Ticanto caesia (Hand.-Mazz.) R. Clark & Gagnon, 2022

Clark, Ruth P., Jiang, Kai-Wen & Gagnon, Edeline, 2022, Reinstatement of Ticanto (Leguminosae - Caesalpinioideae) - the final piece in the Caesalpinia group puzzle, PhytoKeys 205, pp. 59-98 : 59

1. Ticanto caesia (Hand.-Mazz.) R. Clark & Gagnon comb. nov.

Caesalpinia hypoglauca Chun & F. C. How., Acta Phytotax. Sin. 7: 20 pl. 6. 1958. Type: China. Kwangtung, Sup Man Ta Shan [Mt. Shiwandashan], 26 Jul. 1933, H.Y. Liang 69864 (lectotype: (designated by Vidal and Hul Thol 1976): A [A00059892!], isolectotypes IBK [IBK00190838!, IBK00190839!]) (note: the locality of this specimen is in Qinzhou, which has been considered part of Guangxi since 1952).

Basionym.

Caesalpinia caesia Hand.-Mazz., Oesterr. Bot. Z. 85: 215. 1936.

Type.

China. Kwangsi, Fenzel 3 (W!).

Description.

Habit a climber. Stems with sparse recurved prickles, puberulent. Stipules unknown. Leaves with 5-8(-9) pairs opposite pinnae; leaf rachis and petiole 15-20 cm, leaf rachis and pinnae rachises pilose; leaflets 8-12(-15) opposite pairs per pinna, subsessile, chartaceous, oblong, base strongly asymmetric, apex truncate or obtuse-rounded, emarginate, 0.8-1.5 × 0.4-0.6 cm, both surfaces glabrous. Inflorescence a panicle, supra-axillary or terminal, 10-15 cm, the axes brown puberulent; pedicels 4-7 mm, articulated. Flowers with a hypanthium, this glabrous, lower calyx lobe ca. 6 mm long, others 3.5-4 mm, all lobes glabrous; petals obovate-oblong, ca. 3.5-5.5 mm long, median petal with rhombic patch of dense hairs on the inner surface at base of blade, other petals pubescent, shortly clawed; stamen filaments ca. 6 mm long, ferruginous pilose at base; ovary glabrous, 2-ovuled, style ca. 4 mm long. Fruit blackish when dry, indehiscent, ligneous, elliptic, inflated at maturity, venation prominent, glabrous, ca. 4.5-5 × 2.3-5 cm, ventral suture narrowly winged. Seed 1, lenticulate, 1.5 × 2.0 cm, blackish.

Ecology.

Sparse forests along rivers, elevation 200-1000 m.

Phenology.

Flowering July-September, fruiting August.

Distribution.

China (Guangxi, Hainan) (Map 1 ).

Notes.

Only one specimen collected from Hainan was seen by the current authors (H. Fenzel s.n., see the citation below), of which the detailed locality is unknown (not recorded on the specimen). To include Hainan in the species distribution, we georeferenced this specimen in the centre of the island.

Selected specimens examined.

China. Guangxi: Fangcheng, Naliang, s. coll., s.n. (PEY). Fangcheng, Dongzhong, Dakeng Village , Shiwandashan Exped. 3224 (IBK). Shiwandashan, C.L. Tso 23669 (IBSC) . Hainan: H. Fenzel s.n. (IBSC) .

Figures

Map 1. Distribution of all species (excluding T. crista).