Mucuna pseudoelliptica T.M. Moura, G.P. Lewis, V.F. Mansano & A.M.G. Azevedo, Syst. Bot.

De, Tânia M., Lewis, Gwilym P., Mansano, Vidal F. & Tozzi, Ana M. G. A., 2018, A revision of the neotropical Mucuna species (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae), Phytotaxa 337 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

20. Mucuna pseudoelliptica T.M. Moura, G.P. Lewis, V.F. Mansano & A.M.G. Azevedo, Syst. Bot. 39(3): 891. 2014.

TYPE:— PERU. Huanuco, between Carpis and Chinchão, 22 March 1976 (fl./fr.), T. Plowman & H. Kennedy 5693 (holotype: F!; isotype K!) .

Liana. Leaves 3-foliolate; petioles 8.0–9.0 cm long; stipels absent; rachis 2.0– 2.5 cm long; petiolules 5.0–8.0 mm long; lateral leaflets, 12–14.5 × 7.0– 9.5 cm, asymmetric at base, cuspidate at apex; apical leaflet elliptic, 13–15.5 × 7.5–8.5 cm, rounded at base, cuspidate at apex; venation eucamptodromous, secondary veins 6–8 pairs per leaflet; hairs sparse, erect and usually golden coloured on the abaxial surface. Inflorescence axillary, umbel-like pseudoraceme; peduncle 10–25 cm long; bracts caducous; pedicels 2.0–3.0 cm long. Flowers 7.0–8.0 cm long; calyx ca. 2.0 cm long, sericeous; 4-lobed, the adaxial lobe formed by two connate sepals, ca. 5.0 × 3.0 mm, retuse at apex, lateral lobes ca. 6.0 × 2.0 mm, acute at apex, abaxial lobe ca. 10 × 2.0 mm, acute at apex; corolla reported to be yellow (D. Smith & A. Pretel 1503 MO; T. Plowman & H. Kennedy 5693 F, K); standard broadly elliptic, ca. 4.0 × 3.0 cm, attenuate at base, rounded to retuse at apex, the claw ca. 5.0 mm long; wings oblong-elliptic, 6.0–6.5 × 1.0 cm, attenuate at base, rounded at apex, the claw ca. 5.0 mm long; keel petals oblong, 6.0 × 0.7 cm, attenuate at base, acute at apex, the claw ca. 8.0 mm long; wings and keel petals pubescent at base. Stamen filaments 6.0 cm long, glabrous. Gynoecium 6.0–7.0 cm long; style 5.5–6.5 cm long, sericeous, except at apex; ovary ca. 5.0 × 3.0 mm, sericeous, 4-ovulate; stigma peltate, villous. Immature fruits ca. 16 × 4.0 cm, not ornamented by lamellae, but with dense irritant hairs covering the valve surfaces, lacking a stipe, acute at base, aristate at apex (in young fruits); 1–4-seeded. Mature seeds not seen.

Taxonomic notes:— Mucuna pseudoelliptica is frequently identified in herbaria as M. elliptica ; however, the two species differ by the density of hairs on the abaxial surface of leaflets. In M. elliptica the hairs are dense and it is not possible to see the leaflet epidermis (vs. hairs sparse and epidermis visible in M. pseudoelliptica ). Additionally, the bracts in M. elliptica are 2.0–3.0 × 2.0 cm and the stipels are persistent, whilst in M. pseudoelliptica both the bracts and stipels are caducous.

48 • Phytotaxa 337 (1) © 2018 Magnolia Press

MOURA ET AL.

Phenology:— Flowering March to August and in December; fruiting in March and from May to August.

Distribution and habitat:— Mucuna pseudoelliptica is endemic to Peru (Huanuco and Pasco Provinces) ( Fig. 3 ). Occurring between 1500–2500 m.

Conservation status:— Mucuna pseudoelliptica is preliminarily assessed as being Endangered (EN) [EN B2ab(iii)]. The species is endemic to Peru, and has a restricted extent of occurrence (6,533.33 km 2), and is recorded only from three collection localities, none of them in a protected area.

Representative specimens examined:— PERU. Pasco: Oxapampa, Ulcumanu, SW of Oxapampa; road to Maria Teresa , 31 December 1983 (fl.), R.Foster et al. 7667 (F); Oxapampa , Los Chacos , near Oxapampa , 11 May 1982 (fr.), D. Smith & A. Petrel 1503 ( MO); Oxapampa , along new road Oxapampa , Villa Rica, 21 May 2005 (fl.), H. Van der Werff et al. 20348 (K); Oxapampa , Villa Rica, Zona de amortiguamiento del Parque Nacional Yanachaga-Chemillén, Borde de la carretera Villa Rica-Oxapampa, 19 April 2006 (fl.), A. Monteagudo et al. 11980 (K) . Huanuco: Chinchão , 2 August 1964 (fl./fr.), J.D. Dwyer 6200 ( MO) .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Geographical distribution of the six species of Mucuna with umbel-like pseudoracemose inflorescences endemic to South American.