The genus Cryptanthus has 60 species (Luther, 2006; Leme & Siqueira-Filho, 2006) restricted to Brazil. They are mainly terrestrial, rarely saxicolous, and are generally sciophilous, with some heliophilous species. Two subgenera are recognized: the type subgenus and Hoplocryptanthus Mez (Ramirez, 1996; 1998).
Plants of the type subgenus are characterized by the presence of odorless flowers that are andro-monoecious; the male flowers are located mainly in the mid- to apical sector of the inflorescence while the perfect flowers are concentrated in the basal fascicles. The petals are nearly always sublinear-lanceolate with length equal to five times or more maximum width. The stigma has well-developed blades that are conduplicate and arcuate but not spiraled. The fruits are berries with few seeds (usually less than eight), 3.5 mm or more long.
Species of the subgenus Hoplocryptanthus are distinguished by the usually strongly perfumed flowers which are perfect, with petals broadly spatulate or obovate, length up to three times the width of the lobes, which may be almost orbicular. The stigma is compact, simple-erect, with short, wide blades; or the stigmatic blades are slenderly tubular and conduplicate at extreme apex. The fruits have more seeds (> 10) and the seeds are small (ca. 1.5 mm long) (Leme & Siqueira-Filho, 2006).
In the present paper one new species of Hoplocryptanthus (i.e., Cryptanthus sanctaluciae) and two new species of the type subgenus (i.e., C. giganteus and C. crassifolius) are presented.
Cryptanthus sanctaluciae Leme & L. Kollmann, sp. nov. Type: Brazil. Espirito Santo, Santa Teresa, Valsugana Velha, Estacao Biologica de Santa Lucia, near the waterfall, Aug. 2005, L. Kollmann 8215, cult. E. Leme 6699 (Holotype, MBML).
A Cryptanthus robertokautskyi Leme, cui affinis, laminis foliorum subtus haud zonatis, scapo distincto 11-15 cm longo, bracteis floriferis integris vel apicem versus remote spinulosis, sepalis brevioribus et antheris brevioribus differt; a C. scaposus E. Pereira, cui proxima, foliis plus numerosis, laminis foliorum duplo latioribus, scapo robustiore, sepalis brevioribus et petalis laminis suborbicularibus latioribusque differt.Plant terrestrial, flowering 21-25 cm tall, stemless, propagating by short basal shoots. Leaves 8-15 in number, suberect-recurved, forming a lax rosette, slightly coriaceous mainly toward the base; Sheaths subtriangular, inconspicuous, ca. 2 x 4 cm, pale colored, glabrescent toward the base, densely and coarsely white-lepidote at apex, densely spinulose toward the apex, spines reddish, membranaceous; Blades sublinear, attenuate and ending in an acuminate-caudate apex, 43-65 x 2.5-3.3 cm, slightly narrowed and distinctly canaliculate toward the base, channel U-shaped, without a distinct thicker median zone, dark green except for the base sometimes reddish, upper and lower sides strongly contrasting, adaxially inconspicuously and sparsely to subdensely white lepidote, abaxially completely covered by a coarse layer of white trichomes, margins slightly undulate, densely spinose, spines 0.5-1 mm long, 2-5 mm apart, antrorsely uncinate, green to reddish; Scape distinct, 11-15 cm long, ca. 1 cm in diameter, green, densely pale lepidote; Scape bracts foliaceous, suberect-arcuate, much exceeding the inflorescence, not hiding the scape; Inflorescence elongate, many-flowered, 6.5-7.5 cm long, ca. 3.5 cm in diameter (not including the primary bracts); Primary bracts...