Jacaranda jasminoides (Thunb.) Sandwith

  • Authority

    Gentry, Alwyn H. 1992. Bignoniaceae--part II (Tribe Tecomeae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 25: 1-370. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Bignoniaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Jacaranda jasminoides (Thunb.) Sandwith

  • Type

    Type. Brazil. Thunberg s.n. (holotype,

  • Synonyms

    Bignonia jasminoides Thunb., Jacaranda tomentosa R.Br., Bignonia curialis Vell., Jacaranda curialis (Vell.) DC., Jacaranda pubescens Lodd. ex G.Don, Jacaranda subvelutina Mart. ex DC., Jacaranda alagoensis Vattimo

  • Description

    Species Description - Small tree (1-)2-4 m tall, the branchlets terete, puberulous. Leaves bipinnate, sometimes in part simple pinnate or with part of pinnae reduced to single leaflets, 12-25 cm long with 5-9 pinnae, the rachis terete, puberulous, the leaflets (l-)5-9(-11) per pinna, sessile, ovate or ovate-elliptic, somewhat asymmetric, apex acute to obtuse, the base cuneate to rounded, 1.8-4(-7) cm long, 0.9-2(-4) cm wide, the terminal leaflet usually conspicuously larger, the surface smooth, olive green and sparsely pilose above, below densely whitish-pilose, sometimes scabrous above, membranaceous to subcoriaceous, sometimes slightly subbullate. Inflorescence a panicle, puberulous, with small linear bracts. Flowers with the calyx cupular, shallowly 5-dentate, 4-7 mm long and 3-6 mm wide, usually rather sparsely pilose, sometimes in part with gland-tipped trichomes; corolla lilac to deep wine-colored, tubular-campanulate above a narrow basal tube, 3.5-5(-7) cm long, 0.8-2.5 cm wide at the mouth, the lobes 0.5-1 cm long, the tube 3-5(-6) cm long, rather sparsely puberulous outside with short (in part sessile) gland-tipped trichomes, also glandular-pubescent on lobes and inside at stamen insertion; stamens didynamous, the anthers bithecate, each theca 2-3 mm long, the long staminode to 5 cm long, subexserted, the apex entire or slightly bifid, only the middle and apex strongly glandular pubescent; ovary flattened-ovate, 2 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide, glabrous, slightly contracted at base to top of broadly conical 1 x 2 mm disk. Fruit elliptic to oblong, thinly woody, glabrous with a somewhat raised lepidote surface, drying dark brown to blackish, subtended by persistent calyx; seeds small-bodied, with a surrounding suborbicular wing, ca. 1 cm long, ca. 2 cm wide, the wing hyaline-membranaceous with radial brownish striations, clearly demarcated from the seed body.

  • Discussion

    Characterized by the strongly pilose leaflets, usually of noticeably different sizes on the same leaf, especially with the terminal conspicuously larger. The persistent calyx in fruit is also unusual in the genus. Recently described J. alagoensis is clearly referable to J. jasminoides. The very fragmentary type was described as having bipinnate leaves but is a perfect match with material from Pernambuco that shows the typical combination of divided upper pinnae with lower pinnae reduced to single leaflets that is so characteristic of J. jasminoides. Rather bullate leaflets with a scabrous upper surface, similar to those of the J. alagoensis type, are found as variants throughout the range of J. jasminoides.

  • Common Names

    carobo, carobo miuda

  • Distribution

    Coastal Brazil from Rio de Janeiro to Pernambuco; also Ceará. Especially characteristic of vegetation patches on top of the morros around Rio de Janeiro; 0-600 m elevation.

    Brazil South America| Bahia Brazil South America| Ceará Brazil South America| Espirito Santo Brazil South America| Minas Gerais Brazil South America| Pernambuco Brazil South America| Piauí Brazil South America| Rio de Janeiro Brazil South America|