Chamaecrista zygophylloides H.S. Irwin & Barneby (1982: 660)

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 : 28

13. Chamaecrista zygophylloides H.S. Irwin & Barneby (1982: 660) . ( Fig. 4c )

Shrubs, branches glabrous, inermous. Nectary absent. Stipules caducous. Leaves paripinnate, 4–foliolate, leaflets opposite, obovate, venation brochidodromous, translucid punctuation absent. Inflorescence raceme, terminal. Flowers pedicellate, asymmetric, diplostemonous; calyx dialysepalous, sepals 5, corolla dialypetalous, violet, petals 5; androecium dialystaminous, homodinamous, anthers longitudinal; ovary superior, sessile, pluriovulate. Fruit legume, sessile, linear, plane, margin straight, epicarp glabrous, brown. Seeds obovate, plane, coat black, hilum basal.

Examined material:— BRAZIL. Paraíba: Maturéia, Pico do Jabre , 800 m elev., 17 December 2018, fl., Aureliana Gomes 2019 ( HACAM) .

Distribution and ecology: —The species has disjunct distribution, with records in Mexico, Central America, Guyana, Venezuela and eastern Brazil where it is registered in the Northeast and Southeast regions related to the Caatinga, Cerrado and Atlantic Rainforest biomes (INCT - Virtual Herbarium of Flora and Fungi; Queiroz 2009).

Phenology:— Registered with flowers in December.

Taxonomic discussion:— Chamaecrista zygophylloides can be recognized, mainly, by the shrub habit, 4– leaflet leaves, racemous inflorescence, terminal and asymmetrical pedicel flowers. In the study area, it is among the tetrafoliolate species, characteristic in Chamaecrista exclusive of this among similar species. The tetrafoliolate leaves were also observed in Arachis dardanii and in Senna species. However, Chamaecrista zygophylloides differs from other species with tetrafoliolate leaves by the presence of bracteole.

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).