Desmodium leiocarpum (Spreng.) G. Don, Gen.

Lima, Laura Cristina Pires, Queiroz, Luciano Paganucci De, Tozzi, Ana Maria Goulart De Azevedo & Lewis, Gwilym Peter, 2014, A Taxonomic Revision of Desmodium (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae) in Brazil, Phytotaxa 169 (1), pp. 1-119 : 57-59

17. Desmodium leiocarpum (Spreng.) G. Don, Gen. hist. 2: 294. 1832. Hedysarum leiocarpum Spreng., Syst. Veg. 3: 316. 1826. Meibomia leiocarpa (Spreng.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 198. 1891. Type:— BRAZIL. Locality unknow. (holotype B†). Neotype (designated here):— BRAZIL. Goiás: Serra dos Pirineus, ca. 10Km NE de Corumbáde Goiás, 15 May 1973, W.R. Anderson 10366 (neotype HUEFS!, isoneotypes NY!, UB!). Fig. 19 .

Erect, branched shrub, 1–2 m tall, without a xylopodium; stems not virgate, not slender, cylindrical, striate or sulcate, densely or sparsely tomentose and puberulous-uncinate, not glaucous; internodes 2.1–4.2 cm long. Stipules 13–15 × 2–4 mm, ovate-lanceolate, auriculate, semi-amplexicaul, inserted perpendicularly at the base of the leaf petiole, free from each other, apex caudate, margin ciliate, densely tomentose or sparsely tomentose and uncinate, rarely densely puberulous-uncinate, veins conspicuous, caducous or generally persistent at the base of the inflorescence; auricle 2–4 mm long. Leaves trifoliolate; petiole 9–32 mm long, cylindrical, sulcate, densely tomentose; rachis 12–21 mm long; stipels 6–8 mm long, lanceolate or subulate, margin ciliate, tomentose on the outer surface, persistent; leaflets discolorous, chartaceous or papyraceous, venation eucamptodromous, primary, secondary and prominent, another veins flush with the abaxial surface, indumentum densely tomentose on the primary, secondary and tertiary veins on the abaxial surface, adaxial surface puberulous, uncinate hairs covering both surfaces, terminal leaflet 7.4–13.8 × 2.5–6 cm, elliptic, elliptic–rhombic, ovate–lanceolate or ovate–oblong, base cuneate, oblique or obtuse, apex acute, or retuse, mucronate, lateral leaflets 4.5–10.5 × 2.5–3.8 cm, oblong or the same shape as the terminal leaflet. Inflorescence a terminal or axillary pseudoraceme; the main axis longer than the adjacent leaves, 20–27.5 cm long, densely uncinate and or sparsely tomentose, 2–3 flowers per node; primary bract 3–5 mm long, ovate-lanceolate, margin straight, tomentose on the outer surface, caducous, veins inconspicuous on the outer surface; secondary bract ca. 1 mm long, subulate, margin straight, tomentose on the outer surface, caducous, veins inconspicuous on the outer surface; pedicel 8–11 mm long, sparsely hispid and puberulous-uncinate. Flowers 6–8 mm long; calyx bilabiate, tube campanulate, 1–1.5 mm long, tomentose and puberulous-uncinate on the outer surface; upper lip bifid, the 2 teeth joined for ca. ¾ of their length, acute, ca. 0.1 mm long; lower lip trifid, lateral tooth triangular, 1–1.5 mm long, central tooth triangular, 1.5–2 mm long; corolla lilac, standard 6–8 × 3.5–4 mm, obovate, apex obtuse, maculate at the base, claw 0.2–0.5 mm long; wing petals 6–8 × 1.5–2 mm, oblong, apex obtuse, without callosities, claw ca. 0.5 mm long; keel petals 6–8 × 1.5–2 mm, falcadas, apex subacute or obtuse, with callosities, claw 1.8–2.5 mm long; androecium monadelphous, 6–8 mm long, vexillary stamen partially fused with the other from the base 2–2.6 mm; ovary ca. 4 mm long, glabrous stipe ca. 1 mm long, glabrous. Loment 2.8–3.6 cm long, stipe 1–2 mm long, glabrous, isthmus subcentral, both margins sinuate; articles uniform 3–6, 5–6 × 3–4 mm, elliptic, not tortuous, indehiscent, subcoriaceous, veins conspicuous, sparsely puberulous-uncinate, becoming glabrous at maturity. Seed 2.5–3 × 1.6–2 mm, elliptic, hilum central.

DESMODIUM (LEGUMINOSAE, PAPILIONOIDEAE ) IN BRAZIL

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LIMA ET AL.

