Pombalia poaya (A.St.-Hil.) Paula-Souza

Paula-Souza, J., Lima, A. G. & Souza, V. C., 2021, THE VIOLETS OF THE BRAZILIAN SAVANNA: A REVISION OF THE POMBALIA LANATA COMPLEX (VIOLACEAE), WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF TWO NEW SPECIES, Edinburgh Journal of Botany 78 (357), pp. 1-32 : 20-22

4. Pombalia poaya (A.St.-Hil.) Paula-Souza , Phytotaxa 183(1): 10, f. 1A (2014).

– Ionidium poaya A.St. - Hil., Ann. Sci. Nat., Ser. 1, 2: 254 (1824).

Type: Brazil, “ Près Sta. Luzia de Goyaz ”, v 1817, St. Hilaire Catal. C1-653 (lectotype P! [ P2141239 ], designated by Paula-Souza in Paula-Souza & Ballard, 2014; isolectotype P! [ P2141238 ]) . – Solea poaya (A.St.-Hil.) Spreng., Syst. Veg. 4(2): 97 (1827). – Hybanthus poaya (A.St.-Hil.) Baill., Traité Bot. Méd. Phan. 2: 841 (1884). – Calceolaria poaya (A.St.-Hil.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 41 (1891). – Hybanthus poaya (A.St.-Hil.) Taub., Nat. PflanZenfam. 3(6): 333 (1895). Figures 5E,F , 8 .

Suffrutescent herb, 10–30 cm high, branched from a well-developed, bud-bearing underground root-like system, erect; internodes 2.5–31 mm. Stipule c.1.5 × 0.5 mm, margin entire; leaves alternate, sessile; blade (9)10–21.6 × 6–11.5 mm, lanceolate to ovate, narrowly oblong to oblong, narrowly elliptic to elliptic, oblanceolate, apex acute to obtuse, margin entire to sparsely serrate, base acute, rounded or cordate, spreading-villous to sparsely spreading-villous. Flowers white, purplish or lilac with a yellow spot at the base of the anterior petal, solitary, axillary; pedicel 7.2–12.3 mm, spreading-villous; bracteoles c.0.7 × 0.3 mm; sepals subequal, 5–7.5 × 1.3–2 mm, lanceolate, sometimes subfalcate, margin entire, base truncate, villous; posterior petals 6.3–8.7 × 2.5–3 mm, lanceolate to ovate or oblong, villous at the apex; lateral petals 11–13 × 3.4–5.7 mm, spatulate, frequently falcate, sparsely villous to villous; anterior petal 15–17.5 × 14–19.5 mm including a claw 6.3–7 mm long, transversely oblong to subsquare, apex emarginate, smooth, villous; filaments 0.5–1.5 mm, connective appendages hyaline, 0.3–0.5 mm long, nectar glands noduliform, sometimes much reduced, inserted at the base of the anthers, villous; style c. 4 mm, glabrous, straight or subsigmoid, ovary 2 mm, villous. Capsule 7–13 × c. 7 mm, ovoid; seeds 3 × 2–2.7 mm.

Vernacular names. Poaia, poaia-do-campo.

Etymology. The epithet is the vernacular name of the species, which was widely used in traditional medicine in Saint-Hilaire’s time.

Distribution and habitat. Pombalia poaya is found in grasslands and savannas of the Brazilian Plateau, from Maranhão to Minas Gerais states (see Figure 3 ).

Phenology. The species has been recorded in flowering and fruiting stages from July to November (rarely in May), peaking in September and October.

Conservation status. Pombalia poaya is a widespread species (EOO, 186,168 km 2; AOO, 52 km 2), with several records in conservation units, and is therefore listed as Least Concern (LC).

