Trigonia rytidocarpa Casar.

  • Authority

    Lleras, Eduardo. 1978. Trigoniaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 19: 1-73. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Trigoniaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Trigonia rytidocarpa Casar.

  • Type

    Type. Casaretto 1956, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, fl fr (holotype TO; isotype G).

  • Synonyms

    Trigonia glazioviana Warm.

  • Description

    Description - Subscandent shrub (fide Casaretto), the branches terete, lenticellate, tomentellous, becoming glabrous with age. Stipules subulate, bifid, to 2.0 mm long, tomentellous; petioles 5.0-10.0(-13.0) mm long, 0.8-1.5 mm thick, glabrous or nearly so; lamina oblong-elliptic to elliptic, sometimes broadly elliptic, 5.0-11.0 cm long, 2.5-5.0(-7.0) cm wide, the margins entire to very slightly revolute, the apex abruptly acuminate, the base acute to obtuse; venation eucamptodromous, glabrous above, very slightly lanate beneath, the midrib depressed to plane above, prominent beneath, secondary veins 6-8(-9) pairs, tertiary venation reticulate, visible beneath; intercostal pubescence absent above, sparsely arachnoid to lanate beneath. Inflorescences terminal and subterminal axillary panicles, 5.0-15.0 cm long. Flowers in groups (cincinni) of 1-4, usually grouped dichotomously in racemose ultimate inflorescences; peduncles and pedicels of variable length, 0.4-1.5 mm long, diminishing towards the apex of the inflorescence, tomentellous, the bracts and bracteoles of equal size, triangular, 1.0-2.5 mm long, tomentellous, sometimes sheathing the peduncles and pedicels; sepals ovate or oblong, 2.5-3.0 mm long, 1.0-1.5 mm wide, tomentellous, sometimes laciniate at the margins; standard 3.4-3.8 mm long, the pouch extending to 3A of the length, barbate at the throat, the wings narrowly spathulate (to almost linear), 2.8-3.0 mm long, 0.4-0.5 mm wide, barbate at the base, the keel petals 2.5-2.8 mm long, 0.9-1.5 mm wide, the pouch along the upper portion; stamens 9-10, with 6 fertile, staminodes 34, the filaments 1.5-2.0 mm long, connate for 2/3 of the length, the anthers 0.2-0.3 mm long, ca 0.2 mm wide; glands 2, 2-3-lobed, irregular, ca 0.2 mm per side, barbate or glabrous; style 1.5-1.8 mm long, villous, the stigma trilobate, ca 0.2 mm in diameter; ovary subglobose, ca 0.5 mm in diameter, the lateral septae not fused at the center, the ovules numerous. Fruit 2.8-3.0 cm long, broadly oblong; the exocarp rugose, yellow-velutinous when young, becoming glabrous when mature; endocarp very slightly tomentellous. Seeds ovate, ca 0.4 mm in diameter, the trichomes ca 5.0 mm long.

  • Discussion

    Trigonia rytidocarpa can be separated from T. eriosperma by its larger, more complex inflorescences, its generally larger leaves, and by its unique rugose, crested fruit, as well as several other minor characters.

    The relationships of this species are closer to Trigonia eriosperma than to any other. Warming interpreted T. crotonoides (T. eriosperma var eriosperma) as an intermediate between this species and T. simplex (T. eriosperma var simplex); although in a sense this may be true, I find that T. rytidocarpa is distinct enough to merit specific status, but consider T. simplex a variety of T. eriosperma.

    This species has been commonly known as Trigonia glazioviana, name that is now being rejected for the earlier T. rytidocarpa.

  • Distribution

    A species probably endemic only to coastal forests in Rio de Janeiro, Guanabara and northern São Paulo.

    Brazil South America| Rio de Janeiro Brazil South America| São Paulo Brazil South America|