Eperua cerradoensis, E.A.Fortes, G.S.da Silva & Mansano, 2023

Fortes, Elenice A., Dos, Ilka P., Steege, Hans Ter, Aymard, Gerardo, Secco, Ricardo De S., Martins-Da-Silva, Regina Célia V. & Mansano, Vidal F., 2023, A taxonomic revision of the genus Eperua (Leguminosae, Detarioideae, Detarieae), Phytotaxa 617 (1), pp. 1-127 : 30-31

3. Eperua cerradoensis E.A. Fortes, G.S. da Silva & Mansano (2023: 199)

( Figure 8 ; Fortes et al. 2023 Figures 3–5 )

Type:— BRAZIL. Maranh„o, Caxias, Povoado Morro Agudo, Segundo Distrito, rio Itapecuru , área rural, 4°32’18”S 43°03’46”W, 24 March 2022, Gonçalves A. S. 02 (holotype RB [01458708]!, isotypes INPA !, UEC!, US!) .

Tree or treelet (1.6–) 3.5–11.5 m tall. Trunk 10.0– 15.7 cm in diameter, bark grayish to brownish, smooth to striate, lenticellate. Stipules 15.1–40.9 × 11.8–22.7 mm, entirely joined, foliaceous, semiorbicular, persistent. Leaves (4–)5– 7-jugate; petioles 2.0– 3.8 cm long; rachis 15.0–24.0 cm long; petiolules 5.3–8.4 mm long; blades 7.5–14.1 × 3.5–5.2 cm, coriaceous, glabrous, inconspicuous pellucid-punctate to epunctate, not discolorous, equilateral, lower pair ovate, middle pair ovate to elliptic, upper pair elliptic, apex attenuate to acuminate, mucronate, base asymmetrical, lower pair base rounded, middle pair base rounded to obtuse, upper pair base rounded to obtuse, margin revolute, secondary venation with two intramarginal veins, vein closer to the margin not continuous, main vein straight, depressed on the adaxial surface, tertiary veins slightly conspicuous. Inflorescences terminal, raceme, erect, tomentose, whitish, 10.0– 20.0 cm long; bracts 8.4 × 4.8 mm, ovate, cucullate, apex gland absent, tomentose, whitish, caducous; bracteoles 9.8– 12.7 × 6.5–9.8 mm, ovate, cucullate, apex gland absent, tomentose externally and within, whitish, persistent, attached to the lower portion of the pedicels; pedicel 18.0– 24.4 mm long, 3.0– 4.8 mm in diameter, not twisted, tomentose, whitish; buds 1.3–1.5 cm long, 1.0 cm in diameter, tomentose, whitish. Flowers: hypanthium 5.5–7.8 mm long, 7.7– 10.6 mm in diameter, cup-shaped, equilateral, tomentose, whitish; sepal 2.3–2.9 × 1.3–1.7 cm, elliptic, unequal, the outer ones larger, cucullate, apex gland absent, greenish-white, tomentose, inner sepals scarious marginally, whitish; adaxial petal 2.3–3.3 × 5.5–6.5 cm, oblate, non-tubular, apex rounded, base truncate, white, glabrous; petalodia 2.7–8.8 × 1.1–3.0 mm; stamens exserted, joined basally in a tube, longer filaments 6.0 cm long, shorter filaments 5.1 cm long, tube equilateral, 2.8–3.4 mm long, glabrous, anthers 10.8–12.4 × 2.6–2.9 mm, rectangular; ovary 9.6–13.0 × 3.3–3.7 mm, oblanceolate, tomentose, greenish, stipe 5.8–10.5 mm long, tomentose, style 2.7–4.9 cm long, glabrous, stigma capitate. Legumes 22.0 × 7.0 cm, stipe 2.6 cm long, elliptic-falcate, apex obtuse, apiculate, dorsal margin alate, yellowish-green, veins absent, tomentose, yellowish. Seeds 4 per fruit, 3.2 × 2.0 cm (immature), obovate, whitishbrown.

Phenology:— Flowering in March and September; fruiting in September.

Distribution:—Described as having a distribution restricted to the Eastern region of Maranh„o ( Brazil) in the Itapecuru and Munin Basins in the Cerrado Biome ( Fortes et al. 2023). Additional collections (Lui Y. et al. 2 and 178) of E. cerradoensis were found near the type location, in the municipality of Altos (Piauí, Brazil) within the Parnaiba Basin. Although the locality is considered part of the Caatinga Biome, it is situated at the border of the Cerrado Biome (IBGE 2019).

