Cordia oncocalyx Allemão

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 : 241

1.3. Cordia oncocalyx Allemão in Allemão & Cisneiro (1862: 11–12). ( Fig. 3H–N )

≡ Auxemma oncocalyx (Alemão) Taubert (1892: 12) .

Trees, ca. 7 m tall; branches glabrous, lenticels whitish. Leaves alternate, homomorphic; blade 7.5–15 × 2.2–6 cm, subchartaceous to chartaceous, elliptic-lanceolate to lanceolate, scabrous, apex acute, margin entire, base acute, adaxially glabrous to slightly pubescent, abaxially pubescent; petiole 1.2–1.7 cm long. Inflorescences 6.1–7.5 cm long, terminal and axillary, paniculiform; peduncle 1.2–3.7 cm long. Flowers ca. 1.3 cm long, pedicellate; pedicel 2–4 mm long; calyx 2.5–3 mm long, narrowly obcampanulate, accrescent in fruit, lobes 0.8–1 × ca. 0.8 mm, lanceolate, apex acute; corolla 1.1–1.2 cm long, infundibuliform, white, pubescent externally, pubescent in the throat internally, lobes 3.5–4.5 × 3–4 mm, obovate to suborbiculate. Stamens with filaments of different length, 0.8–2.3 mm in the short-styled flowers, 1.5–2 mm in the long-styled, the lower half with trichomes; anthers ca. 0.5 mm long in the short-styled flowers, 0.5–0.6 mm long in the long-styled, oblong. Ovary ca. 2.1 mm long, ovate; style ca. 1 mm long in the short-styled flowers, ca. 1.5 mm long in the long-styled, with trichomes in both. Drupe ca. 2 cm long, ovoid, without rostrum, glabrous, calyx 4.3–8 cm long, accrescent; seed 1.

Notes:— The elliptic-lanceolate to lanceolate leaves, acute apex, and stems with whitish lenticels, it is morphologically related to C. glazioviana , with which it shares flowers with narrowly obcampanulate calyx and white, infundibuliform corolla. However, it may be easily recognized by the thyrsoid inflorescences, calyx to 8 cm long when in fruit, and by the ovoid, glabrous drupe without rostrum. C. oncocalyx is being completely illustrated for the first time in this study.

Geographic distribution:— Restricted to the Northeast Brazil, in the state of Ceará and Rio Grande do Norte, with the first record for the latter ( Flora do Brasil 2020 under construction). B2, D1.

Habitat:— Caatinga.

Phenology:— Collected in flower in April, May, and July; in fruit in April and July.

Selected material examined:— BRAZIL. Rio Grande do Norte: Coronel João Pessoa, July 1991, fl. fr., M.A. Figueiredo et al. 294 (MOSS). Mossoró, May 2007, fl. fr., R.C. Paulino 11 (MOSS).

Additional material examined:— BRAZIL. Ceará: Fortaleza, November 1999, fl., A.M. Teixeira s.n. (MOSS 6379).

Figures

FIGURE 3. A–G. Cordia glazioviana: A. Reproductive branch; B. Flower; C. Stamens, lateral view; D. Stamens, front view; E. Gynoecium; F. Fruit, showing an accrescent calyx; G. Fruit, frontal view. H–N. C. oncocalyx. H. Reproductive branch; I. Flower; J, K. Stamens, front view; L. Gynoecium; M, N: M. Fruit, showing an accrescent calyx; N. Fruit, frontal view. (Drawn by R.R. Pessoa).