Vellozia aroejariensis B.Schindl., sp. nov. (Figures 1, 2, and 3)

Type: — BRAZIL. Mato Grosso: Chapada dos Guimarães, Complexo de Cavernas Aroe Jari, Ponte de Pedra, 15º36'13'' S, 55º28'56'' W, 770 m, 7 December 2024 (fl., fr.), B. Schindler, M. Figueira & J. P. Amaral 896 (Holotype CEN barcode CEN00135086, Isotypes to be sent to: HUEFS, HUFU, MBM, R, RB, SPF, UB, UFMT).

Diagnosis: — Vellozia aroejariensis resembles V. sellowii Seubert (1847: 75), differing in habit up to 1 m tall (vs. 0.1 to 0.3 m), lamina marcescent, abscission line absent (vs. deciduous, abscission line present), lamina up to 14.5 cm long with apex obtuse, attenuate to long-attenuate (vs. 5.3 cm with apex truncate or acute), hypanthium (0.6–) 0.9–1.2 × (0.5–) 0.7 cm covered by glandular emergences (vs. 0.5–0.8 × 0.3–0.5 (–0.6) cm, glabrous), 18 stamens (vs. 6), and fimbriate corona present (vs. absent).

Plants caespitose, erect or decumbent, forming clumps, 0.6 to 1 m tall. Stems with 3 or more branches, 0.4–1 cm diam. at apex, terete. Leaves spirotristichous; sheath glabrous, yellow-brown, distance between sheaths 0.4–1 cm; lamina (5.2–) 7–14.5 × 0.3 (–0.4) cm, linear or linear-attenuate, erect, marcescent, abscission line absent, flat or conduplicate in sicco, margin finely serrate, apex obtuse, attenuate to long-attenuate, midrib slightly sulcate adaxially, slightly prominent and sparsely serrate abaxially, glabrous on both surfaces. Flowers 1–2 per branch; peduncle evident or hidden by the leaves, (3.3–) 5.5–7.5 × 0.1 cm, trigonous, sulcate, glabrous or sparsely covered by glandular emergences on the distal portion; hypanthium (0.6–) 0.9–1.2 × (0.5–) 0.7 cm, green to olive, lustrous in vivo, obovoid or obconic, sparsely to densely covered by subsessile or stipitate glandular emergences forming longitudinal lines, rarely glabrous; hypanthium tube absent or inconspicuous ≤ 2 mm long; tepals 2.2–3.7 × 0.8–1.2 cm, in two whorls, purple, elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, glabrous; corona present, fimbriate, white in vivo; stamens 18, grouped in 3–4 per tepal, inserted at the base of tepals; filaments (0.4–) 0.8–0.9 cm long, purple to white; anthers (0.8–) 1–1.1 cm long, yellow, basifixed, latrorse, appendix absent; style (1.2–) 2.2–2.6 cm long, purple to white, glabrous; style exceeding the anthers by 0.3– 0.7 cm; stigma 2–3 mm diam., yellow, trilobate. Capsule 1.1–1.3 × 0.7–0.8 cm, pale yellow, lustrous, apical loculicidal, shape and emergences as in the hypanthium, lobes persistent in the apex. Seeds 0.4–0.7 mm long, castaneous, irregular shape.

Comments: — Vellozia aroejariensis, described here, was first collected in April 1911 by Frederico Carlos Hoehne (n. 2967 and 2970) during the Commission for Strategic Telegraph Lines from Mato Grosso to Amazonas, famously known as Rondon Commission, led by Coronel Cândido Mariano da Silva Rondon (Edições do Senado Federal 2003). The two specimens collected by Hoehne are currently deposited at herbarium R. According to label information, both collections were made along the East Line, in a locality known as Casa de Pedra. The route of the telegraph line and information from other collection labels from the same expedition, indicate that the probable location of Casa de Pedra corresponds to the area now occupied by the Chapada dos Guimarães National Park (Fig. 2). Fieldwork aimed at relocating this species was motivated by the convergence of historical information from Hoehne’s collections and the publication of field images on the iNaturalist platform (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/152255999) by Fabrícia Campello, a biologist and touristic guide in Chapada dos Guimarães (https://www.bushmasters.com.br/). This photographic record was fundamental in confirming the identity of the species and attesting its presence in the wild, especially given the lack of recent records. This case highlights the valuable role of citizen science in documenting and conserving plant diversity, and serves as an example of the utility of platforms like iNaturalist in species discovery and monitoring (Callaghan et al. 2022).

An analysis of the morphological characteristics of Vellozia species that occur in Central Brazil (Velloziaceae in Flora e Funga do Brasil 2025) reveals that no other taxon shares the full set of traits observed in V. aroejariensis. Only V. exilis Goethart & Henrard in Henrard (1937: 370) and V. sessilis L.B.Sm. ex Mello-Silva (1997: 65), both endemics to Chapada dos Veadeiros, Goiás, exhibit a similar growth habit, forming dense clumps on rocky substrates. V. aroejariensis differs from V. exilis by having spirotristichous, erect, marcescent leaves (vs. tristichous, erect or erect-patent, and fully deciduous leaves); peduncle up to 7.5 cm long (vs. 1.5 cm); hypanthium with glandular, subsessile or stipitate emergences sparsely to densely distributed (vs. entirely covered by subulate, appressed emergences); and 18 stamens (vs. 6). It is distinguished from V. sessilis by its glabrous leaves (vs. indumentum present on both sides), peduncle evident, purple flowers and the absence of a hypanthium tube (vs. peduncle hidden by leaf sheaths, white flowers and hypanthium tube present). The species with the closest morphological resemblance is V. sellowii (as noted in the diagnosis), which is endemic to the state of Minas Gerais (Velloziaceae in Flora e Funga do Brasil 2025; Mello-Silva 2017), where it grows on quartzite and iron-rich rocks, between 890–1,640 m a.s.l.

