Pilocarpus grandiflorus Engl.

  • Authority

    Kaastra, Roelof C. 1982. A monograph of the Pilocarpinae (Rutaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 33: 1-198. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Rutaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Pilocarpus grandiflorus Engl.

  • Type

    Type. Sellow s.n., Brazil, "inter Victoria et Bahia," see below, fl (B, destroyed; fragment, P-type Herb. Baillon ex B).

  • Description

    Species Description - Tree, reported as 10 m tall with trunk 15 cm in diam.; branchlets 7-10 mm in diam., grayish-brown, minutely pubescent with hairs 0.05-0.1 mm. Leaves imparipinnate, 5-6-jugate, ca. 50 × 25-30 cm; petiole subterete, ca. 12 cm long and 2-3 mm thick; rachis 15 cm long with interspaces 3-5 cm; lateral petiolules inserted at 60-70°, ca. 3 mm long (the terminal petiolule longer), not sharply separated from the decurrent base of the leaflet; leaflet blades elliptic or subobovate, to 16 × 8 cm, the lowermost leaflets smaller, attenuate and unequal at base, obtuse or rounded at apex, the very tip emarginate, margin strongly revolute, leaflet blades coriaceous, shining above, dull beneath, green, subglabrous, minutely appressed-puberulous on the midvein and the base below with hairs 0.050.1 mm, venation brochidodromous, prominent on both sides, the midvein impressed towards base above, very prominent beneath. Racemes curved, much longer than 80 cm, 2-2.5 cm wide, with numerous flowers, puberulous with ferrugineous hairs in all parts; rachis 4 mm thick proximally, becoming transversely cracked; pedicels at anthesis inserted at 90°, 4-5 mm long and 1.5-2 mm thick; bractlets 2, alternate, triangular, 0.6-0.7 × 0.6-0.9 mm. Flowers ca. 13.5 mm in diam.; calyx 5-lobed, ca. 2 mm long; lobes separate, depressed-triangular, ca. 0.5-1 × 1.5-2.5 mm, obtuse, thickly coriaceous, minutely pubescent with tawny hairs to 0.1 mm long; petals valvate, ca. 5 × 3.5-3.7 mm, inflexed at tip through 1 mm, very thickly coriaceous, 0.5 mm thick distally, dark brown-purplish, carinate and slightly impressed above, minutely pubescent below with tawny hairs to 0.1 mm long, venation ± parallel; filaments narrowly ovate in outline, truncate at apex, flattened toward base, ca. 3.5 mm long and 0.8-0.9 mm thick, longitudinally ribbed, dark purplish, glabrous or strigillose with hairs 0.1-0.2 mm; anthers ovoid, strongly recurved, ca. 2-2.5 × 1.3-1.6 mm, with a small dorsal gland; disc 1 mm high and 4 mm in diam., irregularly plicate, brown-purplish, strigillose with tawny hairs 0.2 mm long; carpels inserted on a gynophore ca. 1 mm, adnate to the disc, dorsally strongly obtuse-angled, ca. 1.4 mm high, protruding 0.7 mm beyond the disc, dark brown, with internal glands 0.2 mm, densely strigillose with tawny hairs 0.2 mm; ovules 2, one of them developing; style not protruding beyond the ovary; stigma subsessile, capitate, ca. 0.7 × 0.7 mm. Fruits unknown.

  • Discussion

    No material of this species was known after the destroying of the type in B, except for a good drawing. In P I traced some fragments of the type, a single leaflet and some flowers. Fortunately the species still exists, as demonstrated by Santos 1522.

    Vegetatively Pilocarpus grandiflorus differs from P. pennatifolius in the 5-6-jugate and rather large leaves. The flowers are quite distinct, e.g. in size and indument.

    There are some vegetative similarities with P. demerarae, which see.

    There are two possible type localities: 1. between Bahia (=Salvador) and Victoria (=Vitória, the capital of Espírito Santo), therefore in the state of Espírito Santo (1816) or Bahia (1816 or 1817); cf. Herter (1949), or 2. between Bahia (=Salvador) and Victoria (ca. 100 km N of Bahia), in the state of Bahia (1817 or 1818?).

  • Distribution

    Brazil (known from Espírito Santo, possibly from Bahia too). Forests; collected in flower: Mar-Apr.

    Brazil South America| Bahia Brazil South America| Espirito Santo Brazil South America|