A new species of Eremitis Doll (Poaceae, Bambusoideae) from the Baixo Jequitinhonha region, an area of extreme importance for the conservation of the flora of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Eremitis is one of the three genera of the subtribe Parianinae (Poaceae, Bambusoideae, Olyreae) and is restricted to the Atlantic Forest in eastern Brazil. Eremitis aemula, herein described and illustrated, is microendemic to the Alto Cariri State Park, located in the Baixo Jequitinhonha region, an area considered to be extremely important for conservation of the flora in the state of Minas Gerais. This new species is morphologically similar to Eremitis jardimii and E. robusta. However, E. aemula is differentiated from both species mainly by its longer decumbent culms (47-50 cm long vs. 22-25 cm and (15-)25-28 cm, respectively) with shorter inflorescences (4.5-5 cm long vs. 5.5-6 cm and 6-6.5 cm, respectively), and by its leaf blades with rounded base (vs. attenuate in E. jardimii and E. robusta). The total number of bamboos in Minas Gerais thereby rises to 79 species with 16 endemic to the state, reinforcing the fact that the Baixo Jequitinhonha is of extreme importance to the conservation of the Minas Gerais flora.