Phenology: —Few flowers were observed in April, while flowers and fruits were recorded in December (Figs. 3c, d).

Etymology: —The specific epithet refers to the Aroe Jari Cave Complex, the site where the type material was collected. This location is not only a well-known tourist attraction but also holds significant importance in the fields of geomorphology, paleontology, and speleology (Borghi & Moreira 2002). Additionally, the area is believed to have been historically inhabited by indigenous peoples, particularly in the cave area. However, physical evidence of this occupation is limited, consisting mainly of cemeteries attributed to the Bororo and Kayapó ethnic groups (Borghi & Moreira 2002). The name ‘Aroe Jari’ is popularly interpreted as originating from these ethnic groups, meaning ‘Cave of the Souls’ or ‘Abode of the Souls’. According to Albisetti & Venturelli (1962), in the Bororo language, the word ‘arǫ́e’ may have various meanings—such as being, beings, souls, deceased, corpse, or ghost—depending on the context. However, the expression ‘Arǫ́e j̆’ári’ (pg. 163) specifically refers to a cave where the Bororo placed the bones of their dead. This interpretation reinforces the cultural and symbolic significance of the site as a sacred space for these indigenous peoples. Thus, the naming of V. aroejariensis serves not only to geographically anchor the species to its place of origin but also to honor the cultural and historical legacy of the Indigenous peoples who once inhabited it.

Distribution and habitat: — Vellozia aroejariensis is currently known from two localities within the municipality of Chapada dos Guimarães, Mato Grosso. The first record dates back to 1911, when the botanist Hoehne collected specimens at an imprecise site referred to as ‘Casa de Pedra’ — a name commonly associated with areas characterized by residual ruiniform rocky outcrops. There are no current records confirming the existence of this population (as mentioned in comments). A second population was recorded in 2024, through citizen science efforts, found growing on sandstone rock from the Alto Garças Formation, which is part of the Rio Ivaí Group (Borghi & Moreira 2002), in the area of the Aroe Jari Cave Complex (Fig. 2).

The Ponte de Pedra, where this population occurs, is a natural sandstone formation sculpted by erosion (Fig. 3a), located at 770 m a.s.l. As with most species of the genus, which are typically associated with specific rocky outcrops (Kubitzki 1998), the individuals of V. aroejariensis thrive in this specialized habitat. The rocky outcrop is surrounded by cerrado típico vegetation (Ribeiro & Walter 2008) and is part of the Paraná-Guimarães ecoregion, characterized by an average annual precipitation of 1,600 –1,800 mm (Sano et al. 2019) and mean temperatures of 24–26°C (Alvares et al. 2013). Given the species’ ecological specificity, additional field surveys targeting similar habitats across the Chapada dos Guimarães may help identify new populations.

Comments conservation status:—Given the scarcity of records, we classified the species as Data Deficient (IUCN 2012, 2024). Vellozia aroejariensis has an estimated AOO of 8 km ², while its EOO cannot be calculated as only two known collection points do not allow for the formation of a polygon. Additional field data, particularly new occurrence records, are crucial for future conservation assessments.

During our field expeditions, we observe the death of most individuals of V. aroejariensis in the Aroe Jari Cave Complex, a private property (see etymology topic), as result of a fire that spread during the dry season of 2024 (Fig. 3e). According to local reports (employees' personal communication), the fire originated from adjacent farms and devastated the native vegetation, including the rocky outcrops where this species occurs. Although we lack specific data on the frequency or ecological role of natural fires in the area, our observations suggest that V. aroejariensis is particularly sensitive to fire, likely due to morphological traits such as a thin, unprotected stem. A similar pattern was observed in a recent study (Schindler et al. 2025, in press), where individuals of another Vellozia species died in a presumably natural fire within a protected area. These findings indicate that some Vellozia species may be inherently vulnerable to fire, regardless of its origin. Because fire is a natural component of many Neotropical ecosystems but is increasingly altered by human activity, understanding how Vellozia responds to fire is essential for its conservation.

Therefore, we emphasize the urgent for the implementation protection measures specifically targeting rocky outcrop habitats, as previously highlighted in the literature (Bitencourt et al. 2016; Bugado et al. 2025). These environments support a high number of narrowly distributed species, including the newly described V. aroejariensis, and are highly vulnerable to habitat degradation and the increasing impacts of climate change (Bugado et al. 2025).

Additional specimens examined: — BRAZIL. Mato Grosso: Chapada dos Guimarães, Casa de Pedra (linha Leste), April 1911 (fl., st.), F. C. Hoehne 2967 (R barcode R010057868, R010057869, R010057870), ibid. April 1911 (st.), F. C. Hoehne 2970 (R barcode R010057864).