Cuphea anisoclada Lourteig (1957: 358)

Facco, Marlon Garlet & Cavalcanti, Taciana Barbosa, 2023, Taxonomic Revision of Cuphea sect. Trispermum s. l. (Lythraceae), Phytotaxa 588 (1), pp. 1921-1935 : 1921-1935

1. Cuphea anisoclada Lourteig (1957: 358) .

Type:— VENEZUELA. Bolívar: Gran Sabana, marshy area at headwaters of Río Aponguao [Aponwao river], alt. 1,200 m, 27–28 March 1952, Maguire 33644 (holotype NY [00386498] image!, isotypes F image!, US image!). Figs. 6A–E , 18 .

Subshrubs 30–60 cm tall; stems erect to decumbent, indumentum strigose, with one-armed or bifid-malpighiaceous trichomes, sometimes mixed with erect, eglandular trichomes, and sparse glandular trichomes ca. 1 mm long; internodes 0.3–3 cm long; brachyblasts absent. Leaves opposite, chartaceous, petioles 1–2 mm long, blades 10–28 × 2.5–8 mm, narrow-elliptic to ovate-oblong, apex acute, base obtuse to subcordate, rarely acute, margin plane to subrevolute, one-armed appressed trichomes on both surfaces; brochidodromous, rarely secondary veins inconspicuous on adaxial surface. Racemes 6–8 cm long, frondose, rarely frondose-bracteose, simple to compound, elongated, indistinct; bracts 7–22 × 3–7 mm, subequal pairs, similar to leaves in shape and indumentum. Flowers alternate; pedicels 4–6 mm long; bracteoles 0.6–0.9 mm long, ovate; floral tubes 10–13 mm long; calcar obtuse, deflexed; outer surface pale green, indumentum strigose, one-armed trichomes, with short glandular trichomes on the veins; inner surface villous behind the stamens, pilose around the ovary; petals 6, yellow, subequal, two dorsal ca. 3.4 × 1.5 mm, narrow-obovate, four ventral ca. 3.5 × 1.8 mm, obovate; stamens free in the upper third of the floral tube, exserted; pistil 5.6–5.8 mm long; ovary glabrous; style glabrous; ovules 3; nectary ca. 0.8 × 1.2 mm, deflexed. Seeds 2–3, 1.7–1.8 × 1.8–1.9 mm, broadobovate to suborbicular, apex slightly retuse, base obtuse, margin obtuse.

Phenology: —Collected with flowers from January to April and in October; with fruits from January to April.

Distribution and habitat: — Venezuela ( Fig. 18 ), in Amazonas and Bolívar states ( Lourteig 1957 , 1987, 2007); near waterfalls and sandy riverbanks of the Venezuelan savannas; 200–1300 m elev.

Conservation status: — Cuphea anisoclada was categorized as Vulnerable (VU) B1ab(i,ii,iii), with EOO of 7,112 km ² and AOO of 12 km ². Increasing disturbances in the Guyana Shield region include mining and massive hydroelectric projects ( Funk et al. 2007).

Specimens examined: — VENEZUELA. Amazonas: Manapiare , Cerro Ualipano , orillas del Río Parucito, 6ºN, 65º43’W, February 1962, Cardona 2924 (US image!). Bolívar: [Gran Sabana], island on rapids of Río Caroní just below Urimán , 13 January 1955, Steyermark & Wurdack 83 ( F image!, NY image!, P!); Gran Sabana, alrededores del Salto de Aponguao , 42.5 km al noreste de la Misión de Santa Teresita de Kavanayén , 22 February 1978, Steyermark et al. 115626 ( P!); Gran Sabana, Río Aponguao , Ibariba , cerca del Salto Chinak Merú , 07 April 1988, Sastre et al. 8527 ( P!); Guayana, playas arenosas del raudal Kurukuyá , 740 m, río Caroní , 09 October 1946, Cardona 1783 (US image!) .

Cuphea anisoclada is one of the five species with yellow petals in C. sect. Trispermum s.l., a rare feature within the genus ( Graham & Cavalcanti 1999a). The stem is covered with bifid-malpighiaceous or one-armed trichomes, with one of the arms very short, which refers to the specific epithet. It morphologically resembles the sympatric species C. congesta , which is identified by the long floral tubes ( Fig. 9C ), 15–21 mm long, with saccate spur, and seeds 3–3.2 mm long. In C. anisoclada , the floral tubes are smaller ( Fig. 6C ), 10–13 mm long, with obtuse spur, and seeds 1.7–1.8 mm long.

The large savanna areas of the Gran Sabana southeast of Bolívar, Venezuela, located in the Guiana Shield ( Funk et al. 2007), are the main areas where C. anisoclada is distributed. There is also a record for the mountainous region of northern Amazonas state, Venezuela. The species is usually associated with waterfalls and sandy riverbanks, such as the Aponwao and Caroní rivers in Gran Sabana, and the Parucito river in Amazonas.

The specimens López-Palacios 3062 (P), Steyermark 106332 (P) and Cardona Puig 2883 ( US) were misidentified and erroneously cited by Lourteig (1987) in the examined material of C. anisoclada . These are representatives of C. congesta .

Figures

FIGURE 6. A–E. Cuphea anisoclada. A. Habit; B. Detail of a branch; C. Lateral view of floral tube; D. Pistil; E. Seed. F–K. Cuphea antisyphilitica. F. Habit; G. Flowering branch; H. Floral tube in lateral view, without petals; I. Floral tube in longitudinal-dorsal section, without petals; J. Pistil; K. Seed. A: Maguire 33644; B–E: Steyermark et al. 115626; F: Sevilha et al. 5684; G: Facco et al. 497; H–J: Facco et al. 490; K: Absy 187. Scale bar.A: 5 cm; C, H: 3 mm; D, I, J: 2 mm; E, K: 1 mm. Photo. F: Anderson Sevilha.

FIGURE 9. A–F. Cuphea congesta. A. Flowering branch; B. Detail of the leaves; C. Floral tube in lateral view, without petals; D. Floral tube in longitudinal-dorsal section, without petals; E. Pistil; F. Seed. G–M. Cuphea cunninghamiifolia. G. Flowering branch; H. Detail of contracted bracteose raceme; I. Flower in frontal view; J. Floral tube in lateral view, without the petals; K. Floral tube in longitudinaldorsal section, without the petals; L. Pistil; M. Seed.A: Puig 2883; B–E: Steyermark 106332; F: Lopez & Palacios 3062; H, L: Cavalcanti et al. 3621; J, K, M: Ribeiro & Diniz-Neres 569. Scale bar.A: 5 cm; B–E: 3 mm; F, M: 1 mm; H: 1 cm; J–L: 2 mm. Photos. G, I: Maurício Mercadante.

FIGURE 18. Geographical distribution of Cuphea anisoclada, Cuphea congesta, Cuphea gracilis and Cuphea rionegrensis.