Strychnos alvimiana Krukoff & Barneby (1973: 105)

Brandão, Ellen Kallyne De Sousa & Rapini, Alessandro, 2017, Novelties in Strychnos sect. Breviflorae (Loganiaceae), Phytotaxa 329 (3), pp. 262-268 : 266

Strychnos alvimiana Krukoff & Barneby (1973: 105) . ( Figs1J–K )

Type: — BRAZIL. Bahia, Itacaré, highway to Barragem, 14°18’00”S, 39°01’59”W, 13 July1971 (st.), T. S. Santos 1757 (holotype NY!, isotype CEPEC!).

Epitype (designated here):— BRAZIL. Bahia, Itacaré, Itacaré–Taboquinha highway, 14°16’39”S, 38°59’48”W, 20 July 1973 (fr.), T. S. Santos 2683 ( NY!, isoepitypes CEPEC!, RB!).

Lianas; branches brown, cylindrical to quadrangular, glabrous, thorns and tendrils present; linear stipules. Leaves opposite; petiole 1–1.5 cm long, glabrous or rarely pubescent; blade brownish-gray to greenish-brown when dry, discolours, (3.5–)4–9.2 × (1.5–) 2.7–4.3 cm, elliptic to narrow-elliptic, cuneate at base, acuminate to acute at apex, revolute along the margins, subcoriaceous, glabrous on both sides, 3-plinerved. Thyrses with more than 50 flowers, congested, terminal; peduncle 2.7–4.2 cm long, glabrous; bracts 0.8–12 mm long, lanceolate, acute to acuminate at apex, toothed along the margins; bracteoles 0.5–1 mm long, lanceolate, acute to acuminate at apex, toothed along the margins. Flowers sessile; calyx 5-merous, green to blackish when dry; calyx lobes green to blackish when dry, 3.5–4 × 1–1.2 mm, narrow-lanceolate, acute to acuminate at apex, sparsely toothed at the margins; corolla not seen. Berries green, 2.3–3.5 × 2.2–3 cm, pericarp subwoody, rugose, glabrous; seeds 1 or 2, brown, 1–1.8 × 0.8–1.4 cm, discoid, smooth forehead, glabrous.

Etymology: —The epithet honours one of the most important collector of Strychnos in Bahia, Paulo de Tarso Alvim (1919–2011).

Distribution and habitat: — Strychnos alvimiana is endemic to Bahia ( Guimarães et al. 2015), occurring in the Atlantic Forest domain, in the woods and subwoods of dense ombrophilous, montane and submontane forests. It is reported for the municipalities of Ilhéus (R. Lemos Fróes 12735/91 —NY!), Itacaré (T.S. Santos 2683— CEPEC! NY! RB!), Maraú (R.P. Belém 3512 —CEPEC! NY!) and Una (R.P. Belém 3708 —CEPEC! NY!).

Phenology: —Found with old flowers in January, July and September and with fruits in January and July.

Notes: — Krukoff & Barneby (1973) associated Strychnos alvimiana with S. nigricans Progel (1868: 280) and S. mattogrossensis Moore (1895: 392) because they present fruits with fibrous pericarps. The three species occur sympatrically, in the same environment, and belong to S. section Breviflorae . Strychnos alvimiana can be distinguished from the two species by the glabrous branches (vs. pubescent), subcoriaceous leaves (vs. chartaceous to papyraceous), with secondary nerves visible only on the abaxial side (vs. visible on both sides), and longer inflorescences (3.4–5.5 vs. 2–3 cm), and from the other species of the section (except S. atlantica and S. parviflora Spruce ex Bentham 1857: 107 ) by the habit (lianas vs. usually shrubs), leaves almost always glabrous (vs. usually puberulous), curved spines [vs. without spines, except in S. brasiliensis ( Sprengel 1825: 588) Martius (1841: 84) ] and longer sepals (3.5–4 mm vs. 0.8–2.5 mm long).

Figures

FIGURE 1.A–I. Strychnos nana: A. branch with buds and flowers; B. leaf, adaxial side; C. leaf, abaxial side; D. inflorescence with buds and flowers; E. bract, abaxial side; F.flower (4-merous form); G. calyx (5-merous form), open to show abaxial side and margins; H. pistil, showing the capitate stigma; I. stamen. J–K. S. alvimiana: J. berry, half in cross section to show the sub-woody pericarp and seed; K. seed, ventral view. L–N. S. atlantica: L. branch with terminal inflorescence; M. Dicasium of a thyrse; N. corolla, open to show the indument of the adaxial side of corolla and the stamens. (A–I from C.W. Fagg. 3671 in HUEFS; J–K from T.S. Santos 2683 in CEPEC; L–N. from R.S. Pinheiro 2281 in CEPEC).