Varronia leucocephala (Moricand) J.S. Miller (2007: 374)

Melo, José Iranildo Miranda De, Paulino, Renan Da Cruz, Oliveira, Regina Célia De & Vieira, Diego Daltro, 2018, Flora of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil: Boraginales, Phytotaxa 357 (4), pp. 235-260 : 246-247

2.3. Varronia leucocephala (Moricand) J.S. Miller (2007: 374) . ( Fig. 4B )

≡ Cordia leucocephala Moricand (1847: 88) .

Shrubs, ca. 2 m tall; branches hirsute to strigose, lenticels whitish. Leaves alternate; blade 1.5–9.5 x 1–4 cm, membranaceous, bicolor, elliptic to lanceolate and rarely ovate, apex acute, margin serrated, base attenuate to asymmetric, adaxially strigose, abaxially tomentose; venation craspedodromous; petiole 0.2–2 cm long, sulcate, strigose. Inflorescences 0.7–1.8cm long, terminal and axillary, glomerular to globose, congested; peduncle 2–8.5 cm long, sericeous. Flowers ca. 28–30 mm long, sessile, heterostylic; calyx ca. 7 mm long, cylindrical, campanulate, lobes ca. 1.5 mm long, lanceolate, apex acuminate or acute; corolla infundibuliform, white; tube ca. 26 mm long; lobes ca. 2 mm long, rounded. Stamens sessile in the long-styled flowers, with filaments ca. 1 mm long in the short-styled, anthers 1–1.7 mm long, oblong, lobes divaricate, dorsifixed. Ovary ca. 2 mm long, subglobose; style of the long-styled flowers ca. 1 cm long, of the short-styled ca. 2 mm long; stigmatic branches ca. 1 mm long, stigmas ca. 1 mm long, foliaceous. Drupe not seen.

Notes:— Varronia leucocephala resembles V. globosa , with the comments made for that species. Illustrations of this species can be found in Melo & Sales (2005a) and Vieira et al. (2013, 2015).

Geographic distribution:— Occurs in caatingas of the Northeast region and in restingas of the Northeast and Southeast regions ( Flora do Brasil 2020 under construction). A1, B1, B2, B4, C2, C3, C4, D4, D5, E2.

Habitat:— Hyperxerophilic Caatinga, in stony and sandy soils.

Phenology:— Collected in flower from February to July; in fruit in May.

Selected material examined:— BRAZIL. Rio Grande do Norte: Areia Branca, 04º57’22”S, 37º08’13”W, June 1995, fl., M. José et al. s.n. (MOSS 5329). Baraúna, 05º04’48”S, 36º30’53”W, June 1999, fl., P.C. Andrade 18 (MOSS). Campo Grande, 05º51’50”S, 37º18’36”W, June 1999, fl., W. Castro 09 (MOSS). Currais Novos, 06º15’38”S, 36º30’53”W, July 1994, fl., M. Ferreira-Neto 19 (MOSS). Felipe Guerra, 06º36’09”S, 37º41’19”W, May 1997, fl. fr.,

M.B. Paiva 13 (MOSS). Jandaíra, 05º21’23”S, 37º07’41”W, May 1986, fl. fr., S.H. Vasconcelos 58 (MOSS). Mossoró, 05º58’00”S, 36º20’00”W, April 2006, fl., M.L. Silva & R.B. Silva 30 (MOSS). Parelhas, 06º49’00”S, 36º39’00”W, February 1981, fl., O.F. Oliveira et al. 1623 (MOSS). Santana dos Matos, 05º52’30”S, 36º22’00”W, February 1980, fl., O.F. Oliveira et al. 76 (MOSS). São Bento, May 1995, fl., S.C.L. Santos et al. 01 (MOSS).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Reproductive branches of species: A. Cordia trichotoma; B. Varronia leucocephala; C. Euploca polyphylla; D. Euploca procumbens; E. Heliotropium elongatum; F. Myriopus rubicundus. (Photo credits: A and B of M. Oliveira; C of M.J. Silva; D–F of J.I.M. Melo).