Habitat:— The only species not occurring in the Amazonian region. E. cerradoensis was collected in the phytofisiognomies of cerradão (a type of savanna woodland), secondary forest, ombrophilous lowland forest with a predominance of palm trees, and in the open ombrophilous forest in the Cerrado Biome; and in semideciduous seasonal forest within the Caatinga Biome. It grows in stony clayey soils and is found at elevations ranging from 57 to 152 meters.

Conservation status: —Categorized as Vulnerable (VU) according to the IUCN criteria ( IUCN 2012, IUCN Standards and Petitions Committee 2022). The estimated extent of occurrence for the species is 7,323.777 km 2 and the estimated area of occupancy is 24.000 km 2.

Occurrence in protected areas: —Unknown.

Etymology:— The specific epithet alludes to its occurrence in the Cerrado Biome ( Fortes et al. 2023).

Vernacular names:— Embira de sapo (Almeida A.B. 134), imbira de sapo (Almeida A.B. 152), pitu (Oliveira D. 66), pracateira (Lui Y. et al. 2, Marinho M.A.O. 606, 629, Santos R.S. 296).

Uses:— In the type locality, Povoado Morro Agudo, it is mainly used to make charcoal and fences ( Fortes et al. 2023). It also can be used in house construction, but this is not a common usage because the local population reported that the plant is very favorable to wood-dwelling termites ( Fortes et al. 2023).

Taxonomic notes:— Eperua duckeana , E. froesii , E. cerradoensis , E. reddeniae , and E. schomburgkiana are the only species within the short and erect inflorescence group that have a non-tubular corolla, exserted stamens, and falcate fruit with a 3:1 proportion (vs. tubular corolla, included stamens, non-falcate fruit with a 1:1 to 2:1 length/ width proportion in other short and erect inflorescence species). They also share multijugate leaves with straight leaflets and inflorescence with dense indumentum. Furthermore, E. cerradoensis shares white petals with E. duckeana and E. schomburgkiana ; glabrous stamens joined at the base forming a tube with E. froesii ; and tomentose ovary with E. duckena . The similarities and differences between species of this group are summarized in Table 3 . Eperua cerradoensis is a distinct species by the completely glabrous stamens joined basally in a tube, tomentose ovary and fruits, and other vegetative characteristics. It is found primarily in the Cerrado Biome, differing from other species with distribution restricted to the Amazonian region (see Table 3 , and Figure 8 ).

Specimens examined:— BRAZIL. Maranhão, BRAZIL. Maranh „o, Caxias, Povoado Morro Agudo , Segundo Distrito , área rural, 4°32’18.2”S 43°03’45.5”W, 18 September 2020, Gonçalves A. S . 01 ( IAN, HABIT). Chapadinha, Cajazeiras , conglomerado MA-255, subunidade 1, subparcela 5, indivíduo 16, F6 , 60 m elev., 3°46’48”S 43°33’36”W, 30 May 2018, Marinho M. A. O . 606 ( UB); Cajazeiras , conglomerado MA-255, subunidade 3, subparcela 10, indivíduo 11, F8 , 60 m elev., 3°46’48”S 43°33’36”W, 30 May 2018, Marinho M. A. O . 629 ( UB). Nina Rodrigues, Mangueira , conglomerado MA-202, subunidade1, subparcela1,indivíduo 4, F6 , 57 m elev., 3°25’12”S 43°44’24.1”W, 05 September 2018, Almeida A. B . 134 ( UB); Mangueira , conglomerado MA-202, subunidade 3, subparcela 10, indivíduo 13, F8 , 57 m elev., 3°25’12”S 43°44’24”W, 05 September 2018, Almeida A. B . 152 ( UB). Timbiras, comunidade Morada Nova , conglomerado MA-305, subunidade 2, subparcela 1, indivíduo 10, F6 , 94 m elev., 4°8’24”S 43°44’24”W, 02 May 2018, Oliveira D. 66 ( UB); Bacabalzinho, conglomerado MA-304, subunidade 3, subparcela 1, indivíduo 10, F8 , 91 m elev., 4°08’24”S 43°55’12”W, 28 March 2017, Santos R. S . 296 (UB). Piauí, Altos, Paleobotanical Site of St. Benedict, located in the Homoni village and is 19 km southwest of the headquarters of the municipality of Altos-PI, access made by BR 343 to the county seat, 152 m elev., 5°7’10.92”S 42°31’4”W, 15 March 2018, Lui Y . et al. 2 ( HUEFS); Lui Y . et al. 178 (HUEFS).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Main vegetative characteristics of the genus Eperua: A–E. Types of secondary venation; A. two intramarginal veins, vein closer to the margin continuous, E. jenmanii subsp. jenmanii; B. two intramarginal veins, vein closer to the margin not continuous, E. cerradoensis; C. one intramarginal vein not close to the margin, E. grandiflora subsp. grandiflora; D. one intramarginal vein very close to the margin, E. leucantha; E: one intramarginal vein very close to the margin, E. oleifera var. campestris. F–N. different types of pellucid-punctae blades; F. epuncate, E. glabriflora var. glabriflora; G. epunctate, E. cerradoensis; H. inconspicuous pellucid-punctate, E. rubiginosa var. rubiginosa; I. pellucid-punctate, E. manausensis; J. pellucid-punctate, E. duckeana; K. pellucid-punctate, E. oleifera var. campestris; L. pellucid-punctate, each areole has at least one conspicuous dot, E. leucantha; M. pellucid-punctate, each areole has at least one conspicuous dot, E. venosa; N. minutely pellucid-punctate, not all areoles have one dot, E. falcata. Specimens, A: Tillett S.S. & Tillett C.L. 45699; B, G: Gonçalves A.S. 01; C: Goldenberg R. et al. 2632; D, M: Maguire B. et al. 42610; E, K: Zarucchi J.L. et al. 2842; F: Assunção J.M. s.n. RB352959; H: Fortes E.A. & Silva G.S. da 170; I: Fortes E.A. & Viana G.P. 194b; J: Faria S.M. de et al. 2053; L: Williams L. 13939; N: Anderson C.W. 122. Photos, E.A. Fortes.

