Rourea bahiensis Forero, Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 26(1): 103. 1976.

Toledo, Cassio A. P., Souza, Vinicius Castro & Lucas, Eve J., 2020, Nomenclatural and taxonomic updates in Rourea subgen. Rourea sect. Multifoliolatae (Connaraceae), PhytoKeys 169, pp. 137-175 : 137

Rourea bahiensis Forero, Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 26(1): 103. 1976. Fig. 2

Type.

Brazil. Bahia: Belmonte, mata costeira, 31 Jan 1967 (fr.), R. P. Belém & R. S. Pinheiro 3225 (Holotype: NY barcode NY 00010955!; isotypes: CEPEC!, MG!, NY!, UB!).

Description.

Lianas or scandent shrubs, 1-7 m tall; branchlets glabrous or sparsely puberulous, lenticels abundant, conspicuous or inconspicuous. Leaves (9-)11-17(-41)-foliolate, congested; petiole 0.6-2.2 cm long, villous to glabrescent, eglandular; rachis 3.5-6.5 cm long, villous to glabrescent, eglandular; leaflets subopposite to alternate, subsessile or pulvinulus ca. 1 mm long; blade of the basal pair of leaflets 0.6-1.1 × 0.5-0.8 cm, orbicular, others 1.1-2.2(-2.4) × 0.7-1 cm, narrowly elliptic, oblong or narrowly ovate, chartaceous or coriaceous, concolorous, rarely discolorous, sparsely villous to glabrescent on both surfaces, more densely on midvein, abaxially brownish or greenish, adaxially dull, base slightly asymmetric, cordate, subcordate or rounded, apex rounded, margin flat to revolute, glabrous or ciliate; midvein abaxially slightly prominent, adaxially flat, secondary veins 4-5 pairs, flat on both surfaces, tertiary veins flat on both surfaces. Inflorescences in axillary or ramiflorous cymes or determinate thyrses; bracts ca. 2 mm long; peduncle 1-10 mm long, sparsely pubescent to pubescent, eglandular; rachis 0.3-1.7 cm long, sparsely pubescent to pubescent, eglandular; lateral branches 0.8-2.5 cm long, glabrous or pubescent, eglandular. Flowers loosely disposed; buds 2-3 × 2 mm, ellipsoid or obovate; pedicel 7-12 mm long, eglandular, 1-2 bracteoles located up to the lower half, persistent; sepals 4-4.5 × 1.5 mm, chartaceous, ovate, outer surface glabrous, subglabrous or sparsely pubescent, eglandular, inner surface glabrous or subglabrous, margin ciliate, more densely at the apex; petals 5-6 × 1.5-2 mm, narrowly elliptic or narrowly obovate, glabrous on both surfaces; stamens connate at base by 0.8-1 mm, shorter series 2-4 mm long, longer series 2.5-6 mm long, glabrous; ovary 1-1.2 mm long, hirsute, style 2-2.5 mm long, sparsely hirsute, glabrous only at the apex, stigma peltate, bilobate. Fruits 1.1-1.3 × 0.4-0.6 cm, yellowish or reddish, outer surface sparsely puberulous, inner surface glabrous, apex obtuse, style partially persistent, calyx covering one third of the fruit; seeds ca. 0.8-1 × 0.3-0.5 cm, arillode orangish.

Distribution, habitat and phenology.

This species has only been found in Bahia and Espírito Santo (Fig. 3 ). In BA, populations of R. bahiensis are distributed in the southern portion of the state, occurring mainly in coastal areas from the municipality of Una to Porto Seguro and Alcobaça. In ES, specimens have been collected both in the interior of the state and coastal zones, ranging from northern to southern portions. Individuals of Rourea bahiensis are lianas or scandent shrubs up to 7 m tall. This species occurs in the Atlantic Rain Forest, growing on “Tabuleiro” or swamp forests, although sometimes it is also found in degraded areas. Specimens have been collected with flowers from October to November and with fruits from September to January.

Specimens examined.

