Senna macranthera (De Candolle ex Colladon 1816: pl. 8) H.S. Irwin & Barneby (1982: 181)

Gomes, Aureliana Santos, Rodrigues, Erimágna De Morais, Moura, Débora Coelho, Melo, José Iranildo Miranda De, Ribeiro, Rayane De Tasso Moreira & Queiroz, Rubens Teixeira De, 2022, Fabaceae Lindl. in a Conservation Unit in the Semi-Arid Region of Paraíba, Brazil, Phytotaxa 555 (1), pp. 17-41 : 34-35

31. Senna macranthera (De Candolle ex Colladon 1816: pl. 8) H.S. Irwin & Barneby (1982: 181) ( Fig. 4e )

Shrubs, branches tomentose, inermous. Nectary rachis, stipitate. Stipules lateral, acicular. Leaves paripinnate, 4– foliolate, leaflets opposite, lanceolate, venation brochidodromous, translucid punctuation absent. Inflorescence raceme, terminal. Flowers pedicillate, zygomorphic, diplostemonous; calyx dialysepalous, sepals 5, corolla dialypetalous, yellow, petals 5; androecium dialystaminous, heterodinamous, anthers poricidal; ovary superior, stipitate, pluriovulate. Fruit berry, stipitate, linear, cylindric, margin straight, epicarp tomentulose, black. Seeds obovate, plane, coat black, hilum basal.

Examined material:— BRAZIL. Paraíba: Maturéia, Pico do Jabre , 800 m elev., 13 May 2019, fl., Aureliana Gomes 2016 ( HACAM) .

Distribution and ecology:— It occurs in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil, where it is represented in all regions associated with the Caatinga, Cerrado and Atlantic Rainforest domains in rocky outcrop vegetation, seasonal forest and sandbank, commonly used for urban afforestation purposes ( Silva et al. 2018; Flora do Brasil 2020; Santos et al. 2020).

Phenology:— Registered with flowers in May.

Taxonomic discussion:— Senna macranthera can be recognized, mainly, for the shrub habit, inflorescence in terminal raceme, pedicel flowers with 5 yellow petals and bacoid fruits. Among the species of Senna 4–leaflets found in the study area Senna macranthera can be confused vegetatively with S. rizzinii , the first having linear bracts and cream anthers, while the second has ovoid bracts and yellow anthers.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Species of Fabaceae Lindl. of the study area, Pico do Jabre State Park, Paraíba, Brazil. a Chamaecrista nictitans. b Anadenanthera colubrina. c Chamaecrista zygophylloides. d Albizia polycephala. e Senna macranthera. f Mimosa invisa. g Senna rizzinii. h Calliandra subspicata. i Enterolobium contortisiliquum. j Senna martiana. (Source: the authors).