Mucuna mollis (Kunth) DC., Prodr.

De, Tânia M., Lewis, Gwilym P., Mansano, Vidal F. & Tozzi, Ana M. G. A., 2018, A revision of the neotropical Mucuna species (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae), Phytotaxa 337 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

16. Mucuna mollis (Kunth) DC., Prodr. 2: 405. 1825. ( Fig. 18 )

Negretia mollis Kunth , Nov Gen. Sp. (quarto ed.) 6: 444. 1823. TYPE:— COLOMBIA. Quindiu, elev. 800–1000 m, Humboldt & Bonpland Herbarium in Paris (lectotype: P! 660135, designated by Moura et al. 2013e).

Liana. Leaves 3-foliolate; pulvinus 10 × 3.0 mm; stipels persistent; rachis 1.5–3.0 cm long; petiolules 5.0– 10 mm long; lateral leaflets 8.0–21 × 6.0– 10 cm, asymmetric at base, acuminate to apiculate at apex; apical leaflets ovate to elliptic, 10–20 × 6.5–12 cm, acute to rounded at base, acuminate to apiculate at apex; venation eucamptodromous, secondary veins in 5–7 pairs per leaflet; dense erect hairs on abaxial surface; sparse adpressed hairs adaxially. Inflorescence axillary, pseudoracemose; peduncle ca. 1.0 m long; bracts 2.0–3.0 × 2.0– 2.5 cm long, usually caducous but forming a globose structure around the young inflorescences; rachis reduced, 2.5–3.5 × 1.0– 1.5 cm; pedicels 2.0– 4.5 cm long, internodes 1.0 mm long. Flowers 4.0–5.0 cm long; calyx 1.0–2.0 cm long, 4- lobed, the adaxial lobe formed by two connate sepals, all the lobes discrete, ca. 1.0 mm long, acute at apex; corolla reported to be yellow (A.S. Barclay et al. 3686 FMB) or yellowish (J.L. Fernández-Alonso et al. 20815 COL); standard broadly elliptic, 2.0–3.0 × 3.0 cm, attenuate at base, retuse at apex, claw 4.0–6.0 mm long; wings obovate, 2.5–3.0 × 1.0 cm, attenuate at base, rounded to slightly acute at apex, the claw 8.0–9.0 mm long; keel petals oblong, 4.0–5.0 × 1.0 cm, attenuate at base, acute at apex, the claw 8.0 mm long; pubescent at base of wing and keel petals.

38 • Phytotaxa 337 (1) © 2018 Magnolia Press

MOURA ET AL.

A REVISION OF THE NEOTROPICAL MUCUNA SPECIES

Phytotaxa 337 (1) © 2018 Magnolia Press • 39 Stamen filaments 3.5–5.0 cm long, glabrous. Gynoecium 4.0–5.0 cm long; style 3.3–4.3 cm long, sericeous, except at apex; ovary 7.0–10 × 3.0 mm, sericeous; stigma peltate, villous. Fruits 14–26 × 3.5–5.0 cm, not ornamented by lamellae, covered with dense hairs, acute at base, acute to cuspidate at apex, 2–4-seeded. Seeds black, globose, 3.0–3.5 × 2.5–3.5 cm; hilum brown, circling 85–90% of the seed circumference, 2–3 mm high.

Taxonomic notes:— As in M. globulifera , the young inflorescences of M. mollis are globose (bracts cover the buds to form a globose structure), but M. globulifera and M. mollis are otherwise easy to distinguish from each other by the presence of dense hairs on the abaxial surface of the leaflets and the yellow corolla of M. mollis (vs. the abaxial surface of leaflets with a sparse indumentum and the corolla pale salmon-coloured to whitish, or whitish green [when fully mature], cream or creamish yellow in M. globulifera ). Furthermore, M. mollis is often confused with M. holtonii , but the two species differ slightly in inflorescence internode length (ca. 1.0 mm long in M. mollis vs. 2.0–5.0 mm long in M. holtonii ). In addition, the brachyblasts (secondary axes of the inflorescence) are nodose in M. holtonii but not so in M. mollis . As pointed out by Ruiz (2009), it is possible that M. mollis and M. holtonii are conspecific, but further study, especially in the field, is needed to confirm this and here we recognize the two species as distinct.

Phenology:— Flowering January to October; fruiting throughout the year.

