Orthophytum vidaliorum O.Ribeiro & C.C.Paula[as Orthophytum vidaliorum O. Ribeiro & C.C. Paula]

Diagnose: —Species nova Orthophytum itambense Versieux & Leme affinis, sed laminis foliorum sublinearibus, valde in apice canaliculatis coriaceis glabris lucidisque, inflorescentia simplicissima, bracteis floriferis foliaceis, floribus paucioribus brevioribusque, petalis croceo-viridibus, base appendicibus brevioribus differt.

Observations: —This new species is morphologically related to Orthophytum itambense (Versieux & Leme, 2007) by the similar habit, plant size, leaves, inflorescence, and flower structure. However, O. vidaliorum can be distinguished by its rosette with a smaller number of leaves (ca. 22 vs. ca. 30); leaf blades that are sublinear, strongly canaliculated, coriaceous, green, glabrous, and lustrous (vs. narrowly triangular, slightly canaliculate toward the apex, subdensely to densely lepidote); simple inflorescences (vs. pseudosimple to inconspicuously bipinnate) with foliaceous floral bracts (vs. membranous); and shorter flowers (28–30 mm long vs. 38–40 mm long) ca. 15 per inflorescence (vs. ca. 30), with shorter, greenishyellow petals (25–26 mm vs. 30–32 mm and white), shorter, lanceolate appendages (ca. 2.3 mm vs. 3–4 mm long and sublinearlanceolate) with a truncate apex (vs. acuminate to irregularly bidentate), and a smaller ovary (3.3×2.9 mm vs. 6×4–5 mm).

Orthophytum itambense and O. supthutii E. Gross& Barthlott, together with O. vidaliorum, are closely related species, combining unusual morphological characteristics compared to the remaining species of the genus. When revising the species of Orthophytum with sessile inflorescences, Louzada (2008) proposed a new genus to include the two first species, which are members of Leme’s informal subcomplex supthutii (Leme, 2004a). However the genus is not yet validly published according to the ICBN, thus the new species is included in Orthophytum. The morphological differences of the three species are expressed in the identification key provided below.

Edited from : Lasser & Maguire 1950. (protologue) A Report On The Plants Of The Phelps Cerro Yavi Expedition Of 1947 .