Paepalanthus serpens, a new microendemic species of Eriocaulaceae from the Espinha?o Range, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Descrevemos e ilustramos Paepalanthus serpens, esp?cie microend?mica de Eriocaulaceae da Cadeia do Espinha?o. Esta esp?cie ? conhecida por apenas uma popula??o, que cresce nos campos rupestres da Serra do Cip?, Minas Gerais. A esp?cie ? classifi cada em Paepalanthus ser. Paepalanthus e ? facilmente distinguida das demais esp?cies do g?nero pelo caule alongado e lignifi cado, espessado pelas bainhas mascescentes das folhas lineares, as quais est?o dispostas em roseta no ?pice do caule, escapos na altura das folhas e cap?tulos com br?cteas estram?neas. Compara??es com as esp?cies morfologicamente mais pr?ximas s?o providas, assim como coment?rios sobre distribui??o, ecologia, fenologia e estado de conserva??o.We describe and illustrate Paepalanthus serpens, a microendemic species of Eriocaulaceae from the Espinha?o Range. Th e species is known from a single population growing in rocky areas of the Serra do Cip?, Minas Gerais. It is placed in Paepalanthus ser. Paepalanthus, and is easily distinguished from its congeneric species by its elongated, lignescent stem, thickened by the marcescent sheaths of the linear leaves, which are arranged in a rosette at the stem apex, scapes equalling the leaf height, and capitulae with strawcoloured involucral bracts. Comparisons with the morphologically similar species are provided, as well as comments on distribution, ecology, phenology and conservation status