A tribute to whom defend the forest: Hyptidendron dorothyanum (Lamiaceae: Hyptidinae), a new species from the Amazonian domain

Amazonia, despite being famous as the most prominent tropical forest, is currently suffering high rates of degradation, with recurrent fires and deforestation, which could shortly lead it to be classified as a biodiversity hotspot for conservation. Although the known flora of the domain displays exc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nordic journal of botany 2023-05, Vol.2023 (5), p.n/a
Main Authors: Antar, Guilherme Medeiros, Mervyn Harley, Raymond, Floriano Barêa Pastore, José, Sano, Paulo Takeo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biodiversity
Biodiversity hot spots
Conservation
Deforestation
Domains
Flora
Hyptis
Labiatae
Lamiaceae
Neotropical flora
New species
taxonomy
Tropical forests
Wildlife conservation
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Summary:Amazonia, despite being famous as the most prominent tropical forest, is currently suffering high rates of degradation, with recurrent fires and deforestation, which could shortly lead it to be classified as a biodiversity hotspot for conservation. Although the known flora of the domain displays exceptional richness, its diversity is far from being well known, with several new species being described each year and lots of areas still poorly collected. During the preparation of a revision of Hyptidendron (Lamiaceae, subtribe Hyptidinae), a small genus with 21 species, unidentified and unmatched specimens from the Amazonian domain were uncovered. Here we describe and illustrate these specimens as Hyptidendron dorothyanum sp. nov., named in honor of Sister Dorothy Stang, murdered for her support for the biodiversity of the Amazon and her defence of the rights of local people. The new species, currently known from just two gatherings from Amazonas and Pará States is compared with its most closely related species, Hyptidendron canum, H. arboreum, H. asperrimum and H. leucophyllum. We also provide a distribution map, a preliminary conservation assessment, as well as comments on the phenology and ecology of the new species. This paper calls attention to the importance of the conservation of Amazonia and its rich but still not completely known diversity.
ISSN:0107-055X
1756-1051
DOI:10.1111/njb.03932