Selected specimens examined. BRAZIL. Distrito Federal: Brasília, Córrego Capoeira do Bálsamo, c. 10 km E de Brasília, 1100 m a.s.l., 16 ix 1965, Irwin et al. 8384 ( COL, UB). Goiás: Alexânia , Rod. BSB-Gyn, 7 curvas, ponte do rio Lages , 14 ix 2003, Pastore & Bringel 698 ( CEN) ; Alto Paraíso de Goiás, Rod. GO-118 em direção a Cavalcante , c. 12 km N (em linha reta) de Alto Paraíso, 14°01′37′′, 47°31′45.4′′, 1502 m a.s.l., 23 x 2012, Paula-Souza et al. 11311/685 ( ESA) ; Anápolis , 18 x 1956, Smith 4821 ( US) ; Campo Alegre de Goiás / Cristalina, c.20(?) km de Cristalina em direção a Campo Alegre de Goiás , 17°24′31′′S, 47°47′01′′W, 8 ix 1998, J. P. Souza et al. 2745 ( ESA) ; Catalão , BR-050, c. 8 km S de Pires Belo, 18.0028°S, 47.8028°W [18°00′10.1′′S, 47°48′10.1′′W], 2 x 2007, Paula-Souza et al. 8774 ( SPF) ; Cavalcante, estrada de terra saindo da balsa do Porto dos Paulistas (no rio Tocantins ) para o Buracão , a c. 17 km do rio, 13°22′17′′S, 48°02′40′′W, 430 m a.s.l., 9 xi 2000, Walter et al. 4642 ( CEN) ; Corumbá de Goiás, Pireneus , 28 vii 1952, Macedo 3714 ( US) ; Luziânia, 1.5 km a oeste da ponte do rio Alagado , em direção BR-060, 16°12′01′′S, 48°11′08′′W, 870 m a.s.l., 6 xi 2002, G. P. Silva et al. 6858 ( CEN) ; Niquelândia, estrada Uruaçu-Niquelândia, c. 50 km de Uruaçu , 15 vii 2000, J. P. Souza et al. 3540 ( ESA, RB) ; Pirenópolis, Serra dos Pireneus, subida para o Parque , 15°49′29′′S, 48°54′24′′W, 1070 m a.s.l., 18 i 2005, Paula-Souza et al. 4070 (CTES, ESA); Planaltina, GO-118, km 04, 15.4680°S, 47.5066°W [15°28′04.8′′S, 47°30′23.8′′W], 3 x 2007, Paula-Souza et al. 8801 ( SPF). Maranhão: Amaro Leite, Brésil central (Sertao d’Amaroleité), ix–x 1844, Weddell 2839 ( P). Minas Gerais: Ibiá, Rio Santa Teresa , 12 x 1982, Hatschbach & Kummrow 45591 ( F, MBM). Tocantins: Parana, estrada de acesso à vila Rosário, faZenda Bom Retiro, 12°46′49′′S, 48°12′10′′W, 307 m a.s.l., 23 xi 2007, Pereira-Silva et al. 12273 ( CEN) .

Typical forms of Pombalia poaya are readily recognised by its spreading-villous indument. The species has been extensively used in folk medicine for the purgative, emetic and evacuant properties of the roots ( Mügge et al., 2016).

Figures

Figure 3. Distribution of Pombalia cristalina, P. insignis, P. poaya, P. strigoides and P. velutina.

Figure 5. A–D, Pombalia lanata: A, habit; B–D, details of flowering branches, showing colour variation; E and F, Pombalia poaya: E, detail of flowering branch; F, habit. Photographs: A, C, D and F, Henrique Moreira; B, Jair E. Q. Faria.

Figure 8. Pombalia poaya: A, habit; B, variation of size and shape of the corolla; C, gynoecium on the pedicel; D1, posterior stamen; D2 and D3, variation of size, indument and shape of connective appendage of anterior stamens; E, calyx. Drawn from Brochado & Filgueiras 06 (A, C, D1, D2 and E), Souza 2744 (B1) and Salles 204 (B2 and D3) by Rogério Lupo.