Aeschynomene rostrata Benth.
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Authority
Rudd, Velva E. 1955. The American species of Aeschynomene. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 32: 1-172.
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Family
Fabaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type locality: Serra da Jacobina, Bahia, Brazil. Type collected by Blanchet (No. 2646), cited below.
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Description
Description - Stem suffrutescent, 1-3 meters high; stipules 4-18 mm. long, the upper portion lanceolate, acuminate, 3-13 mm. long, 1-2 mm. wide, the lower portion rounded or truncate, 1-5 mm. long; leaves 2-4 cm. long, 20-60-foliolate, the petiole and rachis glabrous or sparsely glandular-hispid; leaflets 3-10 mm. long, 1-2 mm. wide, somewhat glaucous; bracts stipule-like to oblong-ovate, the pair subtending the calyx 2-3 mm. long, about 1 mm. wide, obtuse to acute, minutely crenulate; flowers (6?-) 8-12 mm. long (8 lin. fide Bentham); calyx (3.5?-) 5-6 mm. long; standard (6?-) 8-12 mm. long, the claw 1-2 mm. long, the blade suborbiculate, 5-13 mm. in diameter, repand, entire; wings about as long as the standard, the claw 1 mm. long or less, the blade (3?-) 5 mm. wide; keel slightly shorter than the other petals, arcuate, the blades (2?-) 3-4 mm. wide, the apex somewhat rostrate; stamens 6-12 mm. long; fruit 1-5-articulate, the stipe 10-12 mm. long, glabrous or hispidulous, the articles membranous, 3-4 mm. wide, 4-6 mm. long, glabrous; seeds about 2 mm. wide and 3 mm. long, black (on smaller specimens but not seen on others).
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Discussion
There is some doubt in my mind as to the identity of this taxon. I do not know the specimen of the Blanchet collection No. 2646 on which Turczaninow based his original description, nor have I seen the material which Bentham used for his description in "Flora Brasiliensis." I am relying on a photograph of a Blanchet No. 2646 specimen ex Berlin. Another sheet, almost sterile, of the same collection number from Chicago, and originally from the British Museum, appears to be different, possibly Ae. sensitive,. The three additional collections which I have tentatively cited agree with the material of the Berlin photograph, except that the flowers are much smaller and the fruits slightly so. They resemble Ae. filosa except that the fruit stipes are slightly longer and the elliptical articles lack the thickened margins. I have seen no other material which agrees exactly with the dimensions of the Berlin specimen.