Passiflora ovata Jos. Martin ex DC., Prodr. 3: 322. 1828. Astrophea ovata (Jos. Martin ex DC.) M. Roem. Familiarum Naturalium Regni Vegetabilis Synopses Monographicae 2: 151. 1846.

Mezzonato-Pires, Ana Carolina, Milward-de-Azevedo, Michaele Alvim, Mendonca, Claudia Barbieri Ferreira & Goncalves-Esteves, Vania, 2018, Taxonomy, palynology and distribution notes of seven species of Passiflora L. (Passifloraceae s. s.) newly recorded from Brazil, PhytoKeys 95, pp. 1-14 : 6-7

Passiflora ovata Jos. Martin ex DC., Prodr. 3: 322. 1828. Astrophea ovata (Jos. Martin ex DC.) M. Roem. Familiarum Naturalium Regni Vegetabilis Synopses Monographicae 2: 151. 1846. Figs 2G, H , 3G, H

Descriptions.

Lianas; tendrils not seen. Stipules diminute, linear to linear-falcate. Petioles with two glands on the terminal end of the adaxial side. Blades 9.5-19.3 × 4.3-8.7 cm, chartaceous, oblong to obovate, apex attenuate to abruptly attenuate, base obtuse to round, glabrous on both sides; margins slightly undulate, with 4-6 glands; 22-25 pairs of secondary veins. Bracts diminute, linear to linear-falcate, alternate. Flowers solitary, hypanthium widely campanulate; sepals oblong, light green; petals oblong, white; corona with 4-6 series of filaments, filaments of first series dolabriform, with apex narrowly linear, margins slightly undulate, yellow below the inflated portion of the filaments, orange-yellow in the inflated portion, filaments of second series linear, filaments of third and fourth series with hair-like, filaments of fifth and sixth series with hair-like, reflexed; operculum straight, tubular, exserted, filamentous with a fimbriate apex, papillose; trochlea absent on the androgynophore; ovary obovoid to oblong-ovoid, densely tomentose. Fruits 5.5 × 3.5 cm, ellipsoid, glabrous.

Palynology.

Pollen grains large-sized (ca. 56.6 µm), prolate spheroidal, 6-colporate, colpi short, narrow, three endoaperture lalongate (ca. 10.0 × 15.5 µm) unique for each pair of ectoaperture, sexine reticulate, heterobrachate; muri (ca. 1.9 µm) duplicolumellate, sinuous, continuous, without perforations, without high columellae, not apparent, tectum surface mostly slightly curved, lumina slightly ornamented with pila, large (ca. 13.4 µm diam.) (Fig. 3G and H ).

Specimens examined.

BRAZIL. Acre: Acrelândia, PAE Porto Dias (placing Bibi), 9°49'40"S, 66°53'0"W, 09-15 Nov 2006 [fl, fr], F. Obermuller et al. 102 (RB) . Amazonas: São Gabriel da Cachoeira: Highway BR-307, SGC-Cucuí km 50, [0°16'25"N, 66°39'35"W], 27 Oct 2008 [fl], S. Sakagawa et al. 668 (INPA); Highway BR-307, SGC-Cucuí km 50, [0°15'49"N, 66°40'56"W], 22 Apr 2008, R.L. Assis et al. 93 (INPA) .

Distribution and ecology.

It is known to occur in French Guiana, Venezuela and Brazil. It is recorded here for the states of Acre (municipality of Acrelândia) and Amazonas (municipality of São Gabriel da Cachoeira), growing in Floresta Ombrófila Densa formations, along roadsides, reaching up to 10 m high.

Taxonomic comments.

Passiflora ovata belongs to P. subg. Astrophea sect. Pseudoastrophea (Harms) Killip. It can be easily differentiated due to its oblong to obovate leaf-blades, glands restricted to the abaxial side of the petiole near the blade, flowers with widely campanulate hypanthium, and dolabriform filaments on the first corona series. According to Escobar (1990), the straight and tubular operculum of P. ovata , probably favours hummingbird pollination. The most morphologically similar species is P. costata , which can be easily distinguished from P. ovata by the presence of a trochlea in the androgynophore, operculum declinate at base with a straight upper part and corona with non-reflexed filaments in the inner series. According to Mezzonato-Pires et al. (2017), P. ovata is included in the type III pollen group, due to its reticulate sexine and large lumina.

Figures

Figure 2. Illustrations of leaves and flowers in longitudinal section. A, B Passiflora amoena (S. V. Costa Neto et al. 2818, HAMAB) C, D Passiflora fuchsiiflora (S. Sakagawa et al. 248, INPA) E, F Passiflora jussieui (D. C. Daly et al. 7423, UPCB) G, H Passiflora ovata (S. Sakagawa et al. 668, INPA) I, J Passiflora plumosa (C. A. Cid et al. 561, MG) K, L Passiflora quelchii (R. C. Forzza et al. 8321, RB) M, N Passiflora tessmannii (C. A. Sothers & E. C. Pereira 612, INPA).

Figure 3. Photomicrographs and electron photomicrographs of pollen grains of the species of Passiflora. A, B Passiflora amoena C, D Passiflora fuchsiiflora E, F Passiflora jussieui G, H Passiflora ovata I, J Passiflora quelchii K, L Passiflora tessmannii A, C, E, G, K general aspect of polar view B, F, H, I, L general aspect of equatorial view, D and J ornamentation detail. Scale bars: 10 µm (C, E, F, G, H, I, K, L); 5 µm (A, B, J); 1 µm (D).