Meibomia hassleri Schindl., Repert., 2014

Lima, Laura Cristina Pires, Queiroz, Luciano Paganucci De, Tozzi, Ana Maria Goulart De Azevedo & Lewis, Gwilym Peter, 2014, A Taxonomic Revision of Desmodium (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae) in Brazil, Phytotaxa 169 (1), pp. 1-119 : 50-52

14. Desmodium hassleri ( Schindl.) Burkart, Darwiniana 3(2): 211. 1939. Meibomia hassleri Schindl., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 20: 149. 1924. Lectotype (designated here):— PARAGUAY. In regione cursus superioris fluminis Jejui guazú, September , E. Hassler 4649 (lectotype K!, isolectotypes BM!, P!, W!). Remaining syntypes: Paraguay. In regione cursus superioris fluminis Apa, Dec, E. Hassler 8115 (BM!, K![2 sheets], P![2 sheets], W!); Cordillera de Altos, Loma, K. Fiebrig 425 (B†; FOBN 002915 !). Fig. 16 .

Erect, branched shrub or subshrub, 0.5–2 m tall, with a xylopodium; stems not virgate, not slender, cylindrical, sulcate, densely velutinous, not glaucous; internodes 1.9–5.8 cm long. Stipules 4–7 × 1.5–2.5 mm, ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, auriculate, semi-amplexicaul, inserted perpendicularly at the base of the leaf petiole, free from each other, apex caudate, margin straight, densely velutinous, veins inconspicuous, caducous; auricle 1.5–2 mm long. Leaves trifoliolate; petiole 2–8 mm long, cylindrical, canaliculate, densely velutinous; rachis 3–15 mm long; stipels 3–5 mm long, subulate, margin straight, velutinous on the outer surface, caducous; leaflets discolorous, chartaceous or subcoriaceous, venation eucamptodromous, primary and secondary veins prominent, tertiary veins flush with the abaxial surface, indumentum densely velutinous on the primary, secondary and tertiary veins on the abaxial surface, adaxial surface tomentose and puberulous, uncinate hairs on the adaxial surface, terminal leaflet 3.8–7.5 × 2.1–4.5 cm, elliptic, ovate, ovate-rhombic or rhombic, base cuneate, oblique or obtuse, apex acute, obtuse or retuse, mucronate, lateral leaflets 2.5–4.2 × 1.6–2.5 cm, the same shape as the terminal leaflet. Inflorescence a terminal paniculate; the main axis longer than the adjacent leaves, 25.1–45.5 cm long, sparsely velutinous and densely uncinate, 2 flowers per node; primary bract 2.5–3.5 mm long, lanceolate, margin ciliate, tomentose on the outer surface, caducous, veins inconspicuous on the outer surface; secondary bract 1–1.5 mm long, subulate, margin ciliate, puberulous-uncinate on the outer surface, caducous, veins inconspicuous on the outer surface; pedicel 4–11 mm long, densely uncinate and tomentose. Flowers 6–9 mm long; calyx bilabiate, tube campanulate, 1.5–2 mm long, hirsute on the outer surface; upper lip bifid, the 2 teeth joined for ca. ¾ of their length, acute, ca. 0.2 mm long; lower lip trifid, lateral tooth oblong, 1.5–2 mm long, central tooth lanceolate, 2–3 mm long; corolla lilac, standard 6–8.5 × 4–7 mm, obovate, apex obtuse or retuse, maculate at the base, claw 2.5–3 mm long; wing petals 6–8.5 × 2–4 mm, oblong or obovate, apex obtuse, without callosities, claw 0.5–1 mm long; keel petals 6–8.5 × 2–2.5 mm, narrowly obovate or falciform, apex subacute or obtuse, with callosities, claw 3–4 mm long; androecium monadelphous, 6–9 mm long, vexillary stamen partially fused with the other from the base 2.5–4 mm; ovary 3.5–4.5 mm long, velutinous, stipe 1–1.5 mm long, glabrous. Loment 1.3–2.5 cm long, stipe 1–2 mm long, tomentose, isthmus subcentral, both margins sinuate; articles uniform 3–6, 4–5 × 2–3 mm, elliptic, not tortuous or slightly tortuous, indehiscent, subcoriaceous, veins conspicuous, densely puberulous-uncinate and villose. Seed 1.5–2.5 × 1–1.5 mm, ovate, hilum central.

