Fridericia grosourdyana (Baill.) 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 : 256-257

4. Fridericia grosourdyana (Baill.) L. G. Lohmann in Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 99: 439. 2014 ≡ Paramansoa grosourdyana Baill., Hist. Pl. 10: 27. 1888 ≡ Arrabidaea grosourdyana (Baill.) Sandwith in Kew Bull. 22: 418. 1968. – Lectotype (designated by Lohmann in Lohmann & Taylor 2014: 439): Venezuela, BolÍvar, Villa de Upata, 1864, R. de Grosourdy s.n. (P barcode P00468560!; isolectotype: P barcode P00468561!). – Fig. 2, 3F–I.

Morphological description — Lianas, evergreen, up to 4 m high. Branches terete to subquadrangular, striate, black with whitish trichomes when dry, pubescent to villous, with simple and glandular peltate trichomes; with inconspicuous interpetiolar ridge, without interpetiolar glandular fields; prophylls of axillary buds broadly triangular, not apiculate, 1–1.8 mm long. Leaves (1 or)2(or 3)-foliolate; petiole (1.1–)3–5(–6.8) cm long, villous, with simple trichomes; petiolules with equal lengths, (0.3–) 1– 2.1 cm, villous, with simple trichomes; blade chartaceous, smooth, margin revolute, central leaflet elliptic to obovate, 15–18 cm long, base acute, apex long apiculate, lateral leaflets asymmetrically elliptic to ovate, 5–16 × 3–9 cm, base cuneate, obtuse, rounded or subcordate, apex acuminate to caudate, adaxially not vernicose, glabrous throughout (sometimes pubescent only at veins), abaxially puberulous, with simple trichomes throughout (sometimes only at veins), venation pinnate resembling palmate actinodromous suprabasal, secondary veins raised, tertiary veins flat to slightly raised, without pocket and with trichome tuft domatia. Inflorescences terminal, thyrsoid, with 4–7 orders, first-order peduncles 2.1–7.7 cm long, second-order (1–) 1.7–6.1 cm, third-order 0.6–1.5 cm, fourth-order 0.4– 1.2 cm, fifth-order 0.3–1.5 cm, sixth-order 1.5–1.7 cm, seventh-order c. 0.7 cm, villous, with simple and capitate glandular trichomes; bracts linear, 1.1–1.7 mm long, caducous; bracteoles broadly triangular, 0.9–1.3 mm long, persistent; pedicels 0.3–0.6 cm long. Calyx narrowly tubular, costate when dry, shortly 5-denticulate and laterally split, 0.9–1.5 × 0.25–0.4 cm, villous, with simple and glandular peltate trichomes, membranaceous, green with pinkish apex, with glandular areas evenly distributed. Corolla narrowly infundibular to tubular, zygomorphic, not furrowed, 2.2–4.5 cm long, 0.4–0.6(–0.8) cm wide at tube mouth, externally puberulous at base and tube and villous at lobes, with simple and glandular capitate trichomes shortly stalked, without glands, lobes 0.4–0.7 × 0.3– 0.6 cm, margin shortly acuminate and flat, red outside and yellow inside. Androecium with 2 stamens exserted and 2 stamens included; longer filaments 2–2.5 cm long, shorter filaments 1.5–2 cm; staminode 2–3(–7) mm long; anthers 2–2.5 mm long, connectives not protruding. Gynoecium with ovary cylindric, 2.4–4 × 0.7–1 mm, ridged, lepidote, style 1.3–1.8 cm long; stigma lanceolate; nectar disk cupular and lobed under ovary, 0.7–1 × 0.8–1 mm. Fruit linear, flat, margin raised, central ridge slightly raised, valves woody, smooth, 30–37 × 0.75–1.4 cm, glabrous; septum coriaceous. Seeds oblong, body semicircular (irregular), c. 0.7 × 2.7 cm, wings hyaline, in 2 sizes between 0.2–0.6 cm wide, margins crisped.

Phenology — Produces flowers from January to October. Fruits were collected in April, July and October.

Distribution and habitat — Fridericia grosourdyana occupies wet and dry Amazonian forests and savannas in N South America. It is distributed in Colombia (Amazonas and Chocó), French Guiana (Saint-Laurent-du-Moroni), Guyana (Rapununi and Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and Venezuela (BolÍvar).

Conservation status — Fridericia grosourdyana is categorized as Least Concern (LC) based on its Extent of Occurrence (61,020 km 2). However, this species is suggested to be Endangered (EN) based on its Area of Occupancy (40 km 2): EN B2ab(i,ii).

Remarks — The shape of the leaflets of Fridericia grosourdyana are variable even within a single specimen. However, the acuminate to caudate apex and coriaceous texture are unique features within Fridericia . When in flower, F. grosourdyana is easily recognized by the narrowly tubular calyx (0.9–1.5 × 0.25–0.4 cm), which is costate when dry, by the tubular or narrowly infundibular and red corolla, by the exserted longer stamens (0.18– 0.35 cm beyond the tube mouth), whereas the shorter stamens are included, and the cupular and lobed disk.