Croton vestitus Sprengel (1826: 875)

Medeiros, Débora, Valle, Luci De Senna, Esser, Hans-Joachim & Alves, Ruy José Válka, 2016, Floristic and taxonomic treatment of Croton subsect. Medea (Euphorbiaceae) from Brazilian campos rupestres, Phytotaxa 263 (3), pp. 167-201 : 196-198

11. Croton vestitus Sprengel (1826: 875) .— Croton trichophorus Müller Argoviensis (1865: 132) ; nom. illeg. superfl. Type:— BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Serra do Caraça, without date (fl, fr), F. Sellow B 2110, c 2072. (holotype B 10 0088609!; isotypes A 00277236!, BR 13319236!, P 00634770!). ( Fig. 21 , A–I)

Croton matronalis Baillon (1864: 308) . Type:─ BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: no locality, without date (fl), A. Saint-Hilaire s.n. (holotype P 04831370!).

Subshrubs, 0.4−1 m tall, trichomes stellate. Leaves concentrated at the branch apices, imbricate, subsessil with the 1−2 mm long; leaf blade acute-lanceolate, 1.5−4.2 × 0.2−0.6 cm, base acute, symmetric, margin laciniate-glandulose, convolute, apex rounded-obtuse, trichomes stellate, dense on both surfaces, palminerved; stipules lanceolate, 1.7−2 mm long, laciniate-glandulose, trichomes stellate on both faces, caducous. Inflorescences with 2−10 flowers, 1.5−3 cm long, with a naked sterile zone between the basal pistillate flowers and the apical staminate ones; bracts linear-lanceolate, laciniate-glandulose, 3 mm long on the staminate flowers, 6 mm long on the pistillate ones, trichomes stellate on the adaxial face, glabrous on the abaxial face. Staminate flowers 10−15 per inflorescence, pedicel 0.2 mm long; sepals 5, lanceolate, 2 × 1 mm, margin entire, trichomes stellate on the adaxial face, glabrous on the abaxial one; petals 5, obovate, 1 × 0.5 mm, margin entire, ciliate; stamens 10−14, filaments 1 mm long, villous at the base, anthers ovoid, 0.7 mm long, glabrous. Pistillate flowers 2 per inflorescence, sessile; sepals 5, triangular-lanceolate 6 × 2 mm, margin stipitate-glandulose, trichomes stellate on the adaxial face; petals 5, diminutive, glanduliform, sessile, 0.2 mm long; ovary ovoid, 3 × 2.5 mm, trichomes stellate; styles multifid, 2−4 times branched at the base, 1.5−2 mm long, trichomes stellate. Capsules globose, 4.8 × 4.7 mm, trichomes stellate brownish; seeds ellipsoid, 3−4 × 2 mm.

Distribution: — Minas Gerais State, Catas Altas, Serra do Caraça, 2072 m elevation, Serra do Ouro Branco, 1568 m elevation, Ouro Branco; and Serra de São José, 1430 m elevation, Tiradentes, and Serra do Lenheiro, São João del Rei ( Fig. 22 ).

Additional specimens examined: — BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Catas Altas, Serra do Caraça, March 1892 (fl), E. Ule s.n. (R 26055); Serra do Caraça, March 1892 (fl), E. Ule 2689 (R); Itabira do Campo, no date (fl), L. Damazio s.n. (OUPR 6151); Ouro Branco, Serra de Ouro Branco, 29 July 1988 (fl), M.M.N. Braga et al. s.n. (BHCB 13589); 02 October 1988 (fl), G.A. Ferrreira s.n. (BHCB 13819); São João del Rei, Serra do Lenheiro, December 1895 (fl), M. Magalhães s.n. (OUPR 6129); Tiradentes, Serra de São José, 28 December 1895 (fl), C.A.W. Schwacke s.n. (RB 12098); Serra de São José, May 1987 (fl), A. Silveira s.n. (R 158213); Serra de São José, Projeto Vegetação de Campos Rupestres, September 1989 (fl, fr), R.J.V. Alves & J. Kolbek s.n. (RB 287263); Serra de São José, 06 July 1991 (fl), J.R. Stehmann s.n. (BHCB 21364); Serra de São José, 21 o 05’11”S, 44 o 09’91”W, 16 January 1994 (fl), R.M. Harley et al. s.n. (SPF 92870); Serra de São José, 1997 (fl), A.E. Brina s.n. (BHCB 39413); Serra de São José, Cachoeira do Mangue, Projeto Vegetação de Campos Rupestres, 21º07’S, 44º12’W, no date (fl), R.J.V. Alves s.n. (RB 287262); Serra de São José, borda da trilha para Cachoeira do Mangue, 13 November 2001 (fl), R.J.V. Alves 6937 & D. Medeiros 02 (R); Serra de São José, topo da formação principal da Serra, extremidade oeste, 27 March 2001 (fl, fr), D. Medeiros 12 (R); D. Medeiros 13 (R); Serra de São José, alto da Calçada da Serra, 27 March 2001 (fl, fr), D. Medeiros 35 (R); D. Medeiros 38 (R); D. Medeiros 39 (R); D. Medeiros 40 (R); D. Medeiros 41 (R); Serra de São José, topo da Calçada da Serra, logo após o término do calçamento da trilha, June 2001 (fl), D. Medeiros 72 (R); D. Medeiros 73 (R); D. Medeiros 74 (R); D. Medeiros 75 (R); D. Medeiros 76 (R); D. Medeiros 77 (R); D. Medeiros 78 (R); Serra de São José, Calçada da Serra, 31 August 2001 (fl), D. Medeiros 107 (R); D. Medeiros 109 (R); Serra de São José, topo da Calçada da Serra, 24 October 2001 (fl, fr), D. Medeiros 139 (R); Serra de São José, Cachoeira do Mangue, 25 October 2001 (fl), D. Medeiros 158 (R); D. Medeiros 160 (R); Serra de São José, Calçada da Serra, 21 November 2001 (fl, fr), D. Medeiros 168 (R).

Taxonomic notes: —Although C. trichophorus was seemingly described as a new species, the type in B, which is still extant, shows that Müller Argoviensis just re-named C. vestitus of Sprengel.

Figures

FIGURE 21. Croton vestitus. A. Branch; B. Stipule; C. Inflorescence; D. Staminate flower: E. Sepal (dorsal side), F. Stamen; G. Pistillate flower; H. Fruit; I. Seed (dorsal side) (after D. Medeiros 13 (R); from Medeiros et. al. 2008).

FIGURE 22. Distribution map of Croton vestitus.