Chamaecrista desvauxii var. chapadicola H.S.Irwin & Barneby
-
Authors
Howard S. Irwin, Rupert C. Barneby
-
Authority
Irwin, Howard S. & Barneby, Rupert C. 1982. The American Cassiinae. A synoptical revision of Leguminosae tribe Cassieae subtrib Cassiinae in the New World. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 35, part 2: 455-918.
-
Family
Caesalpiniaceae
-
Scientific Name
-
Type
BRAZIL. Mato Grosso: Salto das Sete Quedas on Rio Verde, ±15 km s. w. of Rio Verde, 8.II. 1975 (fl, fr), Anderson, Hatschbach, Barneby & Gates 11268.—Holotypus, MBM; isotypi, K, NY, US.
-
Description
Latin Diagnosis - Chamaecrista desvauxii (Colladon) Killip var. chapadicola Irwin & Barneby, var. nov., a var. langsdorfii habitu foliolisque interdum coriaceis craspedo-neuris simili forsan propiuscule affinis sed foliolorum ambitu valde obliquorum nervo mediano falcatim incurvo pedicellisque abbreviatis 3-9 (nec 8-30) mm longis distincta; a Ch. ramosa var. lucida foliolis obliquis incurvis pedicellisque brevibus comparabili imprimis petiolis plerisque elongatis 4-6 (nec 1-2.5) mm longis abstans.
Species Description - Erect, sometimes wandlike but at least distally branched subshrubs at anthesis 5-9 dm, with densely leafy, either ascending or plagiotropic branchlets, either glabrous below the always strigulose ovary or the stem sometimes unilaterally puberulent and the petioles ventrally ciliolate, the foliage always glabrous, olivaceous or glaucescent, the firmly chartaceous leaflets prominently cartilaginous- margined; stipules broadly ovate-cordate acute 7-11 x 4-6.5 mm, a little shorter or longer than internode, persistent; lf-stalks (3.5-)4.5-7 mm, the petiole (3-)4-6 mm, the rachis 0.8-1.4 mm; gland 0.7-1.3 mm diam, sessile or almost so, in profile depressed-drum-shaped or broadly obconic, 0.2-0.7 mm shorter than diam of head; lfts falcately oblanceolate to obliquely obovate, at apex obtuse mucronulate or broadly deltate, the proximal pair ±¼ shorter than the distal, these of larger lvs (9—) 11—18 x 4-6 mm, 2.5-3.5 times longer than wide; pedicels 3-9 mm, shorter than stipules; long sepal 9-12 mm; longer petals 9-14 mm; pod 26-38 x 6-8 mm; ovules 10-15.—Collections: 5.
Distribution and Ecology - Cerrado on sandstone, 450-700 m, locally plentiful on both slopes of the Amazon-Paraguai divide in centr. and s.-w. Mato Grosso.—Fl. IX-II.
-
Discussion
The earliest known collection of var. chapadicola, made about a hundred years ago in "western Brazil" by the Austrian naturalist Tamberlik (s.n., NY), was referred by Irwin (1964, p. 73) to Ch. curvifolia var. lucida but particularly noted as atypical, simulating C. langsdorfii in the coriaceous texture and strong primary and marginal nervation of the leaflets. Now better known, this striking plant emerges as a definite entity morphologically intermediate between Ch. ramosa var. lucida and Ch. desvauxii var. langsdorfii, having the incurved leaflets and short pedicels of the former combined with stiffly margined leaflets and longer petioles of the latter. It is one of several tetraphyllous Xerocalyx cassias linking the microphyllous and macrophyllous series which we arbitrarily distinguish by petiole length, the critical differential character throwing var. chapadicola on the side of Ch. desvauxii.
-
Objects
Additional material, all from Mato Grosso (all at NY): Xavantina-Cachimbo road, km 223, 21.I.68 (fl), Philcox & Fereira 4138; Chapada dos Guimarães, 13.II.75 (fl, fr), Anderson et al. 11355; ibid., 14.XI.75 (fl), Hatschbach 37552.
-
Distribution
Mato Grosso Brazil South America| Brazil South America|