Myriopus rubicundus (Salzmann ex De Candolle) Luebert

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 : 254-255

3.2. Myriopus rubicundus (Salzmann ex De Candolle) Luebert in Luebert et al. (2011: 677). ( Fig. 4F )

≡ Tournefortia rubicunda Salzmann ex De Candolle (1845: 526) .

Shrubs, 1.5–2 m tall, with supporting branches, glabrescent, with lenticels generally whitish. Leaves alternate or subopposite; blade 2.5–8.2 × 0.7–2.7 cm, membranaceous, concolor, elliptical to widely elliptical, apex acute, rounded to emarginate, margin entire, ciliate, base oblique, strigose adaxially and abaxially, trichomes rubicund; venation eucamptodromous; petiole 0.7–1.1 cm long, strigose. Inflorescences 2–4.3 cm long, terminal and axillary, paniculiform, scorpioid with secondary branches, lax; peduncle 1.1–1.4 cm, villous. Flowers 4.8–5.5 mm long, sessile to subsessile; calyx 1.8–2 mm long, tube elongate, lobes unequal, 1.6–1.9 × 0.4–0.5 mm, lanceolate, externally puberulous, internally glabrous; corolla white to orange, 4.8–5.2 mm long, tube constricted at the lower mid-portion, greenish-white, externally pubescent, internally glabrescent, lobes 1.2–1.8 × 0.1–0.2 mm, linear. Stamens inserted at 2.5–3 mm from the tube base; anthers 0.6–1 mm long, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, apiculate. Ovary ca. 1 mm long, obclavate; style 2–2.3 mm; stigma ca. 0.5 mm long, subpeltate, pubescent, bifid at apex. Drupe 2–3 mm diam., subglobose, 4- lobate, glabrous or hirsute when mature; seed 1 per lobe, ca. 1.5 mm long, suborbicular, smooth.

Notes:— Myriopus rubicundus may be easily confused with M. salzmannii , also with records for our study area. Nevertheless, it is distinguished from it by branches with generally whitish lenticels, the concolor blade with rubicund trichomes, obclavate ovary, and subpeltate stigma. Illustrations of this species can be found in Melo & Sales (2005a) as Tournefortia rubicunda and Vieira et al. (2015).

Geographic distribution:— Distributed in South America , including Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil ( Johnston 1930). In Brazil, from the states of Pernambuco and Mato Grosso to Rio Grande do Sul. D2, D4, D5, E1.

Habitat:— Caatinga.

Phenology:— Collected in flower and fruit in February and April.

Selected material examined:— BRAZIL. Rio Grande do Norte: Acari, April 2007, fl. fr., J.I.M. Melo et al. 585 (MOSS). Cerro Corá, 05º58’00”S, 36º20’00”W, April 1980, fl. fr., O.F. Oliveira et al. 437 (MOSS). Martins, 06º06’00”S, 37º52’50”W, February 1980, fl. fr., O.F. Oliveira et al. 24 (MOSS). Serra Negra do Norte, April 2007, fl. fr., J.I.M. Melo et al. 594 (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).