Distribution and habitat:— Species endemic to Colombia (occurring in the Departments of Antioquia, Boyacá, Caldas, Cundinamarca, Quindío, Risaralda, Santander, Valle del Cauca) ( Fig. 1 ). Frequently collected along roadsides. The elevational range is 700–2000 m.

Conservation status:— Mucuna mollis is as assessed as being of Least Concern (LC). Although M. mollis has a restricted area of occupancy (128 km 2, EN), the habitat in which it occurs is not considered severely fragmented, and more than ten collection localities are recorded for the species. No decline, or fluctuation, in extant population sizes has been recorded.

Vernacular names: — ‘ Ojo de venado’ (F.W. Pennell et al. 8446 K, NY, US), ‘pica pica’ (I. Cabrera 4256 CUVC), ‘bejuco congolo’ (G. Mahecha 303 UDBC), ‘chocho’ (G. Galeano et al. 7205 COL).

Representative Specimens Examined:— COLOMBIA. Jardín Botánico de Mate-Guada , 7 November 1976 (fr.), I. Cabrera 4256 ( CUVC) . Antioquia: carreteira entre Medellyn e Bolombolo , 7 May 1977 (fl.), J. Santa & O. Arboleda 302 ( COL, HUA, JAUM) ; San Carlos, km 23 of the road El Jordán-San Carlos (11 km before San Carlos ), 21 May 1988 (fl./fr.), J.L. Zarucchi et al. 6766 ( HUA, MO) . Boyacá: Region Mt. Chapon, extreme Werstern part of Dept. Boyacá, NW of Bogotá, 13 May 1932 (fl./fr.), A.E. Lawrance 44 ( NY) ; without data (fl./fr.), A.E. Lawrance, s./n. (A). Caldas: Norcasia, embalse Rio La Miel 1, en la sede de Isagen , 28 October 2006 (fl.), H. Mendonza & S. Medina 16955 ( FMB) . Cauca: cordillera occidental, vertente oriental el Tambo, corregimento de Lopez, 23 August (fl./fr.), J.M. Idobro & A. Fernandez 232 ( COL) . Cundinamarca: Sasaima, 1939 (fr.), L. Uribe 348 ( COL, US); 10.6 km NW of villeta along highway to Guaduas , 14 August 1972 (fl.), A. S. Barclay et al. 3686 ( FMB) ; en viaje hacia la palma, 10 December 1965 (fr.), E. Forero & J. Garzón 376 ( COL) . El Valle: quebrada nueva to Cuchilla , E of Zarzal, 21 July 1922 (fl.), F. W. Pennell et al. 8446 (K, NY, US). Quindio : Montenegro, vereda el gigante, finca el porvernir, 2 May 2003 (fl.), G. Galeano et al. 7205 ( COL) . Rizaralda : 12 November 1966 (fl.), L.S. Espinal-T, 2188 ( MO) . Santander: Suaita, corregimento San José de Suaita , 28 September 2003 (fl./ fr.), J.L. Fernández-Alonso et al. 20815 ( COL) . Valle: Palmira, Agua Clara riverbed, 15 July 1982 (fl.), H. Murphy & E. Parra 684 ( MO, US). Valle del Cauca : Cordillera Occidental, vertente occidental, 21 October 1946 (fl.), J. Cuatrecasas 22392 ( US); Bulgalagrande, vereda agua sucia, finca La Loma, 11 April 1986 (fr.), C. Restrepo & Z. Piñeros 74 ( CUVC, MO) ; Pedrera , vereda vallecito, 25 May 1998 (fl.), R.Ruiz & C. Galvis 498 ( CUVC) ; entre Sevilla y Calcedonia, 21 July 1939 (fr.), E.P. Arbeláez & J. Cuatrecasas 6459 ( COL, US); Darién , hacienda Berlin , 7 May 1970 (fr.), G. Mahecha 303 ( UDBC) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Geographical distribution of six neotropical species of Mucuna: M. chiapaneca and M. jarocha (endemic to Mexico), M. analuciana and M. japira (endemic to Brazil), M. mollis (endemic to Colombia), and M. rostrata (widely distributed in Central and South America, and the Caribbean Islands).

FIGURE 18. Mucuna mollis. A—Leaves and inflorescence in bud. B—Detail of the hairs on the abaxial surface of leaflets. C—Stipels on apical leaflet. D—Stipels on lateral leaflets. E—Fruits. Drawn from J.L. Zarucchi et at. 6766 (MO). Drawn by Ana Lúcia Souza.