Novelties in Calea sect. Meyeria (Asteraceae, Neurolaeneae) from Brazil

Abstract

Abstract We herein present nomenclatural and taxonomic novelties in Calea sect. Meyeria from Brazil. Calea pruskiana is a new species related to C. triantha and can be distinguished by the acute or cuneate, rarely attenuate leaf apex (vs. obtuse), slightly branched capitulescence (vs. profusely branched), and ray florets 18–21.7 mm long (vs. 9.2–15.3 mm). Calea hispida f. subintegerrima is lectotypified, recombined, and elevated to species level as Calea subintegerrima, which also resembles C. triantha, however differs from it by the usually glabrous abaxial leaf surface (vs. usually hispid), glandular-punctate peduncle (vs. glands absent), and cypselae with hirsute ribs (vs. pilose ribs). These species are described and illustrated, their geographic distributions are mapped, and their taxonomic affinities are discussed. Furthermore, a new terminology is proposed to describe more accurately the pappus scale size variation according to the relative length of the scales and the occurrence of combinations of pappus scales of different lengths in the same capitulum.