Hoplocryptanthus Mez is a subgenus of Cryptanthus Otto & A. Dietr., which can be distinguished from the typical subgenus by some important features The plants usually have 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 numerous and smaller seeds. Species of Hoplocryptanthus usually grow in higher altitudes (i.e., above ca. 500 m elev.) when compared to the typical cryptanthus, and have a more restricted geographical distribution, being found only in wet sites in the Atlantic Forest of Espirito Santo State and in wet to drier conditions in the "Campos Rupestres" of the Espinhaco range of Minas Gerais State. Also, these species are morphologically more similar to the species of Orthophytum Beer than the remaining typical cryptanthus.

In the Espinhaco range of Minas Gerais State, the most commonly seen Hoplocryptanthus member is Cryptanthus schwackeanus Mez. However, recent field collections in different and sometimes isolated mountains of the Espinhaco range have revealed some new taxa closely related to C. schwackeanus, but distinguishable by a set of subtle morphological characteristics, including the three species described below.

Cryptanthus lavrasensis Leme, sp. nov. Type: Minas Gerais, Ouro Preto, Lavras Novas, ca. 1 km from the city, 1,300 m elev., 29 Nov. 2003, leg. E. Leme 6112 & R. Leme, fl. cult. Oct. 2004. Holotype: HB.

Species nova a C. schwackeanus Mez, cui proxima, sed laminis foliorum longioribus latioribusque, inflorescentia simplicissima, bracteis floriferis folia similibus, floribus longioribus, distincte pedicellatis, petalis 7-13 mm connatis differt.

Plant terrestrial in a very humid soil along a stream, stemless, ca. 10 cm long, 15-20 cm in diameter, propagating by short axillary offshoots around inflorescence base and forming dense populations. Leaves ca. 15 in number, suberect-arcuate to ascending toward apex, forming a subdense, round and slightly secund rosette; sheaths suborbicular, ca. 3 x 3.3 cm, densely and minutely spinulose at apex, greenish-white, glabrous toward base, densely and coarsely white-lepidote and strongly corrugate at apex; blades narrowly triangular, apex slenderly acuminate-caudate, 15-18 x 2-2.3 cm, not narrowed toward base, strongly coriaceous but without any thicker central zone, strongly canaliculate, green, densely and coarsely white-lepidote abaxially with trichomes obscuring leaf color, adaxially densely white-lepidote toward base and glabrous toward apex, margins straight, subdensely spinulose; spines 1-1.5 mm long, 3-8 mm apart, the basal ones subspreading to slightly retrorse, the upper ones slightly antrorse-uncinate. Inflorescence simple, ca. 6 cm long, ca. 2.5 cm in diameter, sessile but elongate; floral bracts foliaceous, distinctly exceeding the flowers; flowers 35-40 mm long (with extended petals), fragrant, distinctly pedicelate, pedicels terete to slightly complanate, 3-5 x 1.5-3 mm; sepals ovate-lanceolate, apex acuminate and recurved, 10-15 x 3-3.5 mm, connate for 3-5 mm, pale green, ecarinate, glabrous, nerved, thin in texture, entire or remotely and sparsely denticulate; petals subspatulate, apex acute, 25-33 x...