Microlicia setosa (Spreng.) De Candolle (1828: 120).

≡ Rhexia setosa Sprengel (1820: 301). ≡ Microlicia linophylla

Lectotype (designated here):—[BRAZIL]. Conceição, 14 October 1818, Sellow [1183, 1769] [sheet] (K000530464!, isolectotypes BR000000827061!, K000530462!, P02297661!, P05316150!).

= Microlicia setosa (Spreng.) DC. var. aristata (DC.) Cogniaux (1883: 47). ≡ Microlicia aristata De Candolle (1828: 484). In Brasiliae campis editis deserti Serro Frio prov. Min. gen. detexit cl. Martius. Habitus feré Lythri aut Satureiae [in the protologue]. Type:— BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: in campis editis inter Mumbucas e Bananal praedia in deserto Serro Frio versus fluv. S. Francisco, s.d., Martius [sheet] (holotype M!, isotype G00310278! [fragment]), syn. nov.

= Microlicia sellowiana var. ciliata Naudin (1849: 257). In petrosis ad aquae saltum vulgo Grumatahy et circa oppidulum Tijuco provinciae Minas-Geraes, Aug. de Saint-Hilaire [in the protologue]. Type:— BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Cascades de Graumatahy, Tijuco [Diamantina], s.d., Aug. de S. Hilaire [sheet] (holotype P02297705!), syn. nov.

= Microlicia reichardtiana Cogniaux (1883: 66). In Brasilia occidentali loco haud indicato: Tamberlik in herb. Vindob. [in the protologue]. Type:— BRAZIL. s. loc., s.d., Tamberlick s.n. [sheet] (holotype W!, isotype BR0000005221073!, photo F0360364F!), syn. nov.

Notes:—In the protologue of Rhexia setosa, Sprengel (1820) cited only “Hab. in Brasilia”, not indicating any specimen. Some years later, Sprengel (1825) provided a short description of R. setosa and cited “ Brasil. Sello”. We assume that Sprengel (1820) saw this specimen Sello. The photo of the holotype from B (F0 BN016625) has the number “1183, 1769”, which was omitted by Sprengel (1825). The duplicates at BR, K, and P have labels indicating their origin from B and are considered isotypes. Thus, we choose the duplicate from K as the lectotype while the others are isolectotypes (Fig. 9).

Don (1823) also described M. linophylla based on a Sellow’s collection from Herb. Sims (currently at K) as indicated in the protologue. We believe that M. linophylla was based on the duplicate of Sellow’s collection from B (Sellow 1183, 1769). According to Don (1823), the leaves are ascending and lanceolate, with aristate apices, entire margins, both surfaces glabrous, with a pair of veins; the flowers are solitary, subsessile, axilar, and terminal with a glabrous hypanthium (“ calyces glabri ”). These characteristics fit well in M. setosa, and we recognize it as a synonymy.

De Candolle (1828) transferred R. setosa to Microlicia and accepted M. linophylla as a distinct species. De Candolle (1828) also described M. aristata without mentioning any detail about the indumentum of the hypanthium, but the type collection shows that is glabrous. Chamisso (1834) accepted M. setosa and mentioned that possibly M. linophylla should be a synonym of M. setosa.

Naudin (1849) provided the new name M. sellowiana to M. setosa, as indicated in the protologue “ M. setosa Cham. Herb. Berol. non DC.”. Naudin (1849) pointed out that he was referring to the species described by Chamisso (1834) from Herb. Berol. (B), and not the species described by De Candolle (1828). In fact, Chamisso (1834) just recognized M. setosa and provided a detailed description based on specimens of Sellow and Martius from Brazil. Naudin (1849) also described M. sellowiana var. ciliata based on a single specimen from P. Despite the specimen having leaves with sparse trichomes and ciliate margins, it fits well in M. setosa.

In the protologue of M. setosa var. angustifolia, Cogniaux (1883) cited “ in Bras. meridionali: Sello n. 1183, 1769 ” and the photo of the holotype of M. setosa in B bears a handwritten identification of M. setosa var. angustifolia by Cogniaux. Curiously, Cogniaux (1883) recognized M. sellowiana as a synonym of M. setosa but transferred M. sellowiana var. ciliata to M. setosa (= M. setosa var. ciliata) by having leaves 7–8 × 2 mm, with trichomes on abaxial surfaces and margins slightly ciliate. Cogniaux (1883) also reduced M. aristata to M. setosa var. aristata by its glabrous leaves 10–13 × 1.5 mm leaf blades, aristate apices, as well as the sepals. Morphological features of the leaves used to recognize the varieties are insufficient to maintain them and are certainly variations on the typical form.We also propose here M. reichardtiana as a synonym because the description and the type are consistent with the circumscription of M. setosa.