Selected specimens examined:— BRAZIL. Bahia: Mucuri: Arredores de Mucuri , 8 November 1986, fr., G . Hatschbach & J. M. Silva 50735 ( HBG). Distrito Federal: Brasília: Reserva Biológica da UNB, próximo ao Lago Paranoá, 18 October 2008, fr., L. C. P . Lima et al. 440 ( HUEFS). Espírito Santo: Santa Teresa: Vale do Canaã , 8 May 1984, fl., fr., W . Boone 123 ( CEPEC, RB). Goiás: Cristalina: Serra dos Cristais, ca. 5 km Sul de Cristalina , 5 March 1966, fr., H. S . Irwin et al. 13567 ( BR, UB). Mato Grosso: Acorizal: Rosário do Oeste (estrada velha) km 14, 24 August 1984, fr., L . Coradin et al. 6882 ( CEN, HUEFS). Minas Gerais: Itabira: Parque do Intelecto , 13 April 2008, fl., L. C. P . Lima & M. P. Andrade 417 ( HUEFS). Paraná: Antonina: Reserva Biológica de Sapitanduva , 15 May 1981, fl., fr., G . Hatschbach 43891 ( BHCB, HBG, K, PEL, SPF). Rio de Janeiro: Paraty: rodovia Ubatuba - Paraty, BR-101, Km51, 25 August 1987, fl., fr., L . Coradin et al. 8245 ( CEN, HUEFS, RB). Rio Grande do Sul: Guaramano: Guaramano para Santo Angelo, 8 February 1941, fl., B . Rambo s.n. ( B, PACA4688 ) . Santa Catarina: Lajes: na barra do rio São Mateus , 22 January 1957, st, J . Mattos 4462 ( HAS). São Paulo: Campos do Jordão : s. loc, 5 February 1937, fl., fr., P. C . Porto 3244 ( RB).

Distribution and Ecology:— known only in Brazil, in the Distrito Federal, and the States of Bahia, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and São Paulo, in areas of Cerrado and Rain Forest vegetation.

Conservation Assessment:— Least Concern (LC), not endangered ( IUCN 2001).

Phenology:— flowering and fruiting from January to August.

Etymology:— from the Latin leio (= smooth) + carpus (= fruit), in reference to the membranous fruits.

Common Name:— carrapichinho; carrapicho; feijão-andú; pega-pega.

Taxonomic notes:— a combination of characters including the shrubby habit, auriculate stipules at the base of the paniculate inflorescences, leaflets with eucamptodromous venation, flowers 6–8 mm long, the glabrous ovary, and elliptic fruit articles (glabrous when mature) with conspicuous veins facilitate the recognition of Desmodium leiocarpum .

With rhombic leaflets, flowers more than 6 mm long, androecium partially fused at the base of the staminal tube, and a puberulous or glabrous ovary, D. leiocarpum is similar to D. tortuosum . However, D. leiocarpum can be distinguishedfrom D. tortuosum bythepiloseabaxialleafletsurface (vs. glabrescent), generallysulcatestems (vs. striate), pedicels 8–11 mm long (vs. 7–15 mm), and elliptic fruit articles that are not tortuous at maturity and exhibit conspicuous veins (vs. tortuous, suborbicular or elliptic with inconspicuous veins).

It is common to encounter herbarium specimens of D. leiocarpum identified erroneously as D. cajanifolium (see notes under that species). Desmodium leiocarpum can also be confused with D. hassleri , D. subsecundum , and D. venosum due to the shrubby habit, leaflet shape, persistent stipules at the base of the inflorescence, and fruit articles with conspicuous venation. However, it can be distinguished by the glabrous ovary (vs. tomentose in D. hassleri and D. venosum ), flowers 6–8 mm long (vs. 7–10 mm long), fruit stipe 1–2 mm long, and articles elliptic (vs. 2–3 mm long and articles orbicular in D. subsecundum ).

Some of the specimens cited by Oliveira (1983) as D. leiocarpum were examined in this study and determined to be correctly identified (e.g., B. Rambo s.n., B!, PACA4688!, G. Hatschbach & O.S. Ribas 19478, L!). However, the collection B. Rambo s.n. (PACA54866!) is here recognised as D. venosum .

The diagnosis of Hedysarum leiocarpum published by Sprengel (1826) comprised the following brief morphological characterization: “ fruticosum, foliis ternatis subtus pubescentibus, foliolis ovato-oblongis obtusis, panicula terminali, lomenti glabris compressis membranaceis. ” Don (1832) made the new combination Desmodium leiocarpum without adding any data to the morphological description of Sprengel (1826). According to Stafleu and Cowan (1985), the collection of plants deposited in the private herbarium of Sprengel was sold to diverse herbaria, including FI–W, G, GOET, HAL, LE, and P, all of which have been consulted as part of this study. However, Urban (1891) pointed out that a large part of Sprengel`s private herbarium, especially specimens originating from Central and South America, was acquired by the Berlin Herbarium (B). The Leguminosae collection of Berlin was in large part destroyed during World War II (Vogt, pers. comm.).

The protologue of Hedysarum leiocarpum does not provide a detailed morphological characterisation and type material has not been located. Consequently, descriptions and illustrations of Desmodium leiocarpum published by Vogel (1838), Bentham (1859), Hoehne (1921), and Azevedo (1981), as well as examination of the specimens identified by these investigators or by Schindler (between 1915–1928), assisted in the morphological characterisation of the species, and a neotype is proposed.

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Figures

FIGURE 19. Desmodium leiocarpum. A. Fruiting branch. B. Leaf. C. Stipules. D. Calyx inner surface (opened). E. Parts of the corolla from the bottom to top: keel petals, wing petals, and standard. F. Androecium monadelphous (opened). G. Gynoecium. H. Fruit. I. Seed. (A, G, H: Anderson 10366; B–F: Lima 417).