Pavonia spectabilis Krapov.

  • Authority

    Fryxell, Paul A. 1999. Cavanilles (Malvaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 76: 1-284. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Malvaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Pavonia spectabilis Krapov.

  • Type

    Type. Brazil. Bahia: Mun. Santa Cruz de Cabrália, hwy. from Porto Seguro to Santa Cruz de Cabrália, km 18, 17 Jun 1980, Mattos-Silva & Brito 850 (holotype, CEPEC-n.v.; isotype, CTES).

  • Description

    Species Description - Tree to 8 m tall, the stems densely stellate-pubescent, the hairs 0.3-0.4 mm long, persistent. Leaf blades elliptic to oblong, to 30 x 16 cm, truncate to subcordate, serrate, acute, penninerved (or basally 3-5-nerved, the lateral nerves reduced), with ca. 10 secondary nerves on each side, the midrib prominently raised beneath, slightly raised above, obscurely pubescent above, with minute stellate and simple hairs beneath; petioles 3-8 cm long, minutely and densely pubescent, the hairs finer than on the stem; stipules 12-14 mm (smaller in inflorescence) by 3-4 mm, triangular-acuminate, inflorescence terminal, spiciform, branched, leafless, with very short internodes and persistent stipules; pedicels 10-12 mm long, densely farinose-puberulent; involucel 12-15 mm long, basally gamophyllous, the bracts ca. 5, triangular, 4-6 mm wide at the base, with minute stellate pubescence; calyx subequal to involucel, more densely pubescent than involucel, the hairs yellowish; petals 15-16 x 4-5 mm (exceeding the calyx by 8-9 mm), dark reddish in sicco; androecium subequal to corolla, the column puberulent, the anthers purplish, grouped terminally, the pollen yellow (spiny); styles and stigmas barely exceeding the androecium. Fruits 8-9 mm diam., glabrous, smooth or reticulate-veined, shiny, the mericarps 1 cm tall.

  • Discussion

    Illustration. Krapovickas (1990: fig. 2).

    Pavonia spectabilis is one of the species of P. subgen. Goetheoides with spiciform or racemiform inflorescences, together with P. ducke-limae and P spiciformis. It differs from both of the latter species in having densely pubescent petioles, simple (undivided) stipules, and fewer involucellar bracts.

  • Distribution

    In S Bahia, Brazil, in the wet forest along the Atlantic coast growing more or less at sea level. The type locality is at 16°24'S, 39°04'W.

    Brazil South America| Bahia Brazil South America|