Moldenhawera longipedicellata C.V. Vivas & L.P. Queiroz, 2015

Vivas, Caio V., Gaiotto, Fernanda A. & Queiroz, Luciano P., 2015, A new species of Moldenhawera (Leguminosae) from Brazilian Atlantic Forest, Phytotaxa 233 (1), pp. 85-89 : 85-88

Moldenhawera longipedicellata C.V. Vivas & L.P. Queiroz , sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 )

Moldenhawera longipedicellata belongs to sect. Moldenhawera as it shares with M. floribunda , M. papillanthera , and M. polysperma the slender staminode filaments which are much longer than the anthers. It can be differentiated from the remaining species of the section by its once-pinnate leaves (vs. bipinnate or partially bipinnate), the length of its pedicels, 2–5.9 cm long (vs. 1.2–3.2 cm long, Queiroz et al. 1999), larger flowers with sepals 16–25 mm long (vs. sepals 7–12 mm long, Queiroz et al. 1999), longer petal claws (10–19 mm vs. 4–9 mm long, Queiroz et al. 1999), and a wider petal blade (14–24 × 13–23 mm vs. 6–13 × 5–10 mm, Queiroz et al. 1999).

Type:— BRAZIL. Espírito Santo: Santa Leopoldina, Chaves , na ES-080, ca. 8 km S da ES-261, num ramal de 1 km de extensão rumo à Cachoeira do Recanto, no Rio da Prata, 564 m, 20°00’04.6” S, 40°32’45.7” W, 22 January 2011, J. R. Pirani, et al. 6155 (Holotype: HUEFS!, Isotypes: RB!, SPF).

Tree 5–18 m × 13–35 cm DBH; trichomes of two types: short and symmetrical, translucent or ferruginous (on young branches, petiole, leaf rachis, leaflet under surface, inflorescence rachis, pedicels, sepal outer surface, and fruits), and long and asymmetrical, ferruginous (on petal outer surface and ovary). Stipules caducous, pinnately compound, with an axis 2–6 mm long and one or two semicircular segments 4–13 × 3–12 mm. Leaves paripinnate; petiole 6.1–8.4 cm long, cylindrical, slightly flattened along the upper edge, rachis 12.8–26.9 cm long, cylindrical, sulcate along the upper edge, petiolules 5–10 mm long; leaflets opposite, chartaceous to coriaceous, 3–4 pairs per leaf, leaflets increasing in size towards the leaf apex, the basal ones 7.6–10.7 × 3.1–6.7 cm, the distal ones 11–17.5 × 3.9–7.7 cm, ellipticoblong or narrowly elliptic, base obtuse, apex abruptly acuminate, margins entire, upper surface glabrous, dark green, shiny, lower surface glabrescent with very sparse ferrugineous trichomes, venation brochidodromous, the main vein prominent on the lower surface, 14–17 pairs of secondary veins. Inflorescence a corymbose raceme, 11.1–21.6 cm long, usually fasciculate at the branch apex, rarely grouped in a terminal panicle, raceme peduncle 10–15.3 cm long, sulcate, rachis 1.6–6.7 cm long, sulcate; first order bracts (at the base of the raceme) identical to the stipules in shape and size; second order bracts (at the base of the flowers) caducous (only the scars seen); pedicels 2–5.9 cm long. Flower bud obovoid; flowers pentamerous; sepals 16–25 × 4–8 mm, narrowly elliptical or oblanceolate, densely pubescent on the outer surface, glabrous on the inner surface except for a line of translucent or yellow trichomes in the middle of the blade; petals yellow, clawed, the claw 10–19 mm long, blade 14–24 × 13–23 mm, sub-orbiculate, apex rounded, base slightly to deeply cordate, margins irregularly crenate and undulate, outer surface densely pubescent with long asymmetrical ferrugineous hairs, inner surface glabrous; fertile stamen 1, filament 18–21 mm long, base villose with yellowish trichomes, anther 2.5–3.1 × 1–1.3 mm, longitudinally dehiscent, glabrous, connective villous with long white hairs; staminodes 9 with slender filaments, anthers dehiscent by short apical slits, glabrous, four stamens of the outer whorl with filaments 9–10 mm long and anthers 4–5 × 1.5–2 mm, five stamens of the inner whorl with filaments 7–9 mm long and anthers 5–6 × 1.7–2 mm; ovary sessile, 5–6 × 2 mm, 9–14 ovulate, densely velutinous with dark ferrugineous trichomes, style 14–16 mm long. Legume 23.8–40 × 3.8–4.4 cm, oblong, base obtuse, apex rounded, slightly apiculate, margins straight, slightly ribbed; valves woody, covered by caducous ferrugineous trichomes. Seeds 9–14 per pod, 2.3–3.2 × 1.1–2.3 cm, ovate to oblong, flattened, testa smooth.

