Drosera quartzicola
Encyclopedia
Drosera quartzicola is a species in the carnivorous plant
genus Drosera and is endemic to the Serra do Cipó
in central Minas Gerais
state in southeastern Brazil
. It is perennial plant
that produces leaves, 0.7–4 cm (0.275590551181102–1.6 in) long, in a rosette
that is sometimes on a short stem about 4 cm (1.6 in) tall. It is found growing in campo rupestre
vegetation along with D. tentaculata and D. chrysolepis. It is typically found growing in silica sands surrounded by white quartz gravel, which is the origin of the specific epithet quartzicola. Drosera quartzicola grows in drier habitats than other Drosera species and flowers earlier in the wet season from January to February. It superficially resembles D. schwackei, but it is more closely related to D. camporupestris, D. graminifolia, and D. chrysolepis.
Of the Drosera found in Brazil, D. quartzicola is the rarest, consisting of only four known populations of about 300 individual plants as of its description in 2011. These populations are at an elevation of 1100–1350 m (3,608.9–4,429.1 ft) and are either at the edge of the Serra do Cipó National Park
or outside the boundary of the protected area. Some of the small populations are also in areas of occasional to frequent disturbance by humans and cattle. Because of these factors, the authors proposed listing this new species as critically endangered under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Drosera quartzicola was first collected in the early 1990s and deposited as an herbarium
specimen at the Universidade de São Paulo Herbarium, but it was not immediately recognized as a new species. Rivadavia and Gonella made the rediscovery of the new taxon in 1996 but did not formally publish their findings until 2011 in the journal Phytotaxa
.
Carnivorous plant
Carnivorous plants are plants that derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans, typically insects and other arthropods. Carnivorous plants appear adapted to grow in places where the soil is thin or poor in nutrients, especially nitrogen, such as acidic...
genus Drosera and is endemic to the Serra do Cipó
Serra do Cipó National Park
The Serra do Cipó National Park is located 100 km from Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais state, Brazil, between 43°–44° W and 19°–20° S.-External links:** *...
in central Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...
state in southeastern Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. It is perennial plant
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
that produces leaves, 0.7–4 cm (0.275590551181102–1.6 in) long, in a rosette
Rosette (botany)
In botany, a rosette is a circular arrangement of leaves, with all the leaves at a single height.Though rosettes usually sit near the soil, their structure is an example of a modified stem.-Function:...
that is sometimes on a short stem about 4 cm (1.6 in) tall. It is found growing in campo rupestre
Campos Rupestres montane savanna
The Campos Rupestres montane savanna is a montane subtropical savanna ecoregion of eastern Brazil, a part of the cerrado ecoregion.-Setting:The ecoregion lies between 700 and 2000 meters elevation, forming several discontinuous enclaves in the Serra do Espinhaço, Serra da Mantiqueira, Serra dos...
vegetation along with D. tentaculata and D. chrysolepis. It is typically found growing in silica sands surrounded by white quartz gravel, which is the origin of the specific epithet quartzicola. Drosera quartzicola grows in drier habitats than other Drosera species and flowers earlier in the wet season from January to February. It superficially resembles D. schwackei, but it is more closely related to D. camporupestris, D. graminifolia, and D. chrysolepis.
Of the Drosera found in Brazil, D. quartzicola is the rarest, consisting of only four known populations of about 300 individual plants as of its description in 2011. These populations are at an elevation of 1100–1350 m (3,608.9–4,429.1 ft) and are either at the edge of the Serra do Cipó National Park
Serra do Cipó National Park
The Serra do Cipó National Park is located 100 km from Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais state, Brazil, between 43°–44° W and 19°–20° S.-External links:** *...
or outside the boundary of the protected area. Some of the small populations are also in areas of occasional to frequent disturbance by humans and cattle. Because of these factors, the authors proposed listing this new species as critically endangered under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Drosera quartzicola was first collected in the early 1990s and deposited as an herbarium
Herbarium
In botany, a herbarium – sometimes known by the Anglicized term herbar – is a collection of preserved plant specimens. These specimens may be whole plants or plant parts: these will usually be in a dried form, mounted on a sheet, but depending upon the material may also be kept in...
specimen at the Universidade de São Paulo Herbarium, but it was not immediately recognized as a new species. Rivadavia and Gonella made the rediscovery of the new taxon in 1996 but did not formally publish their findings until 2011 in the journal Phytotaxa
Phytotaxa
Phytotaxa is a peer-reviewed international journal for rapid publication on any aspect of systematic botany. It publishes on a wide range of subjects, but focuses on new species, monographs, floras, revisions, reviews and typification issues. Phytotaxa covers all plant groups covered by the ICBN...
.
See also
- List of Drosera species
- Taxonomy of Drosera