Citharexylum myrianthum Chamisso (1832: 117)

Cardoso, Pedro Henrique, Valério, Vanessa Imaculada Dos Reis, Neto, Luiz Menini & Salimena, Fátima Regina Gonçalves, 2021, Verbenaceae in Espírito Santo, Brazil: richness, patterns of geographic distribution and conservation, Phytotaxa 484 (1), pp. 1-43 : 11-12

4.1. Citharexylum myrianthum Chamisso (1832: 117) . (Figs. 1B, 5D)

Trees 5‒18 m high, branches cylindrical or tetragonal, glabrous. Leaves opposite, petiole 1‒1.7 cm long, pair of glands conspicuous, blade 5.8‒13 × 3‒6 cm, chartaceous, elliptical, apex acute, base attenuate, decurrent into the petiole, margin entire, glabrous in both surfaces. Inflorescences 15‒20 cm long, peduncle ca. 1.5 cm long, glabrous; rachis glabrous; bracts ca. 1 mm long, lanceolate, abaxial surface glabrous; calyx 4‒5 mm long, externally glabrescent; corolla 1.2‒1.6 cm long, white. Fruit 1.1‒2.2 cm long, partially inserted inside the persistent calyx.

Distribution and habitat:— Citharexylum myrianthum is amply distributed in north eastern Argentina, Paraguay and south and eastern Brazil, in Caatinga, Cerrado, and Atlantic Forest (Bueno & Leonhardt 2012, O’Leary & Thode 2020). In Espírito Santo, it occurs in dense rainforest. Not found in SPAs in this state.

Phenology:— Collected with flowers in November and December and with fruits in January, March, June, and December.

Preliminary conservation assessment: —This is a common species with a wide distribution (Bueno & Leonhardt 2012, O’Leary & Thode 2020), and occurs inside PAs in South America. Considered “Least Concern” (LC) ( IUCN 2019).

Selected material:— BRAZIL. Espírito Santo: Aracruz , 11 November 1993, fl., R . N . Oliveira 654 ( VIES); Domingos Martins , 14 March 2001, fr., O . J . Pereira & E . Espindula 6887 ( CESJ, VIES); Linhares, Reserva Natural Vale , 3 November 2014, fl., D. A . Folli 7292 ( CVRD); Serra , 23 December 2010, fr., R . M . Botelho et al. 123 ( CESJ, VIES); Viana , 10 January 2001, fr., O . J . Pereira & E . Espindula 6722 ( CESJ, VIES) .

Notes:— Citharexylum myrianthum is recognized by its long corolla tubes and glabrous leaves. This species can be differentiated from the other Verbenaceae found in the Espírito Santo by the arboreous habit; glands in pairs near to the petiole; cupuliform calyx, coriaceous; white corolla, and red fruits with fleshy mesocarp. The flowers present gynoecium and androecium, but are functionally dioecious. The staminate flowers always have four fertile stamens, one staminode, and an undeveloped ovary. The carpellate flowers present a developed ovary, and, despite the presence of stamens, their thecae are indehiscent and does not produce pollen grains ( Rocca & Sazima 2006). Citharexylum myrianthum is popularly known in Espírito Santo state as “ louro-azeitona ”, according to the sheet labels.

BFG (2015), Dutra et al. (2015), and O’Leary & Thode (2020) indicated the existence of other species of the genus than C. myrianthum for Espírito Santo state, but we did not find any specimen that fit this species. Citharexylum myrianthum can be differentiated from C. montevidense by the corolla longer than 1 cm and chartaceous leaves, with abaxial surface glabrous and conspicuous glands near to the petiole (vs. corolla shorter than 0.5 cm; coriaceous leaves, abaxial surface pubescent along the veins and absent glands or inconspicuous near to the petiole in C. montevidense ). Differs from C. solanaceum by glabrous branches, leaves, and rachis (vs. densely pubescent branches, leaves, and rachis in C. solanaceum ).

Illustrations in Bueno & Leonhardt (2012).