Tibouchina papyrus Toledo was described in 1952.[1]Tibouchina papyrus is a narrow endemic to the campos rupestres and is mainly found in three localities in the states of Goiás and Tocantins in central Brazil, including the Serra da Natividade.[2][3] Abreu et al. found that T. papyrus is a habitat-specialist on rocky outcrop cerrado which typically has shallow substrate and uneven topography, with sandstone soils and quartzite outcrops.[4][5] This species has been collected at elevations between 500 metres and 1,100 metres.[5][3]T. papyrus is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN.[6][5]Tibouchinapapyrus is locally known as “pau-papel”.[7]
The flowers of T. papyrus are buzz pollinated by large bees in the genera Xylocopa, Bombus and Centris, and the seeds are wind dispersed (autochory).[3][8] Flowers have higher fruit production when cross-pollinated although they are not self-incompatible and can produce low numbers of fruit when self-pollinated.[8] One study of microsatellite loci showed low levels of polymorphism and low genetic diversity within populations,[7] while another study found that populations of T. papyrus are highly differentiated with little to no gene flow between populations.[5]
^Guimarães, Paulo José Fernandes (2014). "Two New Species of Tibouchina (Melastomataceae) from Brazil". Novon. 23 (1): 42–46. doi:10.3417/2012029. S2CID84301952.