Additional examined material (paratypes): BRAZIL. Espírito Santo: Cariacica, Reserva Biológica Duas Bocas, 17 January 2009, A. P. Fontana et al. 5821 ( CEPEC!, MBML, RB!, UPCB). Domingos Martins, 478 m, 20°24’39” S, 40°36’53” W, 10 November 2007, D. A. Folli 6186 ( HUEFS!, RB!). Domingos Martins, 478 m, 20°24’39” S, 40°36’53” W, 4 August 2008, D. A. Folli 6174 ( CVRD, RB!). Santa Leopoldina, Cachoeira da Fumaça , 3 June 1984, W. Boone 246 ( MBML, RB!). Santa Leopoldina, Fazenda Caioaba , 150–250 m, 20°00’21” S, 40°28’06” W, 6 January 2006, L. F. S. Magnago et al. 512 ( MBML, RB!). Santa Leopoldina, Estrada Santa Tereza-Santa Leopoldina , 528 m, 20°01’14” S, 40°32’20” W, 14 September 2006, R. Marquete et al. 3918 ( HUEFS!, RB!). Santa Leopoldina, Chaves, Cachoeira Recanto da Mata , 534 m, 20°00’72” S, 40°32’45” W, 26 January 2007, A. P. Fontana et al. 2716 ( CEPEC!, K, MBML, RB!, SPF). Santa Leopoldina, Cachoeira Recanto da Mata , 544 m, 20°00’14” S, 40°32’77” W, 1 November 2007, F. L. R. Filardi et al. 778 ( HUEFS!, RB!). Santa Leopoldina, 539 m, 20°00’04” S, 40°32’45” W, 6 September 2013, C. V. Vivas et al. 244 ( HUEFS!). Santa Leopoldina, 518 m, 20°01’15” S, 40°32’17” W, 6 September 2013, C. V. Vivas et al. 245 ( HUEFS!). Santa Leopoldina, 488 m, 20°02’46” S, 40°31’54” W, 6 September 2013, C. V. Vivas et al. 246 ( HUEFS!). Santa Leopoldina, 298m, 20°04’09” S, 40°32’30” W, 6 September 2013, C. V. Vivas et al. 247 ( HUEFS!).

Distribution and habitat:— Moldenhawera longipedicellata is currently known only in the municipalities of Santa Leopoldina, Cariacica and Domingos Martins in Espírito Santo State, eastern Brazil. It occurs in montane rain forest or montane gallery forest at elevations ranging from 150 to 600m ( Figure 2 ).

Etymology:—The species epithet alludes to the long pedicel of the flowers.

Common name:—caingá, caingá-preto.

Phenology:—Flowering January and February, and fruiting from July to September.

Notes:— Moldenhawera longipedicellata can be recognized by the following combination of characters: a tree, leaves once-pinnate with relatively large leaflets (7.6–17.5 × 3.1–7.7 cm), flowers pentamerous, long-pedicellate (pedicel 2–5.9 cm long), with relatively large sepals (16–25 × 4–8 mm), yellow petals with long claws (10–19 mm long) and a wide blade (14–24 × 13–23 mm), the base of the single fertile stamen pubescent, the nine staminodes with anthers dehiscent by short apical slits and slender filaments (1.25–2× longer than the anthers). The presence of long, slender staminode filaments was considered as diagnostic of sect. Moldenhawera by Queiroz et al. (1999): the section includes M. floribunda Schrader (1821: 718) , M. polysperma (Vell.) Stellfeld (1948: 28) , and M. papillanthera Queiroz et al. (1999: 833) . Moldenhawera longipedicellata is distinguished from all other species of sect. Moldenhawera by having once-pinnate leaves, longer pedicels and larger flowers. It is additionally distinguished from M. floribunda by having the base of the fertile stamen filament pubescent (vs. glabrous), and from M. polysperma and M. papillanthera by the staminodes with anthers dehiscent by short apical slits (vs. longitudinally dehiscent in M. polysperma and indehiscent in M. papillathera ).

Moldenhawera longipedicellata and the other species of sect. Moldenhawera occur in evergreen tropical rain forests of the Atlantic Forest phytogeographical domain and are geographically distributed from coastal Bahia to Rio de Janeiro states. However, their distribution ranges do not overlap; M. polysperma is restricted to Rio de Janeiro state, M. floribunda to Bahia state, M. papillanthera to coastal plains of northern Espírito Santo state, and M. longipedicellata to montane rain forests of central-southern Espírito Santo between 150–600 m elevation.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Moldenhawera longipedicellata. A. habit [scale bar (SB) = 3.2 cm]; B. flower [SB = 3.1 cm]; C. sepal (front view) [SB = 1.3 cm]; D. petal (front view) [SB = 2.3 mm]; E. petal (dorsal view) [SB = 2.3 mm]; F. staminode (inner whorl) [SB = 6.1 mm]; G. staminode (outer whorl) [SB = 6.1 mm]; H. anther of the fertile stamen showing the villous connective [SB = 1.8 mm]; I. fertile stamen [SB = 6 mm]; J. gynoecium [SB = 6 mm]; K. fruit [SB = 5 cm]. A from Pirani et al. 6155, B–J from Fontana et al. 2716, K from Boone 246. Drawn by Natanael Nascimento Santos.

FIGURE 2. Distribution of Moldenhawera longipedicellata in Espírito Santo State, Brazil.