Centrosema brasilianum (Linnaeus 1753: 73) Bentham (1837: 54)

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 : 26

8. Centrosema brasilianum (Linnaeus 1753: 73) Bentham (1837: 54) . ( Fig. 3a )

Vines, branches glabrous, inermous. Nectary absent. Stipules lateral, triangular. Leaves imparipinnate, 3–foliolate, opposite, lanceolate, venation brochidodromous, translucid punctuation absent absent. Inflorescence raceme, axillary. Flowers pedicellate, zygomorphic, diplostemonous; calyx gamosepalous, sepals 5, corolla dialypetalous, papilionaceous, violet, petals 5; androecium diadelphous, heterodinamous, anthers longitudinal; ovary superior, sessile, pluriovulate. Fruit legume, sessile, linear, plane, margin straight, epicarp glabrous, whitish. Seeds reniform, plane, coat marbled, hilum central.

Examined material:— BRAZIL. Paraíba: Maturéia, Pico do Jabre , 800 m elev ., 14 October 2019, fl. & fr., Aureliana Gomes 3126; ( HACAM) ; 22 December 2019, fl. & fr., Aureliana Gomes 3166 ( HACAM) .

Distribution and ecology:— The species is invasive, found in all regions of Brazil, also widely distributed in the Northeast region (AL, BA, CE, MA, PB, PE, PI, RN, SE) (BFG 2018). It is associated with the Amazon, Caatinga, Cerrado and Atlantic Rainforest domains, and can be found in disturbed environments, roadsides and highway margins (Kill et al. 2000).

Phenology:— Registered with flowers and fruits at October and December.

Taxonomic discussion:— Centrosema brasilianum can be recognized by the vine habit, imparipinnate leaves, raceme axillary inflorescence, mainly by the pedicellated flowers, with 5 violet petals, glabrous, inermous branches. Centrosema presented two species in the study area, being that C. brasilianum is trifoliolate with lanceolate leaflets versus unifoliolate leaflets, sagitate in C. sagittatum . Next the study area in Cariri paraibano was found four speceis of Centrosema and C. brasilianum was more comum in all enviroments ( Queiroz 2021)

Figures

FIGURE 3. Species of Fabaceae Lindl. of the study area, Pico do Jabre State Park, Paraíba, Brazil. a Centrosema brasilianum. b Platymiscium floribundum. c Macropsychanthus grandiflorus d Centrosema sagittatum. e Ancistrotropis peduncularis. f Poecilanthe grandiflora. g Erythrina velutina. h Chamaecrista repens. i Canavalia brasiliensis. j Bauhinia cheilantha. k Stylosanthes viscosa. l Crotalaria vitelina. (Source: the authors).