Up on the table mountains in Brazil: New bromeliaceae and eriocaulaceae (Poales) from the Pantepui in the Guayana Shield

Abstract

Background and aims – As “islands in the sky” of northern South America, the isolated ecosystems of the Pantepui province include a distinct flora with high levels of endemism and which are ancestral areas for many angiosperm lineages. About one fifth of Pantepui angiosperm species are distributed in Poales, a highly diverse angiosperm order. Methods – Recent field trips were carried out on two Brazilian tepuis, by foot and helicopter. Herbarium collections were consulted and compared with the proposed new species. Key results – Four new species of Poales, three Navia Schult. & Schult.f. (Bromeliaceae) and one Paepalanthus Mart. (Eriocaulaceae) were found. Descriptions, illustrations, and distribution maps of the new species, as well as an identification key to Brazilian Navia species, are provided.