Fridericia simplex ( A. H. Gentry) L. G. Lohmann

Kaehler, Miriam & Lohmann, Lúcia G., 2022, Taxonomic revisions in Fridericia (Bignonieae, Bignoniaceae) II: the “ Neomacfadya ” clade, Willdenowia 52 (2), pp. 247-271 : 266-268

10. Fridericia simplex ( A. H. Gentry) L. G. Lohmann in Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 99: 444. 2014 ≡ Arrabidaea simplex A. H. Gentry in Phytologia 46: 206. 1980. – Holotype: Brazil, Tocantins [Goiás], Parque Nacional do Tocantins, entre a Sede e Veadeiros , 26 Sep 1967, de Haas Sr., J. H. de Haas & R. B. Belém 344 (HB barcode HB000050388 n.v.; isotype: MO accession code MO-2698253!). – Fig. 9A, 10.

– “ Fridericia simplex ” (A. H. Gentry) L. G. Lohmann, Cat. Pl. Fung. Brasil 1: 766. 2010. Designation not validly published (Art. 41.1).

Morphological description — Shrubs or scandent shrubs, evergreen, up to 2.5 m high. Branches terete, striate and sparsely or not lenticellate, black or brown when dry, glabrescent to pubescent and lepidote; with inconspicuous interpetiolar ridge, with (sometimes inconspicuous) interpetiolar glandular fields; prophylls of axillary buds narrowly triangular, not apiculate, 0.5–1.6 mm long. Leaves 1- or 2-foliolate; petiole 0.7–2.1 cm long, puberulous to velutinous, with simple trichomes; petiolules with equal lengths when 2-foliolate, 0.4–0.7 cm, glabrous and lepidote or puberulous to velutinous, with simple trichomes; blade chartaceous, smooth, margin revolute, central leaflet lanceolate, base rounded, apex attenuate or acute, lateral leaflets elliptic (sometimes ovate), 3.4–8.8 × 2.5–5.4 cm, base rounded to subcordate, apex attenuate or acute, adaxially not vernicose, adaxially glabrous and lepidote, abaxially glabrous to pubescent throughout and puberulous at domatia and midrib, venation palmate actinodromous basal or suprabasal, secondary veins raised, tertiary veins raised, without pocket and with trichome tuft domatia. Inflorescences axillary, thyrse with abortion of lateral buds (sometimes resembling a raceme or isolate flowers), with 1 or 2 orders, first-order peduncles 0.4–1.4(–3.5) cm long, second-order 0.2–1 cm, puberulous or glabrescent, with simple trichomes; bracts narrowly triangular, 1–3(–10) mm long, caducous; bracteoles linear, 0.3–1.5 mm long, persistent; pedicels 0.1–0.3 cm long. Calyx tubular, not costate, truncate or irregularly split, (1.3–)1.8– 2.5 × 0.5–0.7(–1) cm, lepidote with glandular peltate trichomes, chartaceous, green, with patelliform glands and glandular areas evenly distributed. Corolla infundibular, strongly zygomorphic, furrowed, 4.9–7.1 cm long, 1.1–2 cm wide at tube mouth, externally puberulous to villous, without glands, lobes 0.7–1.6 × 0.6–1.6 cm, margin rounded and undulate, pale pink or lilac. Androecium with all stamens included; longer filaments 1.5–1.8 cm long, shorter filaments 1–1.4 cm; staminode 2.2–6 mm long; anthers 3–4.7 mm long, connectives protruding 0.5–1 mm. Gynoecium with ovary cylindric, 1.7–2.4 × 0.6–0.8 mm, furrowed, glabrous, style 2.8–3.7 cm long; stigma orbicular or lanceolate; nectar disk annular and smooth under ovary, c. 2 × 1.5 mm. Fruit linear, flat, margins not raised, central ridge not raised, valves coriaceous, smooth, 7.9–10 × 1.9–2.2 cm, lepidote; septum coriaceous. Seeds elliptic, body elliptic, c. 1.2 × 2.2 cm, wings hyaline, c. 0.1 cm wide, margins entire.

Phenology — Produces flowers on October and February. Fruits were collected in March, April and July.

Distribution and habitat — Fridericia simplex is found exclusively in the Cerrado. It is endemic to Brazil (Goiás, Maranhão, PiauÍ and Tocantins).

Conservation status — Fridericia simplex is categorized as Least Concern (LC) based on its Extent of Occurrence (401,326 km 2). However, this species is suggested to be Endangered (EN) based on its Area of Occupancy (72 km 2): EN B2ab(i,ii).

Remarks — Fridericia simplex is recognized by its usually 1-foliolate leaves in which the leaflet blade is lanceolate to ovate with an acuminate apex. Some specimens of F. resinosa from Maranhão State also have the leaflet blade lanceolate to ovate, although the leaves are (1 or)2-foliolate and the leaflets are vernicose on the adaxial surface (vs 1-foliolate with a dull surface in F. simplex ). Fridericia simplex is often misidentified as F. craterophora . However, F. simplex has longer petioles 0.7–1.7 cm (vs 0.3–0.8 cm in F. craterophora ) and lanceolate leaflets (vs central leaflet lanceolate, ovate or obovate and lateral leaflets elliptic to ovate in F. craterophora ).