Aeschynomene rudis 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: Guayaquil, Ecuador. Type collected by Hartweg (No. 649), cited below.
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Description
Description - Stem to about 2 m. high, hispid to glabrous; stipules about 7-15 mm. long, 2-3 mm. wide, ciliate, the upper portion acute, 5-12 mm. long, the lower 2-3 mm. long, rounded; leaves 4-10 cm. long, 30-40-foliolate, the petiole and rachis hispidulous; leaflets 6-15 mm., commonly 8-10 mm., long, 2-3 mm. wide, entire or with some tendency toward marginal hairs; bracts subovate, acute, 3-4 mm. long, 1.5-2 mm. wide, cihate; bracteoles ovate-oblong, acute, 2-3 mm. long, about 1 mm. wide, ciliate; flowers (8-) 10-15 mm. long; calyx 5-8 mm. long; standard commonly about 14 mm. long, the claw 2 mm. long, the blade orbiculate, about 12 mm. in diameter, retuse, ciliate; wings about 10 mm. long, the claw scarcely 1 mm. long, the blade about 9 mm. long, 5-6 mm. wide; keel petals about as long as the wings and 3 mm. wide; stamens about 12 mm. long; fruit 7-12-articulate, the upper edge essentially entire, the lower edge crenate, sometimes subentire, the stipe glabrous, or nearly so, 3-6 (-10) mm. long, the articles 4-6 mm. in diameter, moderately hispid to subglabrous, usually muricate or verrucose at the center; seeds about 3 mm. long and 2 mm. wide.
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Discussion
As indicated in the key, the fairly large flowers and the relatively short-stipitate fruits, glabrous to moderately hispid, serve to distinguish Ae. rudis from other species of the series. There is considerable variation in size of fruit. Perhaps there should be some subspecific categories, but it is difficult to make any convincing delimitations. The northernmost specimens, and a few from Brazil, are the largest, both vegetatively and as to fruit. A few of these large specimens have fruits without murications, and, instead, have margins which are thicker than usual. Most of the collections from the central part of the range have relatively narrow fruit. The Argentine collections have smaller flowers, medium sized fruits, and more than average ciliation of the leaflets. The amount of glandular development varies slightly throughout the range. Least glandular is the type collection of Ae. natans, which in all other respects appears to be conspecific with Ae. rudis. The name Ae. rudis has frequently been misapplied. Specimens so named have been found chiefly among material classified in this paper as Ae. scabra and Ae. denticulata. Many collections cited as Ae. rudis in this paper have previously been identified as Ae. hispida and Ae. virginica. Bentham reduced Ae. rudis to synonymy under Ae. hispidula. Comparison of the type of Ae. hispidula with a photograph of the type of Ae. rudis, supplemented by certain observations kindly made for me by Mr. N. Y. Sandwith at Kew, indicates that the two taxa are distinct, the former being treated in this paper as a variety of Ae. sensitiva. Dr. A. Burkart, of San Isidro, Argentina, has graciously sent information concerning Ae. bonariensis, including a fragment of the type. He places this species in synonymy with Ae. sensitiva, but I have been unable to find a specimen of Ae. sensitiva with leaflets as large as those of Ae. bonariensis. It appears to me that Ae. bonariensis more closely conforms to Ae. rudis, as does the Venturi collection No. 75, which was originally distributed as Ae. bonariensis.
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Common Names
frisolillo, cortica