A NEW SPECIES OF DITASSA (ASCLEPIADACEAE) FROM ESPIRITO-SANTO, BRAZIL

Ditassa oberdanii, a new species of Asclepiadaceae from remnant patche s of Atlantic rainforest in Espirito Santo state, southeastern Brazil, is described, illustrated, and compared to D. oxyphylla Turczaninow, a similar species that is found in Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela. A survey of the Asclepiadaceae of Espirito Santo, Brazil, turned up 44 s pecies belonging to 16 genera. The largest genus is Ditassa with 11 sp ecies, including D. oberdanii. This species is found in remnant patche s of lower montane rainforest in southeastern Brazil, in the Atlantic forest biome which is seriously threatened by human activities.