Calliandra Species Pages

Calliandra feioana

Rupert C. Barneby

90.  Calliandra feioana Renvoize, Kew Bull. 36: 75 ["feioanum"], fig. 2(24), 6B. 1981. — "Brazil, Bahia . . . Serra do Curral Feio, Lagoinha to Minas do Mimoso, Harley et al. 16972." — Holotypus, CEPEC!; isotypi, K!, NY!.

C. feioanum sensu Lewis, 1987: 173.

Erect microphyll shrubs ±1 m with simple or few-branched stems, lacking brachyblasts, the new stems, all lf-axes, and peduncles pilose with fine straight subvertically erect, pallid hairs to 1-1.5 mm mixed (especially the peduncles) with small reddish trichomes, the lvs moderately discolorous, the plane, facially glabrous lfts a little darker and more lustrous above than beneath, ciliate, the peduncles arising solitary or 2(3) together in distal lf-axils, as long as or scarcely longer than the subtending If; phyllotaxy distichous. Stipules herbaceous lance-ovate 3.5-5 x 1-1.5 mm, ±5-nerved, pilose dorsally, deciduous. Lf-formula iv—viii/16—21 (-25); lf-stks 1.5-2.3 cm, the petiole of lower ones attaining 4-7 x 0.7-1 mm, that of further ones almost 0, the longer interpinnal segments 3-7 mm, the ventral groove bridged; pinnae subequilong (randomly shorter), the rachis of longer ones 1.6-2.7 cm, the longer interfoliolar segments 0.7-1 mm; lft-pulvinules 0.15-0.2 x 0.3-0.4 mm; lft-blades narrowly oblong- elliptic from bluntly auriculate base, deltate or obtuse at apex, the longer ones 3.6-4.5 x 1-1.5 mm, 3-3.8 times as long as wide; venation obtusely prominulous on both faces, the straight midrib forwardly displaced to divide blade 1:2-3, shortly 2-branched beyond middle, the inner posterior primary nerve incurved- ascending a little beyond mid-blade, the 1-2 outer posterior nerves much shorter. Peduncles ±2-4 cm, ebracteate; capitula 4-8(-9)-fld, the clavate receptacle 1.5-2(-2.5) mm; floral bracts linear-lanceolate ±3.5 4.5 x 0.3-0.5 mm, early dry caducous; fls homomorphic, 5-merous, the calyx (dry) ±15-nerved, the corolla more faintly so, the calyx-tube glabrous but the teeth thinly pilosulous near apex, the corolla remotely granular-papillate, its lobes thinly puberulent or thinly pilose near apex; pedicels broadly turbinate ±0.8 x 1.2 mm; calyx ±2-2.5 mm, the deltate teeth 0.5 mm; corolla 7 mm, the moderately carnosulous lobes ±2 mm, at apex 0.4 mm thick in section; androecium 52- merous, ±31 mm, the stemonozone 1.8 mm, the tube 6.2 mm, the tassel white rubescent; ovary at anthesis thinly pilosulous around top. Pod unknown.

About sandstone outcrops in campo cerrado, 950-1000 m, known only from the type collection, from near 10°22 S, 41°20 W, on Sa. Curral Feio in interior Bahia. — Fl. II—III.

The affinities of C. feioana are not manifest in the one known collection, which in technical characters is suggestive of either C. hirsuticaulis or C. fuscipila. It differs from both of these in prevailingly longer petioles and peduncles and in androecial tassel white rubescent, not red at full anthesis; and further from C. hirsuticaulis in short (±0.5, not 1.2-3.6 mm) calyx-teeth and from C. fuscipila in longer (3.5-4.5, not ±1 mm) floral bracts.

References: [Article] Barneby, Rupert C. 1998. Silk tree, guanacaste, monkey's earring: A generic system for the synandrous Mimosaceae of the Americas. Part III. Calliandra. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 74: 1-223.