Brazil. Bahia: Porto Seguro, RPPN Veracruz (Veracel Celulose), rodovia que atravessa a reserva, antiga entrada para Santa Cruz Cabrália, ca. 2 km do centro de visitantes, 16°09'27"S, 39°09'15"W, 02 Nov 2001 (fl.), J. G. Jardim & R. V. Lopes 3952 (CEPEC, HUEFS, NY); Itapebi, estrada para o distrito de Caubi, ca. 7 km da BR 101, Fazenda Palmeiras, ca. 10.5 km na entrada, 15°55'36"S, 39°38'09"W, 04 Nov 2001 (fl.), J. G. Jardim & R. V. Lopes 3954 (HUEFS, NY); Una, Reserva Biológica de Una (REBIO de Una), entrada ca. 45 km S de Ilhéus, margem da estrada que leva à sede da reserva, 15°10'46"S, 39°03'50"W, 13 Jan 2001 (fr.), F. Juchum & E. Forero 116 (CEPEC, NY, RB); Vitória da Conquista, Reserva do Poço Escuro, 26 Nov 2011 (fl.), L. C. Marinho et al. 218 (HUEFS); Camacan, trilha da Bapeba, 15°23'30"S, 39°33'35"W, 02 Apr 2009 (fr.), R. de O. Perdiz et al. 357 (CEPEC); Caravelas, rodovia BR 418, a 27 km SW de Alcobaça, 16 Sep 1978 (fr.), T. S. dos Santos et al. 3361 (CEPEC). Espírito Santo: Marilândia, Liberdade ( Água Viva, Pedra do Cruzeiro), prop.: Aguilar A. Lovucini, 18 Jan 2006 (fl., fr.), V. Demuner et al. 1626 (MBML, UB); Conceição da Barra, próximo à Itaúnas, 18°25'41"S, 39°42'56"W, alt. 10 m, 30 Oct 2014 (fr.), J. E. Q. Faria & T. N. C. Vasconcelos 4231 (UB); Linhares, Reserva Natural da Companhia Vale do Rio Doce, Aceiro Aracruz, primeira elevação após o entroncamento das 3 reservas, CVRD, Sooretama e Aracruz-Fazenda Calliman, 31 Oct 2007 (st.), F. L. R. Filardi 776 (RB); Reserva Natural Vale, estrada Farinha Seca, RFL-001/80, Bloco E, Trat 1, 30 Oct 2010 (fl.), D. A. Folli 5407 (CVRD, ESA); Estrada Gávea, 30 Oct 2003 (fl.), D. A. Folli 4659 (CVRD, ESA); Piuma, Apr 1993 (fr.), Helder José s. n. (SPF 77169); Santa Maria de Jetiba, Rio nove, Sítio de L. Kollmann, 26 Jan 2004 (fl.), L. Kollmann 6361 (BHCB, MBML, UB); Santa Teresa, Reserva Biológica Augusto Ruschi, 05 Dec 2002 (fl.), L. Kollmann & E. Bausen 5823 (MBML); Santa Teresa, Nova Lombardia, Reserva Biológica Augusto Ruschi. Altitude 800 m, 28 Nov 2001 (fl.), L. Kollmann et al. 5072 (MBML); Itaúnas, área da Fíbria com plantação de eucalipto, 18°29'27"S, 39°44'12"W, 21 Oct 2018 (fl., fr.), C. A. P. Toledo & N. C. Bígio 399 (ESA); Estrada para Lombardia, 25 Apr 2002 (fr.), R. R. Vervloet & E. Bausen 194 (MBML, UB); Trilha antiga, sede lado direiro, 26 Mar 2003 (fr.), R. R. Vervloet & E. Bausen 2053 (MBML, UB).

Recognition and notes.

Rourea bahiensis is morphologically similar to R. prostrata due to their narrowly elliptic or oblong leaflets usually measuring 0.9-2.2 × 0.5-1 cm. However, they are differentiated because R. bahiensis is a lianescent species without glandular trichomes, while R. prostrata is a prostrate subshrub with glandular trichomes. Rourea bahiensis can also be mistaken for R. discolor , from which it mainly differs by the smaller leaflets (1.1-2.2(-2.4) × 0.7-1 cm) and inflorescence rachis 0.3-1.7(-3.7) cm long vs. larger leaflets ((1.3-)2.2-4.5(-5.8) × (0.8-)1.2 × 1.7(-2.3) cm) and inflorescence rachis 3.5-11.8 cm long in R. discolor . Additionally, the petiole and leaf rachis are subglabrous to villous and the fruits are smaller (1.1-1.3 × 0.4-0.5 cm) in R. bahiensis , while, in R. discolor , the petiole and leaf rachis are glabrous and the fruits are larger (1.2-1.7 × 0.4-0.6 cm).

This species varies considerably in the characteristics of leaflet size, indumentum and texture. Some specimens, for example, have larger and chartaceous leaflets, which are usually sparsely villous abaxially; the opposite of this combination is composed of specimens with smaller, coriaceous and glabrous leaflets. This seems a common variation in the species probably related to branch and leaf development as few materials were found with the two conditions mentioned above (e.g. J. G. Jardim et al. 3952). Additionally, deciduousness of trichomes may explain why some leaf blades are glabrous and others, sparsely villous.

Figures

Figure 2. Rourea bahiensis: A flowering branchlet B habit C congested leaves D fruit E fruiting branchlet.

Figure 3. Geographic distribution of Rourea bahiensis (circles), R. barbata (triangles) and R. blanchetiana (squares).