Parasenegalia lundellii Seigler & Ebinger, 2017

Seigler, David S., Ebinger, John E., Riggins, Chance W., Terra, Vanessa & Miller, Joseph T., 2017, Parasenegalia and Pseudosenegalia (Fabaceae): New Genera of the Mimosoideae, Novon 25, pp. 180-205 : 183-185

1. Parasenegalia lundellii Seigler & Ebinger , sp. nov.

TYPE: Belize. Toledo: western Bladen Nature Preserve in the limestone hills just S of Bladen River , 380 m, 16 ° 30 ' N, 88 ° 54 ' W, 30 Apr. 2002, S. W. Brewer & M. Rejmanek 1113 (holotype, ILL!) . Figure 2 .

Diagnosis. Parasenegalia lundellii Seigler & Ebinger is similar to P. muricata (L.) Seigler & Ebinger by the flowers and inflorescences that are nearly identical in shape and size, but it is distinguished by the smaller leaflets (1.8–3.2 mm wide vs. 4–11.3 mm wide in P. muricata) that are not revolute at the margins and the fruits that are mostly wider (23–35 mm wide vs. 15–24 mm wide in P. muricata). Parasenegalia lundellii is the only species of this genus that probably lacks stipules.

Tree to 12 m tall; bark brown, smooth to shallowly flat ridged, with prominent horizontally elongated lenticels; twigs dark purplish brown, not flexuous, terete, glabrous to lightly puberulent; short shoots absent; prickles absent. Leaves alternate, 45–140 mm long; stipules absent; petiole adaxially grooved, 15–40 mm long, glabrous to lightly puberulent; petiolar gland usually solitary, located just below the lowermost pinna pair, sessile, oval to orbicular, 0.6– 1.8 mm long, apex flattened to depressed, glabrous; rachis adaxially grooved, 30–120 mm long, puberulent, an oval gland 0.4–1.1 mm across between the uppermost 1 to 2 (rarely all) pinna pairs, apex flattened to depressed, glabrous; pinnae 5 to 10 pairs/ leaf, 55–115 mm long, 6–20 mm between pinna pairs; paraphyllidia 0.2–0.5 mm long, mostly absent; petiolule 2–5 mm long; leaflets 15 to 30 pairs/pinna, opposite, 1.4–4 mm between leaflet pairs, oblong to narrowly lanceolate, 6–15 X 1.8–3.2 mm, glabrous or nearly so, lateral veins obvious, 3 to 5 veins from the base, base oblique, obtuse to truncate on one side, margins lightly ciliate and not revolute, apex obtuse, midvein submarginal. Inflorescence a loosely 75- to 180-flowered cylindrical spike, 60–110 X 10–15 mm, 1 to 2 from the leaf axils; peduncles 6–20 X 0.8– 1.2 mm, puberulent; receptacle not enlarged; invo- lucre absent; floral bracts linear, 0.3–0.7 mm long, puberulent, early deciduous. Flowers sessile, white to cream (yellowing with age); calyx 5-lobed, 0.9–1.5 mm long, lightly puberulent; corolla 5-lobed, 1.6–2.6 mm long, lightly puberulent, lobes 1/3 the length of the corolla; stamens 60 to 90; stamen filaments 4.7– 6.2 mm long, distinct; anther glands present; ovary glabrous, sessile to subsessile, the stipe to 0.2 mm long. Legumes straight, flattened, not constricted between the seeds, oblong, 75–160 X 23–35 mm, coriaceous, lightly transversely striate, glabrous, eglandular, dehiscent along both sutures; stipe 3–7 mm long; apex obtuse, not beaked; seeds uniseriate, no pulp, dark brown, oval, strongly flattened and narrowly winged, 12–14 X 12–14 mm, oval, smooth; pleurogram not seen.

Etymology. This species honors C. L. Lundell (1907–1994), who collected extensively and studied plants of Belize and Guatemala as well as Texas, his native state. He was interested in Maya culture and archaeology and was the discoverer of the ancient city of Calakmul, which had been hidden in the jungle for 1000 years.

Habitat and distribution. Parasenegalia lundellii has been collected from semi-evergreen tropical forest from sea level to 50 0 m in Belize and Guatemala in Central America.

Phenology. Parasenegalia lundellii flowers from

March to May.

IUCN Red List category. Parasenegalia lundellii is assessed as Data Deficient (DD) at this time ( IUCN, 2001). This species is apparently rare and is known from fewer than 10 specimens from lowland Belize and Guatemala, suggesting that it may at least be Vulnerable (VU), perhaps Endangered (EN).

Discussion. Parasenegalia lundellii is morphologically most similar to P. muricata. The leaflets of P. lundellii seldom exceed 10 mm in length and never exceed 4 mm in width. The leaflet margins are not revolute. In contrast, those of P. muricata are 8– 20 mm long and 4–11.3 mm wide, and have slightly revolute margins.

Paratypes. BELIZE. Toledo: Bladen Nature Preserve, S of Bladen River, 380 m, 29 Apr. 2002, S. W. Brewer & M. Rejmanek 10 99 (ILL); Bladen Nature Preserve, W of Quebrada de Oro, 380 m, 10 May 2002, S. W. Brewer & M. Rejmanek 1179 (ILL); Bladen Nature Preserve, W of Quebrada de Oro, 380 m, 10 May 2002, S. W. Brewer & M. Rejmanek 11 8 7 (ILL); Bladen Nature Preserve, W of Quebrada de Oro, 370 m, 12 May 2002, S. W. Brewer & M. Rejmanek 1211 (ILL); vic. of Sapote Camp, 6.5 mi. W of Medina Bank , 23–27 Apr. 1976, G. R. Proctor 35963 (MO). GUATEMALA. Izabal: Puerto Méndez, 12 Sep. 19 70, E. Contreras 10264 (CAS, LL, MO). Petén: La Cumbre, W of km 141/142, 10 May 1975, C. L. Lundell & E. Contreras 19276 (NY).

Figures

Figure 2. Parasenegalia lundellii Seigler & Ebinger. —A. Inflorescences. —B. Leaf. —C. Petiolar gland. —D. Leaflet, abaxial surface. —E. Flower. —F. Fruit. A, E from Lundell & Contreras 19276 (NY); B–D from Contreras 10264 (LL); F from Proctor 35963 (MO).