Hirtella parviunguis Prance, Revista

Barros, Natália, Menezes, Luis Fernando Tavares de, Sothers, Cynthia & Peixoto, Ariane Luna, 2025, Flora of Espírito Santo: Chrysobalanaceae, Rodriguesia (e 00872024) 76, pp. 1-39 : 19

4.6. Hirtella parviunguis Prance, Revista Brasil. Bot. 2(1): 34. 1979. Figs. 1 e-f; 8

Tree, up to 23 m tall, DBH 38 cm, stem 12 m tall, cylindric, bark rough; young branches sparsely pubescent, becoming glabrous with age, lenticellate. Leaves elliptic, 3.9–7.2 × 1.3–2.9 cm, chartaceous, discolorous, base cuneate, apex acute to acuminate, acumen 3–4 mm long, glabrous on both sides, midrib plane to prominulous adaxially, prominulous abaxially, primary veins 7–9 pairs, sometimes with discoid glands at the base of the lamina; petiole 2–3 mm long, pubescent, terete, eglandular; stipules 2, lanceolate, 3–6 mm long, chartaceous, pubescent, at petiole basis, persistent. Inflorescence terminal, racemose, pubescent; bracts 2, lanceolate, 6–7 mm long, pubescent; bracteoles 1, triangular, ca. 2 mm long, pubescent, eglandular. Flowers ca. 1.7 cm long, pubescent, pedicel 4–6 cm long; receptacle campanulate, 2–3 mm long, glabrous except at throat; sepals rounded, with acute apex, ca. 3 mm long, pubescent, reflexed; petals elliptic, ca. 3 mm long, glabrous; stamens 6, inserted unilaterally, filaments 1.2–1.3 cm long, free; ovary ca. 1 mm long, sericeous, style 1.1–1.3 cm long, basal 1/3 sericeous. Drupe dark green, obovoid, sessile, 2.2–2.9 × 1.4–1.5 cm, epicarp smooth, longitudinally striate, glabrous.

Selected material examined: Domingos Martins, Melgaço, 8.XI.1993, fr., G. Hatschbach 59746 ( CEPEC, US). Linhares, estrada a povoação, 30.III.1971, fl., T.S. Santos 1512 ( CEPEC, NY); Reserva Natural Vale, Estrada Parajú ,

próximo à antiga casa de guarda, 24.VIII.1993, fr., D.A. Folli 1958 ( CVRD, RB) .

Hirtella parviunguis is close to H. barrosoi (see comments under this species). However, it can be distinguished by the leaves with shorter acumen, stipules at base of petiole, racemose inflorescence, larger bracts and higher number of stamens. Collected with flowers from March to July, and fruits from August to November.

Hirtella parviunguis is here confirmed endemic to EspÍrito Santo state, recorded only in the municipalities of Domingos Martins and Linhares, in Restinga, Ombrophilous forest and Mata de Tabuleiro areas. This species is classified as EN for the country ( Brasil 2022) and Critically Endangered (CR) for the state ( Fraga et al. 2019). It was collected in only one protected area, Reserva Natural Vale.

The common names for this species are cabaceiro (D.A. Folli 2007) and macucurana (D.A. Folli 1958)