Rourea tenuis G.Schellenb.

  • Authority

    Isely, Duane. 1981. Leguminosae of the United States. III. Subfamily Papilionoideae: tribes Sophoreae, Podalyrieae, Loteae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 25 (3): 1-264.

  • Family

    Connaraceae

  • Scientific Name

    Rourea tenuis G.Schellenb.

  • Description

    Species Description - Shrub; branchlets terete, villous. Leaves imparipinnate, 1-3-jugate, villous; rachis 5.5-6.5 cm long, villous. Leaflets 3-8 cm long, 1.7-3 cm broad, elliptic, membranaceous or subchartaceous, the upper surface dark, sparsely pilose, the lower surface pale, opaque, villous on midrib and lateral veins, the apex acute, the base attenuate, cuneate or obtuse, the lateral leaflets oblique; petiolule 0.1-0.2 cm long; venation reticulate, impressed or diffuse above, prominent below; lateral veins 5-6 pairs, suberect, anastomosing clearly near margin. Inflorescence a reduced panicle, terminal, the rachilla in flowering stage 2.5-3 cm long, in fruiting state 7-12 cm long, villous; bracts 0.1-0.4 cm long, triangular. Pedicels articulate, 0.5-0.7 cm long above articulation, slender, glandulose-villous; sepals 0.5 cm long, 0.3 cm broad, elliptic, puberulous, with sparse glandular hairs; petals 0.6-0.7 cm long, 0.2 cm broad, oblong, glabrous, connate above base; stamens 10, five short ca. 0.3-0.35 cm long, five long ca. 0.45 cm long, the tube 0.8 mm long; anthers globose, 0.5 mm in diam; ovary pilose, 0.1 cm long; style 0.2 cm long. Fruit (ex descr.) 1.3 cm long, 0.7 cm wide; calyx in fruit 0.5 cm long, puberulous; sepals oblong-lanceolate. Seed 1.2 cm long, 0.6 cm wide; arilloid 0.2 cm long.

  • Discussion

    Holotype (B, lost). Photograph of holotype examined (NY): Brazil, Bahia, Vittoria. Sellow s.n. fr. w/o date. Neotype selected (BR): Brazil, Bahia (?). Pohl s.n. fl. w/o date. Rourea tenuis is a borderline species between the species of south, central and eastern Brazil and those of the Amazon, northern South America and Central America. It belongs to section Multifoliolatae mainly because it has connate petals, a long staminal tube, a reduced inflorescence, and leaflets with acute or rounded apex and with sparse pilose pubescence on the upper surface. Rourea tenuis resembles some of the other species of the genus in the presence of only 1-3-jugate leaves, and in the comparatively large leaflets. The holotype of R. tenuis was destroyed in Berlin during World War II. For this reason and because there are no duplicates of the type (as far as I know), the choice of a neotype is necessary. The specimen Pohl s.n., deposited at Brussels (BR), and labeled R. martiana Baker, agrees well with the description of R. tenuis given by Schellenberg (1938), and with the photograph of the holotype available at New York. Pohl s.n. (BR) is therefore selected here as the neotype.

  • Distribution

    Distribution. Known only from the state of Bahia, Brazil. Apparently occurring in the cerrado.

    Brazil South America|