Selected specimens examined: — BRAZIL. Mato Grosso do Sul: Aquidauana: estrada Parque de Piraputanga , MS-450, 2 km antes de chegar ao vilarejo de Piraputanga, distrito de Aquidauana, 30 March 2008, fl., fr., L. C. P . Lima & M. P . Andrade 504 ( HUEFS) ; Nova Alvorada do Sul: BR-163, Km 382, próximo à fazenda Galpão das Candinhas, ca. 1 km Norte do Córrego Santa Luzia, sentido Nova Alvorada do Sul - Campo Grande , 17 February 2009, fl., fr., L. C. P . Lima et al. 532 ( HUEFS) . Rio Grande do Sul: Itaara: Reserva Biológica do Ibicuí-Mirim , Campo dos Barcelos, 15 March 1988, fr., M. L . Abruzzi 1476 ( HAS) . São Paulo: Jales : s. loc., 23 January 1950, fl., fr., W . Hoehne s.n. (ESA 46850, ESA 46852, G, SP 327902, SPF 12681, UB) .

Distribution and Ecology:— South America in Paraguay and Brazil. In Brazil the species has been recorded from the States of Bahia, Minas Gerais, and Paraná ( Lima et al. 2010) but in our study we record the taxon only in the States of Mato Grosso do Sul, São Paulo, and Rio Grande do Sul. Collected along roadsides, in pasture and grasslands.

50 • Phytotaxa 169 (1) © 2014 Magnolia Press

LIMA ET AL. DESMODIUM (LEGUMINOSAE, PAPILIONOIDEAE ) IN BRAZIL

Phytotaxa 169 (1) © 2014 Magnolia Press • 51

Conservation Assessment:— Least Concern (LC), not endangered ( IUCN 2001).

Phenology:— flowering and fruiting from November to April.

Etymology:— named by Schindler in honour of Émile Hassler, who greatly contributed to the Flora of Paraguay.

Common Name:— carrapicho; pega-pega.

Taxonomic notes:— velutinous stems, semi-amplexicaul stipules, leaves with short petioles (2–8 mm long), eucamptodromous leaflet venation, paniculate inflorescences, and puberulous-uncinate, villous, subcoriaceous articles with conspicuous veins help in the identifications of D. hassleri . In its velutinous stems and short-petiolate leaves it is similar to D. cuneatum (see notes under that species). With the combination of shrubby habit, paniculate inflorescences, and fruit articles with conspicuous veins, D. hassleri is morphologically similar to D. album , D. leiocarpum , D. subsecundum , and D. venosum . However, it can be distinguished by the densely velutinous stems and inflorescence rachis, the puberulous-uncinate, villous fruit articles, tomentose ovary (vs. glabrous in D. leiocarpum and D. subsecundum ), and fruit stipe 1–1.5 mm long (vs. 2–3 mm long in D. album and D. subsecundum ).

The specimen Hassler 8115 (W!) carries the annotation: Desmodium hassleri in the handwriting of Schindler, dated 1920, but that binomial was never published by him, although Meibomia hassleri was earlier, Chodat & Hassler (1904) had recognised the collections Hassler 4649 and 8115 as D. leiocarpum , material which Schindler (1924), with the addition of Fiebrig 425, used to describe Meibomia hassleri . Hassler 4649, an original syntype, is designated as the lectotype of Meibomia hassleri our study.

Figures

FIGURE 16. Desmodium hassleri. A. Fruiting branch. B. Stipules in the branch. C. Stipules. D. Calyx inner surface (opened). E. Parts of the corolla from the bottom to top: keel petals, wing petals, and standard. F. Androecium monadelphous (opened). G. Gynoecium. H. Fruit. I. Seed. (A–B, H–I: Lima 532; C–G: Lima 504).