Wissadula glechomifolia

Bovini, Massimo G. & Baumgratz, José Fernando A., 2016, Taxonomic revision of Wissadula (Malvoideae, Malvaceae) in Brazil, Phytotaxa 243 (3), pp. 201-234 : 220-221

10. Wissadula glechomifolia (A.St.-Hil.) R.E.Fr. (1908: 79). Abutilon glechomaefolium A.St. -Hil. (1827: 198). Type:— URUGUAY. Campos cisplatinos, Voyage 1816–1821, fl., St. -Hilaire 2435 (holotype: P!, RB, photo!).

Subshrubs creeping. Branches puberulous, trichomes whitish, simple, long and fasciculate-stipitate. Stipules 0.7–0.9 cm long, linear to lanceolate, free, caducous, sometimes epipetiolar, trichomes simple, long and fasciculate, frequently in the base. Leaves with petioles 0.5–2 cm long, puberulous, trichomes equal to branches; lamina 1.5–2.5 × 1–2.3 cm, membranaceous, green discolour, cordiform-orbiculate or lanceolate to deltoid, base cordate, apex acute, margin crenate; adaxial surface pubescent, trichomes simple, long; abaxial surface hirsute, trichomes glandular, fasciculate and multiradiate. Synflorescence at reduced raceme, branches constituted of triads and dyads; anthopodium 2.8–3 cm long, puberulous, trichomes glandular and rarely fasciculate. Flowers with pedicel 20–22 mm long, pubescent, trichomes glandular, fasciculate, and multiradiate-stipitate, rarely simple, long; calyx 5.9–6 mm long, sepals free to the middle below to medium portion, accrescent in fruit, hyaline or ferrugineous, adaxial surface pubescent, trichomes glandular and multiradiate-stipitate; abaxial surface velutinous, trichomes simple, long; corolla 1.3–1.5 (–2) cm diam, white, with yellow center; staminal column with few trichomes hyaline, simple and fasciculate-stipitate, free portion of filaments ca. 3 mm long, few trichomes hyaline, simple; ovary 3–5-celled, 2–3 ovules per cell; style ca. 3 mm long. Schizocarp 1.3–1.5 cm diam, 3–4(–5) mericarps, 10–12 × 5–6 mm, spines ca. 2 mm long, very inflated in portion distal, constriction inconspicuous, puberulous, trichomes glandular; seeds 2–3, ca. 3 mm long, hilum puberulous, trichomes simple. ( Figs. 6j–l ).

Representative Specimens Examined— BRAZIL. Rio Grande do Sul: Alegrete , 19 January 1973, fl., fr., A. Krapovickas 22764 ( CTES) ; Arroio dos Ratos , 28 August 1981, fl., D. B. Falkenberg 149 ( FLOR) ; Canguçu , 01 December 1988, fl., J. A. Jarenkow 1055 ( ICN, FLOR, MBM, PEL) ; Cerro Grande do Sul, 28 September 1997, fl., J. A. Jarenkow 3545 ( MBM, PEL) ; Encruzilhada, Passo do Branquilho , 16 November 1978, fl., J. Mattos & N. Mattos 1988 ( HAS) ; Encruzilhada do Sul, Amaral Ferrador , 23 September 1985, fl., D. B. Falkenberg 3161 ( MBM) ; Guaíba, fazenda São Maximiano , 03 November 2006, fl., fr., M. G. Bovini & N. Matzenbacker 2649 ( RB) ; Estação Experimental Agronômica da Faculdade de Agronomia da UFRGS, 19 September 1986, fl., N. Silveira 4267 ( HAS) ; serra do sudeste, 02 November 1990, fl., C. Schlindwein 686 ( UFP, MPUC) ; Osório , 18 October 1980, fl., fr., J. Mattos 21518 ( CTES) ; Passo do Ricardo , 04 November 1961, fl., E. Pereira & G. Pabst 6783 ( CTES, RB) ; Pelotas, fazenda Capão Redondo , 29 August 1980, fl., J. Mattos et al. 2262 ( HAS) ; Porto Alegre; morro da Polícia , 28 August 1940, fl., Irmão Augusto s.n. ( ICN 18763 ) ; Vila Conceição , April 1953, fl., J. Vidal 138 (R) ; Piratini , Serra das Asperesas, 10 December 1989, fl., fr., J. A. Jarenkow 1519 ( FLOR) ; Viamão , 02 November 1949, fr., B. Rambo 44201 ( CTES, LIL) ; without locality, 31 December 1897, fl., F. Reinecke 74 ( MG) .

Etymology— The epithet glechomifolia refers to the similarity between the leaves of this species and those of the genus Glechoma (Labiatae) .

Distribution— It occurs in Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil. In Brazil, it is restricted to the State of Rio Grande do Sul.

Note— This species is the only member of the genus thus far that has a creeping subshrub life form.The development of the W. glechomiifolia branches occurs parallel to the soil a few centimeters above the ground, but slightly erect branches also grow from a small distal portion close to the flowers. Wissadula glechomiifolia is the easiest species to identify within the genus based on its particular habit, which does not resemble any other species in Brazil. In addition, the small cordate-orbicular leaves, large diameter of the corolla (1.3–2.0 cm), reduced number of carpels (3–5), and restricted geographic distribution of the species also facilitates species identification.

It is important to emphasize that the corolla of W. glechomifolia is white with a slightly yellow central tint. This characteristic was observed in wild individuals and herbarium material. However, in the original description (Saint -Hilaire 1827), the corolla is described as yellow; this characteristic may have been unnoticed by the author in the material observed.

Fries (1908) included this species in Wissadula based on the bent carpels at the apex and named it W.glechomatifolium without justifying the alteration in the spelling of the specific epithet. It is believed that Fries was trying to follow Latin grammatical rules. Nevertheless, based on the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature ( McNeill et al. 2012), Article 60.8 and Saint Hilaire’s (1827) original work, the correct Latin spelling was adopted for the epithet W. glechomifolia .

This species frequently exhibits three mericarps, which is a reduced number for the genus, but it may also have four or rarely five mericarps in the same individual. When transferring this species to Wissadula, Fries (1908) noted a strong tendency towards reduction of the number of mericarps in some species of the genus, referring in particular to the section Bastardiastrum proposed by Rose (1899), which was raised to the genus level later by Bates (1978a). No species from that genus occurs in Brazil.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Wissadula cuspidata (R.E.Fr.) Bovini. a. fertile branch. b. detail of branch. c. fruit. W. decora S. Moore. d. fertile branch. e. detail of branch. f. fruit. W. excelsior (Cav.) C. Presl. g. fertile branch. h. detail of branch. i. fruit. W. glechomifolia (A.St.-Hill.) R.E. Fries. j. fertile branch. k. detail of branch. l. fruit. (a–c: Cordeiro 69, CTES, IAN; d–f: Dubs 354, MBM; g–i: Bovini 2479, RB; j–l: Bovini 2649, RB). Scale bars: a, d, g, j = 5 cm; b, e, h, k, l = 1mm; c, f = 2mm; i = 5 mm.