New plant species discovered in limestone area in Bahia

A new plant species from the Araceae family has been discovered in limestone outcrops of the Brazilian Cerrado, in western Bahia. Named Thaumatophyllum calcicola, the species was described by researchers from the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden, the Federal University of Western Bahia (UFOB), and the State University of Feira de Santana in an article published in the scientific journal Phytotaxa.

The new species was identified during floristic surveys conducted in the municipality of São Desidério, in vegetation areas associated with very ancient limestone formations known as the Bambuí Group.

According to the authors, Anderson Pereira, Cássia Mônica Sakuragui, Marcus Nadruz Coelho, and Juliana Gastaldello Rando, the plant is restricted to limestone environments in the Cerrado. The study describes and illustrates the species, in addition to comparing it with other morphologically similar representatives of the genus Thaumatophyllum.

According to the researchers, the species’ restricted geographic distribution and its exclusive association with limestone outcrops were key factors in identifying Thaumatophyllum calcicola as a new species.

The article is available at https://phytotaxa.mapress.com/pt/article/view/phytotaxa.751.2.2