Trichilia aquifolia P. Wilson, N. Amer. Fl.

Pennington, Terence D., 2016, Systematic Treatment Of American Trichilia (Meliaceae), Phytotaxa 259 (1), pp. 18-162 : 90-91

37. Trichilia aquifolia P. Wilson, N. Amer. Fl. 25: 278 (1924); T. D.Penn., Fl. Neotrop. 28: 225 (1981). Type:— Plumier, Pl. Amer., ed. Burman 5: 109, t. 118, fig. 2 (1757) (lectotype, chosen by Pennington FN 28: 225 (1981). Map 43

Trichilia tsiangii P.T.Li & X.M.Chen, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 22(6): 496 (1984), new name for T. cuneifolia (L.) Urb., not Pulle (1909).

For synonymy see FN 28: 225 (1981). Illustration FN 28: 226, fig. 48 (1981).

MAP 43. Distribution of Trichilia aquifolia Wilson. Solid dots, distribution pre-1981, open dots new records 1981–2010.

Abbreviated Description. Indumentum puberulous with simple hairs, leaves imparipinnate or trifoliolate, leaflets 3–7, opposite or alternate, 3.5 × 3.5–5 × 4 cm, broadly cuneiform (obtriangular), apex and lateral lobes produced into a sharp spine, venation craspedodromous, coriaceous, inflorescence 2.5–4 cm long, a slender few-flowered thyrse, petals 5, 3–3.5 mm long, free or fused for 1/4 of their length, valvate, filaments completely fused in a staminal tube, margin with 10 short acute lobes, anthers 10, nectary absent, ovary appressed pubescent or strigose, 3(–4)-locular, locules with 2 collateral ovules, capsule ca. 1.6 cm long, 3-valved, oblong, verrucose, puberulous, seed solitary, completely surrounded by a thin fleshy arillode.

Distribution & Ecology. Hispaniola, in tropical dry forest over limestone.

Additional Collections Examined. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. Prov. Azua, between Puerto Tortuguero and Hatillo (NW1870), García et al. 87 (NY); Llanura Oriental, Prov. La Altagracia, 4 km N of Bayahibe (NW1868), García et al. 6128 (F); Prov. La Altagracia, Parque Nacional del Este (NW1868), Zanoni & Mejia 17083 (NY).

Relationships. The spiny-leaved Antillean species ( T. aquifolia , T. triacantha , T. stenophylla , T. monacantha , T. pungens ) were regarded as a closely related group on account of their distinctive morphology (FN28: 224–231 (1981)). However, this relationship has not been confirmed by the ITS analysis, which included T. aquifolia and T. triacantha . Trichilia aquifolia is placed near the base of sect. Moschoxylum near T. quadrijuga , whereas T. triacantha is included with a small group of coastal Brazilian species including T. catigua , T. pseudostipularis and T. ramalhoi . The spiny leaves of these species are apparently a case of convergent evolution, in response to some environmental factors of the dry limestone forests.