Mimosa gemmulata var. adamantina

Title

Mimosa gemmulata var. adamantina

Authors

Rupert C. Barneby

Scientific Name

Mimosa gemmulata var. adamantina Barneby

Description

80b. Mimosa gemmulata Barneby var. adamantina Barneby, Brittonia 37: 132, fig. 3 J-L. 1985.—"Brazil. Bahia: Sa. do Açuruá, Blanchet 2850."—Holotypus, G!; isotypi, BM! NY! Fig. 5 (J-L).

Arborescent when mature, attaining 2.5-4 m; petioles 5-16 mm; longer interpinnal segments 4-7 mm; pinnae 10-15-jug., the rachis of longer ones 2.5-5.5 cm; lfts of longer pinnae 30-57-jug., the longer ones (1.6-)2-5 x (0.45-)0.6-l mm, 3-4(-5) times as long as wide; stipe of pod (Lewis, 1987, fig. 8J) 2-4 mm, the body ±25-30 x 4 mm, 4-6-seeded, the replum sometimes incipiently aculeolate.

Forming shrubby thickets in cerrado, carrasco, campo geral, and capoeira, (500-)950-1200 m, locally plentiful on both slopes of Chapada Diamantina, in lat. 10°20'-14°S, centr. upland Bahia, and collected once in s.-e. Piauí.—Fl. I-IV (-V). Map 13.

This is a generally well marked entity, differing from var. gemmulata in greater stature at maturity, ampler, relatively long-petiolate leaves, and more numerous, usually longer leaflets. The pod, known as yet from only one example, appears distinct in its stipe and in incipient aculeoli of the replum, which is perfectly unarmed in other forms of the species. The type-collection of var. adamantina contributed to the protologue of M. pteridifolia.

Four collections (NY) from município Cristópolis in west-central Bahia are referred provisionally to var. adamantina, but may deserve independent status. They are remarkable for stems and leaf-stalks charged with fimbriolate or substellate setulae, in EAC 11360 many and to 1.5 mm long, in EAC 11361 fewer and less than 1 mm, and in Hatschbach 39486 and EAC 3702 shorter still (medusiform) and easily overlooked. The fruit is sessile, and the articulation of the valves much delayed.