Simira rubra ( Martius 1860: 324 ) Steyermark, Mem., 1972

Margalho, Luciano Ferreira, Delprete, Piero G. & Groppo, Milton, 2020, Typification of the two Arariba names published by Martius and of the two Pinckneya names published by Allemão & Saldanha, synonymous with the names of two species of Simira (Rubiaceae, Condamineeae), Phytotaxa 438 (2), pp. 141-150 : 147-148

Simira rubra ( Martius 1860: 324) Steyermark, Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 23: 307. 1972. Arariba rubra Martius ,

Sitzungsber. Bayer. Akad. Wiss. München 324. 1860. – Sickingia rubra (Martius) K. Schumann, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 10:

328. 1888. Type:— BRAZIL. Rio de Janeiro, Canta Gallo, 1860, G. Peckolt 383 (first-step lectotype designated by K.

Schumann (1889: 234), second-step lectotype BR [ BR0000005738939 ], here designated ; isolectotypes B destroyed ,

BR [3 sheets, BR0000005738618, BR0000005738281, BR0000005738601]; photo-B at F).

Pinckneya viridiflora Allemão & Saldanha, Config. Est. Bot. Dos Veg. Sec. 3: [7], tab. 13. 1872. – Sickingia viridiflora (Allemão & Saldanha) K. Schumann, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 10: 328. 1888. – Simira viridiflora (Allemão & Saldanha) Steyermark, Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 23: 307. 1972. Type:— BRAZIL. Rio de Janeiro, Corcovado, s.d., F.F. Allemão in Herbier de J. Saldanha No. 469 (Holotype R [No. 144579]), syn. nov.

Sickingia oliveri K. Schumann, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 10: 328. 1888. – Simira oliveri (K. Schumann 1888: 328) Steyermark, Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 23: 307. 1972. Type:— BRAZIL. Rio de Janeiro: Serra da Estrela , “à Mandioca”, 14 December 1883, A. Glaziou 14939 (Lectotype R [No. 000009922] here designated; isolectotypes K [2 sheets, K000173846 , K000173847 ), syn. nov.

Schumann (1888: 325–326; for English translation see Delprete et al. 2005: 27–29) discussed the features of Pinckneya viridiflora Allemão & Saldanha (1872: [7]) and transferred it to Sickingia Willdenow (1801: 445) . In the same work, Schumann (1888: 327–328; see Delprete et al. 2005: 29–30) analyzed the two species of Arariba described by Martius. Schumann stated that Arariba rubra Martius (1860: 323) is most similar to Sickingia oliveri Schumann (1888: 328) , from which “it differs markedly from it because of its strongly reticulate, blunt leaves with red underside.” In the 1888 publication, he described Sickingia oliveri without citing any specimen. A year later ( Schumann 1889), in Flora brasiliensis , under this taxon he cited several collections made in the state of Rio de Janeiro: Saldanha 7032, Riedel 427, and Glaziou 1100, 2105, 9479 and 14939. However, as they were not cited in the original publication ( Schumann 1888), they cannot be treated as original material. Also, as Schumann worked at Berlin, the Rubiaceae specimens at this institution were destroyed during WWII. A duplicate of Glaziou 14939 at R, No. 000009922, is a complete specimen in excellent conditions and is here designated the lectotype of S. oliveri . Simira oliveri has been treated by some specialists (e.g., Flora do Brasil 2020) as a heterotypic synonym of S. glaziovii ; however, S. oliveri differs from S. glaziovii by the imbricated aestivation of corolla lobes (vs. open aestivation in S. glaziovii ), capsules with each valve divided into two lobes at full maturity (vs. each valve remaining entire at full maturity), membranaceous folding between corolla and stamens insertions lacking (vs. present), and absence of calycophylls (vs. present).

Schumann (1889) provided a complete description of Sickingia rubra in Flora Brasiliensis , as having oblong-obovate leaves, congested at the tips of the branches, 4-merous flowers, without membranaceous folding between corolla tube and stamen insertions, which are the same characteristics shared with Sickingia viridiflora and S. oliveri , which in turn is a combination of characters used to distinguish species within the genus.

The vestiture of the inflorescence, hypanthium, calyx, and style of Simira rubra is similar to that of S. oliveri . In addition, Simira viridiflora also share significant characters with S. rubra and S. oliveri , as leaves congested at branch tips, lanceolate-obovate to oblong-obovate leaf blades, axillary inflorescences, 4-merous flowers, and membranaceous folding between corolla and stamens insertions lacking.

Simira rubra could also be confused with S. pisoniiformis ( Baillon 1879: 307) Steyermark (1972: 305) for the similar shape and dimension of their leaf blades. The former differs from the latter by the leaves congested at branch tips (vs. spread along the branches), 4-merous flowers (vs. 5-merous), imbricate corolla aestivation (vs. open aestivation) and globose capsules, 5.5–8 x 4.6–6.5 cm, with woody exocarp (vs. pyriform, 1.4–2.4 x 1.2–2.8, with crustaceous exocarp).

In conclusion, the similarity in the combination of characters and the analysis of type material lead us to conclude that Arariba rubra , Pinckneya viridiflora and Sickingia oliveri are conspecific, and their synonymy is proposed above.