FIGURE 4. Main flowering characteristics of the genus Eperua: A. long and pendulous inflorescence, flower with non-tubular corolla and exserted stamens, E. rubiginosa var. rubiginosa; B. short and erect inflorescence, flower with non-tubular corolla and exserted stamens, E. duckeana; C. short and erect inflorescence, flower with tubular corolla and inserted stamens, E. glabriflora var. glabriflora; D–G. flowers with tubular corolla and inserted stamens; D. lateral view, E. grandiflora subsp. grandiflora; E. front view, E. grandiflora subsp. grandiflora; F. front view, E. glabriflora var. glabriflora; G. lateral view, E. glabriflora var. glabriflora; H–L. flowers with non-tubular corolla and exserted stamens; H. lateral view, E. rubiginosa var. rugiginosa; I. lateral view, E. falcata; L. front view, E. leucantha; M. front view, E. duckeana; N. front view, E. falcata. Specimens, C, F: Fortes E.A. & M. de C. Camelo 150; D, E: Goldenberg R. et al. 2632; H: Goldenberg R. et al. 2522. Photos, A: O. Gauberet @Piwigo; B, K: H. ter Steege; C, F: E.A. Fortes; D, E, H: R. Goldenberg; G: F. Farroñay; I, L: D. Sabatier; J: F. Castro-Lima.

FIGURE 5. Main flowering characteristics of the genus Eperua: A–C: position of the bracteoles on the pedicel; A. attached to the higher portion of the pedicels or at the base of the hypanthium, E. oleifera var.oleifera; B. attached to the middle portion of the pedicels at slightly different levels, E. purpurea; C. attached to the lower portion of the pedicels, E. jenmanii subsp. sandwithii; D. size differences between the petalodia (smaller) the adaxial petal (bigger), E. jenmanii subsp. jenmanii; E. size of one petalodia compared with the staminal tube and intrastaminal nectaries (sepals and adaxial petal removed), E. reddeniae; F. heteromorphic anthers in E. purpurea, the smaller are sterile and the bigger produce pollen; G–I. conation of the stamens; G. joined basally in an inequilateral, diadelphous sheath, E. glabriflora var. glabriflora; H. joined basally in an equilateral, diadelphous sheath, E. leucantha; I.. joined basally in tube, E. rubiginosa var. rubiginosa. Specimens, A: Cid-Ferreira C.A. 5791; B: Ducke W.A. s.n. RB23288; C: Redden K.M. et al. 7059; D: Tillett S.S. & Tillett C.L. 45699; E: Redden K.M. et al. 3274; F: Silva N.T. da 4420; I: Fortes E.A. & Silva G.S. da 167. Photos, A–F, I: E.A. Fortes; G: F. Farroñay; H: H. ter Steege.

FIGURE 8. Geographic distribution of Eperua species with short and erect inflorescence and non-tubular corolla: Eperua cerradoensis, E. duckeana, E. froesii, E. reddeniae, and E. schomburgkiana.