Int. de Roraima v. 9(1): 19-22. 2015
22
Rodrigues
REFERENCES
Berry, P.E. 2004. Rapateaceae. In: Berry, P.E.,
Yatskievych, K. & Holst, B.K. (Eds.). Flora of the
Venezuelan Guayana, vol. 8. Missouri Botanical
Garden Press, St. Louis, p. 413-472.
Maguire, B. 1958. Rapateaceae. In: Maguire, B. &
Wurdack, J.J. (Eds.). The botany of the Guayana
Highland, part 3. Memoirs of the New York Botanical
Garden 10: 19-49.
Maguire, B. 1982. Rapateaceae. In: Luces de Febres, Z.
& Steyermark, J.A. (Eds.) Flora de Venezuela, vol.
11(2). Ediciones Fundación Educación Ambiental,
Caracas, p. 85-203.
McNeill, J., Barrie, F.R., Buck, W.R., Demoulin, V.,
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Monteiro, R.F. 2014. Rapateaceae. Lista de Espécies da
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Brazil. (http://floradobrasil.jbrj.gov.br/jabot/
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Oriani, A. & Scatena, V.L. 2013. The taxonomic value
of floral characters in Rapateaceae (Poales-
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Rodrigues, R.S. & Flores, A.S. 2010. Novas ocorrências
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