Bacopa serpyllifolia (Benth.) Pennell (1946: 98)

Sosa, María De Las Mercedes, Moroni, Pablo & O’Leary, Nataly, 2018, A taxonomic revision of the genus Bacopa (Gratioleae, Plantaginaceae) in Argentina, Phytotaxa 336 (1), pp. 1-27 : 19

11. Bacopa serpyllifolia (Benth.) Pennell (1946: 98) . Fig. 11 .

≡ Herpestis serpyllifolia Bentham (1846: 398) ≡ Herpestis lanigera var. serpyllifolia (Benth.) Schmidt (1862: 313) .

Type:— BRAZIL. Minas Gerais, São Romeo, 1840, J. Gardner 5055 (lectotype K 000533480! [designated by Souza & Giulietti 2009: 63], isolectotypes BM 000953367!, OXF 00009688V!, P 00584296!).

= Bacopa ciliata (Pennell) Pennell (1946: 98) ≡ Herpestis ciliata Pennell (1940: 2) .

Type:— GUYANA. 25–26 Oct 1937, A. C. Smith 2281 (holotype PH [not located], isotypes F 0072500F!, GH 00078562!, K000533464!, MO 503757!, NY 00068528!, S 04-3403!, U 0006742!, US 00122513!).

Herbs, annual or perennial, 8–10 cm tall, prostrate, densely hispid villose. Leaves opposite, sessile, blade ovate or elliptic, 6–10 × 3–8 mm, apex obtuse, base rounded to amplexicaul, margin entire, hispid villose in the margin and on the veins of abaxial face. Flowers axillary, solitary, pedicels 4–20 mm long, bracteoles absent or two, linear, 1–2 mm long, villose. Calyx 5-lobed, with the external dorsal lobe ovate, 4–5 × 2.5–3 mm long, apex rounded, base truncate, the two lateral lobes ovate, 3.8–4 × 2.5–2.8 mm, apex rounded, base truncate, hispid villose in the margin and on the veins, the two internal lobes linear, 4–4.2 × 0.8–1 mm, apex acute, base truncate, hispid villose. Corolla blue or violet color, tube 7–10 mm long, glabrous; stamens 4; ovary with long bristles in a ring, style bifid, stigmatic apex smooth. Capsule ovoid, apex acute, 3.2–3.5 × 2.1–2.5 mm.

Distribution and habitat:— B. serpyllifolia is distributed in South America from Venezuela to northern Argentina in the province of Chaco, between sea level and 500 m elev.

Taxonomic remarks:— Bacopa serpyllifolia is similar to B. salzmannii (see remarks under this last).

Selected specimens examined:— Chaco: San Fernando, Fontana, Meyer 563 (LIL 73117).

Figures

FIGURE 11. Bacopa serpyllifolia. A. Plant aspect. B. Detail of apical nodes. C. Detail of leaf adaxial surface pubescence. D. Detail of leaf abaxial surface pubescence. E. Flower. F. Flower with dorsal lobe removed. G. Corolla opened, showing stamens. H. Bracteoles. I. Gynoecium. J. Dorsal lobe, internal view. K & L. Lateral lobes, internal views. M & N. Internal lobes (from Hatschbach & Kummrow 35038, CTES, Brasil, Matto Grosso, Mun.Alto Araguaia, Corrego do Sapo, 21 Sep 1974).