Macrolobium angustifolium (Benth.) R.S.Cowan
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Authority
Cowan, Richard S. 1953. A taxonomic revision of the genus Macrolobium (Leguminosae-Caesalpinioideae). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 8 (1): 257-342.
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Family
Caesalpiniaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Tree 4-30 m. tall, 3-10 dm. in diameter, the branchlets densely pilosulose or less frequently glabrous. Stipules 7-11 mm. long, 0.5-1 mm. wide, very rarely persisting through one season, linear or linear-lanceolate. Petioles (4-)8-10(-15) mm. long, canaliculate, glabrous or sparsely pilosulose. Leaflets (6—)11(—18) cm. long, (2-)3.5(-5.5) cm. wide, falcate or subfalcate, usually lanceolate or elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, the base inequilateral, acute, the apex acuminate or caudateacuminate with a blunt or acute extremity, infrequently bluntly acute, usually conspicuously punctate on the lower surface, glabrous or pilose on the apical-lateral surface of the costa at the junction with the upper side of the leaflet'base; costa strongly salient on the upper surface, plane to subsalient beneath, the venules obscure to prominulous. Inflorescences to 17.5 cm. long, averaging about 5-8 cm., the axis puberulous to flexuose-pilosulose, the peduncles to 7 mm. long; bracts (3-)5(-10) mm. long, (1.5-)3(-6) mm. wide, semipersistent or caducous, oval, orbicular, ovate, lanceolate or elliptic, acute to acuminate, strigulose within, pilosulose or puberulous externally; pedicels (l-)3(-4.5) mm. long, puberulous to pilosulose; bracteoles (5-)6(-9) mm. long, (2.5-)3(~5) mm. wide, sparsely to strongly strigulose within, puberulous to pilosulose externally, elliptic, oblong, oval, to ovate, oblanceolate or obovate, apiculate to long-acuminate. Hypanthium 1-2 mm. long, sessile or with a stipe to 0.5 mm. long, glabrous to puberulous. Sepals usually five, free or the adaxial pair more or less united, sometimes totally united (then sepals four), 1-5.5 mm. long, 1-3 mm. wide, triangular-ovate, lanceolate, or oblong, acute to caudate-acuminate, glabrous or sparingly puberulous on the outer surface on the costa, sparingly ciliolate. Petal blade (3.5-)5(-7.5) mm. long, (4-)6(-8.5) mm. wide, usually transversely oval, infrequently suborbicular, the claw (3.5-)5(-7) mm. long, broader to distinctly auriculate basally, glabrous or pilosulose on the base externally and villosulose within up to the center of the blade, ciliolate in the basal half of the claw. Filaments (13-)2O(-23.5) mm. long, villosulose basally. Stigma capitate, peltate-capitate, or infrequently capitellate. Style (12-)17(-22.5) mm. long, pilosulose basally. Ovary 1.5-3 mm. long, 1-2 mm. wide, oval, oblong, elliptic, or ovate, pilosulose on the margins, the lateral surfaces glabrous, or very rarely laterally pilosulose, 2-ovulate; gynophore 2-4 mm. long, pilosulose, inserted at the top of or midway on the hypanthium wall. Fruit 7-11 cm. long, 4-6 cm. wide, usually elliptic or elliptic-obovate, or ovate-elliptic, rarely oblong, glabrous or with a few marginal hairs, the carpophores 7-15 mm. long, sparingly pilosulose. Seeds 3-4 cm. long, 2.5-3.5 cm. wide, oval, the crustose testa more or less reticulate-venose.
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Discussion
Figure 10.
Vouapa angusti/olia Benth. Jour. Bot. & Kew Misc. 2: 239. 1850.
Vouapa chrysostachya Miq. Hollandsche Maatsch. der Wetensch., Haarlem, Natuur. Verhand. (Stirp. Surinam. Select.), ser. 2. 7: 11. 1851.
Macrolobium chrysostachyum (Miq.) Benth. in Mart. Fl. Bras. 15(2): 220. 1870.
Macrolobium chrysostachyum (Miq.) Benth. var. parviflora Benth. in Mart. Fl. Bras. 15(2): 220. 1870.
Macrolobium bymenaefolium Pittier, Bol. Soc. Venez. Ci. Nat. 7: 141. 1941.
Type Collection: R. Spruce 154, "Caripi," near Para, Para, Brazil, Aug. 1849 (HOLOTYPE K, isotype NY, P, W).
Vernacular Names: Brazil: "arapary", "ipe". Peru: "machinmango", "soliman". Surinam: "sarabebe", "watrabirihoedoe", "witte walaba".
There is in this species a very considerable degree of variability but it appears to have no taxonomic significance and certainly no discernible pattern. This situation is rather characteristic of many of the commonly collected, widespread species in the genus. Within these species geographic races may have already arisen but their divergence at this time is insufficient for their taxonomic recognition.
The relationship of this species is surely with M. bifolium, with which it has frequently been confused in the past. They are readily separable on the following characters of M. angustifolium: (1) ovary pilosulose only on the margins"; (2) much larger bracts of different shape; (3) bracts and bracteoles pubescent on the inner surface; (4) costa of leaflets strongly salient on the upper surface.
The replacement of the familiar name of this species by one which is either unknown or poorly known to others may distress those who maintain the sanctity of the well-established epithet. However, the modification is entirely in line with the spirit and letter of the International Code which provides that the earliest epithet shall be the correct one. It has been found that the correct date on Miquel's Stirpes surinamensis selectae is really 1851 rather than 1850 as has most frequently been cited. Apparently, the author completed the manuscript in 1850; the introduction is dated January 1850, and his title page bears that date. However, the seventh volume of the second series of the journal cited, which is entirely occupied by Miquel's paper, bears the date 1851. J. K. Hasskarl reviewed the work in Flora (34: 190. 28 March 1851.) and he stated there that the publication was received "this week" ("...eines in dieser woche.. .herausgegebenen Bandes"). This evidence would then establish that the publication in question was published in 1851 during the week of March 28th or possibly somewhat earlier in the year. Consequently, the next available epithet is Bentham's Vouapa angustifolia.