Two new shrubby species of Stadia (Rubiaceae) from northeastern Brazil are described and illustrated. Staelia glandulosa inhabits rocky fields on white sand areas, and differs from S. virgata in its shrubby habit, entirely glandular stipular bristles, large flowers, number of calyx lobes and large seeds. Staelia harleyi was found in the Cerrado biome on sandstone rocks at altitudes of 1,000 m, recognizably different from S. virgata because the plant is shrubby, its calyx is a conspicuous tube, the calyx lobe is longer than the corolla tube, the corolla lobes are internally pilose, the ventral face of seeds has transverse furrows and the bracteole is sagittate at the apex. Electron microphotographs of the fruit and seed and images of both species in their habitats are provided.