The inselbegs of the northeastern region of Minas Gerais State and the northwestern of Espirito Santo State shelter countless botanical novelties, as in the genus Alcantarea, where large populations can be seen from a distance. In most cases it is very hard to reach such localities due to the inaccessibility of the steep terrain and the breathtaking abysms. However, when it is possible to find the a way to the top of the mountains, in most cases new species can be discovered.

Two examples of species from these difficult sites are presented here: a new medium-sized Alcantarea from Minas Gerais and the unusual A. roberto-kautskyi Leme that is rarely seen in cultivation.

Alcantarea vasconcelosiana Leme, sp. nov. Type: Brazil, Minas Gerais, Itabirinha de Mantena, Serra do Pitengo, Pedra da Baleia, saxicolous, ca. 1,000 m elev., 20 Nov. 2008, R. Vasconcelos Leitao s. n., cult. E. Leme 7650 (Holotype, HB. Isotype RB).

A A. nevaresii Leme, cui affinis, sed vaginis foliorum utrinque apicem versus atrocastaneis, laminis foliorum brevioribus et latioribus, bracteis scapi suberectis et totaliter rubris, inflorescentia breviore et densiore, stipitibus ramorum basalibus bractea singula ornatis, bracteis primariis orbicularibus obtusisque, bracteis floriferis per anthesin imbricatis et sepalis longioribus differt.

Plant saxicolous in herbaceous to shrubby vegetation, stemless or nearly so, flowering 80-90 cm high. Leaves 20 to 25 in number, densely rosulate, suberect, forming a funnelform rosette much narrowed at the base and broader above; sheaths suborbicular, ca. 15 x 16 cm, inconspicuously and minutely brown-lepidote, dark castaneous mainly toward the apex on both sides, strongly coriaceous; blades ligulate, slightly narrowed toward the apex, not narrowed at the base, 20-25 x 8.5-9.5 cm, strongly coriaceous, green, inconspicously and sparsely white-lepidote adaxially but appearing glabrous, abaxially glabrous, suberect, apex acute and apiculate to abruptly acuminate to shortly caudate, slightly recurved. Scape stout, 30-40 cm long, 1-1.2 cm in diameter, erect, glabrous, red; scape bracts the basal ones subfoliaceous, the upper ones orbicular or nearly so, acuminate to broadly acute and distinctly apiculate, suberect, its basal portion enfolding the scape and with distinct water-holding capacity, exceeding the internodes and the upper ones almost completely concealing the scape, 5.5-8 x 5-5.5 cm, red, glabrous, covered by a oleaginous substance. Inflorescence shortly paniculate, densely once branched, 12-20 cm long (including the terminal branch), 15-18 cm in diameter, erect, rachis stout, slightly flexuous, red, glabrous, 0.8-1 cm in diameter, internodes 1.5-3 cm long; primary bracts distinctly exceeding the stipes but shorter than the branches, with water-holding capacity, the basal ones resembling the upper scape bracts, the upper ones orbicular, apex obtuse and stoutly apiculate, 4-5.5 x 4-5 cm, suberect, strongly convex, glabrous outside, inconspicuously and sparsely white lepidote inside, red; branches 8 to 11 in number (including the terminal one), 1.5-3 cm apart, the lateral branches 8-11 cm long, suberect-spreading, densely flowered at anthesis at least toward the apex, 3 to 8-flowered, rachis geniculate, subterete, slightly if at all angulose, 7-10 x 4 mm, glabrous, green, stipes 25-40 x 6 mm, suberect, slightly complanate...