Taccarum ulei Engl. & K. Krause, Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin

Freitas, Rafaelle Neves, Silva, Maria Francilene Souza, Paiva, Jousimar Silva, Mayo, Simon Joseph & de Andrade, Ivanilza Moreira, 2017, Taxonomic survey of the Araceae Juss. in the coastal region of Piauí state, northeast Brazil, including the Rio Parnaíba Delta, Iheringia, Série Botânica 72 (3), pp. 341-350 : 347-349

6. Taccarum ulei Engl. & K. Krause, Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 6: 116. 1914.

( Figs. 3 D-E, 4B)

Large geophyte to ca. 60-95 cm tall, stem an underground tuber, 1-2 × 1-3 cm, externally brown and whitish within. Leaf solitary; petiole 40-92 × 1-1.5 cm, cylindrical, at the base colored whitish, green and pink, with or without variegation, and above colored brown and green, variegated with transverse, irregular, oblique patches contrasting white on the upper side and dark green or brownish on the lower side; leaf blade 25-109.5 × 20-67 cm, entire to trilobed in the juvenile phase and bipinnatifid to dracontioid in the adult phase, membranaceous, ultimate lobes (leaflets) ovate, apex acute, margin entire, adaxial side dark green, abaxial side concolorous with prominent white or vinaceous veins. Inflorescence solitary; peduncle 19-24 × 1 cm, canaliculate with a flattened portion. Spathe 12-20 × 0.5-4 cm, ovate-oblong, light green and pink internally towards base, dark green externally, variegated obscurely on both surfaces, apex cuspidate. Spadix projecting beyond spathe, erect, 10-15 cm long, male zone much longer than female zone, spadix axis purplish between the flowers. Flowers unisexual, perigon absent; male flower consisting of a synandrium of connate stamens with a smooth, hemispherical, cream-white or pink stigmatoid connective protruding well above the light-orange anthers; female flower consists of a single gynoecium surrounded by a whorl of 4-5 ± clavate staminodes white and ovoid at the apex, pink at the base, ovary purplish-pink, stigma large, slightly ± 6-lobed, light yellow, wider than the style. Berry pink-green, with 2-10 loculi, most berries with 6 locules. Seeds 1 per locule, 4-8 mm long, cream-colored with red spots over the entire surface.

Phenology: In full bloom from January to June.

Selected material: Cajueiro da Praia: Canto Grande, 30.IV.2012, fl. and fr., Freitas 75, 76, 77, 78,79, 80, 81 ( HDELTA).

Comments: Taccarum ulei can be recognized by its maculate petiole with dark green, longitudinal striae, and the solitary dracontioid leaf, with 3 to 5 pairs of deeply pinnatifid lobes. It occurs from the coastal forests of the “ tabuleiro ” (the low coastal plateau) and restinga to areas of caatinga in the semi-arid region further inland. It grows in temporarily moist soils, occasionally completely exposed to the sun (Gonçalves 2002).

This species is endemic to Northeast Brazil (Gonçalves 2002) and has been recorded in the states of Alagoas, Ceará, Maranhão, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte and Sergipe ( Coelho et al. 2015) .

Figures

Figs. 3A-J. Araceae from the coastal region of Piauí. A-C. Spathicarpa gardneri Schott. A. Habit; B. Inflorescence; C. Detail of male (left) and female (right) flowers: D, E. Taccarum ulei Engl. & K. Krause. D. Habit, showing single leaf and inflorescence; E. Inflorescence; F-H. Wolffiella lingulata (Hegelm). Hegelm. F. Habit, side view of plant with two united fronds; G. Morphological variation of two-fronded plants; H. Plant with two fronds, seen from above; I, J. Wolffiella oblonga (Phil.) Hegelm. I. Plant with three united fronds seen from above; J. Habit in relation to the water surface, side view of three-fronded plant.