Aeschynomene montevidensis Vogel

• Authority

  Rudd, Velva E. 1955. The American species of Aeschynomene. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 32: 1-172.

• Family

  Fabaceae

• Scientific Name

  Aeschynomene montevidensis Vogel

• Type

  Type locality: Montevideo, Uruguay (as "Brazil"). Type collected by Sellow, cited below.

• Description

  Description - Shrub 1-3 m. high; stipules 5-15 mm. long, the upper portion lanceolate, acuminate, about 4-12 mm. long, 1-2 mm. wide, the lower portion rounded, subentire, 1-3 mm. long; leaves usually 3-8 cm. long, about 25-70-foliolate, the petiole and rachis glabrous or sparsely glandular-hispid; leaflets 1.5-10 mm. long, 1-3 mm. wide, sometimes lightly glaucous, the principal veins dark reddish, conspicuous on the lower surface; bracts ovate, about 5-7 mm. long, 3-4 mm. wide, acute, entire to subcrenate, sometimes ciliate; bracteoles ovate-oblong, acute, 5-7 mm. long, 2-3 mm. wide, subacute, somewhat crenate and ciliate; flowers 13-18 mm. long; calyx 6-10 mm. long; standard commonly about 17 mm. long, the claw 2 mm. long, the blade ovate-orbiculate, about 15 mm. in diameter, emarginate, repand, entire; wings about 17 mm. long, the claw 3 mm. long, the blade about 14 mm. long and 7 mm. wide, obtuse, the base attenuate, the upper margin crenulate, usually glandular-ciliate; keel petals about 18 mm. long, the claw 3 mm. long, the blade about 15 mm. long and 6 mm. wide at maximum; stamens about 17 mm. long; fruit 3-7-articulate, the upper edge straight or slightly curved, the lower edge crenate, the stipe about 10 mm. long, hispid, the articles about 7 mm. long and 5 mm. wide, glabrous, verrucose; seeds about 4 mm. long and 2 mm. wide, dark brown.

• Discussion

  This seems to be the most abundantly collected species of the series. As indicated in the key, the dimensions of the fruits and flowers separate Ae. montevidensis from Ae. jilosa and Ae. rostrata, and the size of the flowers, bracts, and leaflets separate it from Ae. paraguayensis. The variety microphylla does not seem worthy of retention. Although there are microphyllous specimens, there also are specimens which show considerable gradation in size of leaflets. The flowers and fruits of var. microphylla appear to be the same as those of typical Ae. montevidensis. Manganaro (Anal. Soc. Cient. Arg. 87: 142. 1919) believed that Ae. bonariensis represented robust secondary growth of Ae. montevidensis. However, a fragment of the type of Ae. bonariensis, kindly sent me by Dr. Burkart of San Isidro, Argentina, is referable, I believe, to Ae. rudis. I do not know the type specimen of Macromiscus brasiliensis, and its exact source is in doubt. The original description states: "In Brasilia e collectione mihi ignota." Bentham placed it in synonymy under Ae. montevidensis, which, on the basis of the description, appears to be correct.