Senna pallida var. nemorosa (Kunth) H.S.Irwin & Barneby
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Authors
Howard S. Irwin, Rupert C. Barneby
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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.
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Family
Caesalpiniaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Holotypus, labelled "n. 3662. Querocotillo," P-HBK! isotypus, †B (hb. Kunth.) = F Neg. 1765.
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Synonyms
Cassia nemorosa Kunth
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Description
Variety Description - Weakly arborescent, at anthesis 1-2.5 m, sparsely pilosulous with subap- pressed hairs to 0.3-0.5 mm, the lfts glabrous on both faces, the inflorescence and general facies of var. pallida. Stipules subulate-setiform 1.5^ x ±0.2 mm. Primary cauline lvs 3.5-9(-10) cm; petiole 5-15 mm; rachis 2-7 cm; gland sessile or short-stipitate, 2-2.6 x 0.5-0.9 mm; lfts (5-)6-9 pairs, oblong-elliptic or obovate, not or only slightly accrescent distally, the largest 8-18 x 5-9 mm, the pinnate venation finely prominulous above, reticular venulation 0. Peduncles 1.2-3 cm; pedicels 15-20 mm; large sepals 6-8.5 mm; long petals 16-22 mm; 4 median anthers ±4 mm, with pronounced conic points at the truncate apex, the 3 abaxial ones 4.5-5 mm with beak 1.8-2.5 mm. Stipe of pod 5-6 mm, the body 6-11 x 0.6-0.75 cm; seeds oblong or obovate in profile 3.9-4.5 x 1.8-2.5 mm, the areole 0.45-0.6 x 0.4-0.5 mm.-Collections: 10. [Key: "Appendage terminal of lf-stalk subulate or setiform, not modified and dilated into a gland; range of whole species. Continental N. and S. America and Lesser Antilles, s. Windward Is. and Swan Is. in s. Caribbean; anthers nearly always stouter (1.2-)1.3-2 mm diam, abruptly truncate at apex and the tubules there commonly umbonate at the angle opposed to the laterally divaricate, often slightly infra-terminal beak, if whole anther less than 1.25 mm diam and umbo pronounced. Reticulate tertiary venulation imperceptible or almost so on both faces of lfts, these superficially either penninerved or veinless. Lfts or larger primary cauline lvs 2-8(-9) pairs, perceptibly and usually conspicuously accrescent distally, the terminal pair longest; areole of seeds 0.4-0.9 mm in greatest diam. Isolated in middle Maranon valley in trans-Andine Peru."]
Distribution and Ecology - Xeromorphic scrub-thickets and algarrobal, 400-800 m, highly localized in the middle Maranon valley, lat. 5°35'-5°50'S, in Cajamarca (e. prov. Jaen) and adjoining Amazonas (prov. Bagua), Peru.-Fl. III, VI, X, perhaps intermittently through the year.
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Discussion
The var. nemorosa is greatly isolated geographically from the rest of its species, its compact range lying some 750 km distant from the southernmost outpost of var. pallida in southern Colombia. In general appearance and in details of the simply penniveined leaflets and the broad pod it very closely mimics the Mexican var. palmeri, from which it differs feebly in the shorter petioles, smaller corollas and larger seeds with a proportionately much smaller aerole on either face. Mac- bride (1943, p. 158), following Bentham (1871), included this endemic Peruvian senna in a comprehensive Cassia biflora. The specimens from Lima and Ancash, however, that Macbride refers to C. biflora actually represent the related Senna incarnata.
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Distribution
Cajamarca Peru South America| Amazonas Peru South America|