Eriotheca dolichopoda A. Robyns (1979: 457)

Carvalho-Sobrinho, Jefferson, Mota, Aline C., Alverson, William S. & Dorr, Laurence J., 2024, Fruit and seed of Eriotheca dolichopoda (Malvaceae) revealed after 45 years: Emended description, typification, new records, and conservation status of a poorly known Atlantic Forest species, Phytotaxa 668 (1), pp. 1-10 : 3-6

Eriotheca dolichopoda A. Robyns (1979: 457)

Figs 1 , 2

Lectotype (here designated):— BRAZIL. Bahia: Ilhéus , CEPEC, 27 December 1970, J. L. Hage 38 ( BR [barcode 000000696126]; Isolectotypes BR: [barcode 000000696159] CEPEC!, NY! [barcode 00133564], R! [barcode R000135412 ]) . Epitype (here designated): BRAZIL. Bahia: Tapiramutá , ca. 7 km na estrada vicinal entrando à direita na BA-131 em direção a BA-052, a cerca 3,6 km da cidade, pasto em área de floresta estacional, 11º51’28”S, 040º43’52”W, 810 m alt., 26 January 2024 (lf, fr), J. G. Carvalho-Sobrinho 4041 ( HUEFS barcode 000239717!, HUEFS barcode 000241020!, HUEFS barcode 000100270221!, a single specimen mounted on three sheets; isoepitypes CEPEC, RB, SP, SPF) .

Description: — Emergent trees to 35 m tall, crown partially deciduous when flowering; trunks to 1.5 m dbh, bark vertically furrowed; plank buttresses to 1.70 m tall; branches glabrous, often modified as brachyblasts, often hollowed and frequented by ants. Terminal buds triangular, c. 6–12 mm long. Leaves palmately compound, clustered at branch apices; petioles to 130(–300) mm long, doubly-pulvinate, swollen at base when fresh, dorsiventrally flattened; petiolules absent to greatly reduced; leaflets (3–)5–9(–11), chartaceous, glabrous; leaflets decreasing in length, distal leaflets 120– 153 × 47–58 mm, length-to-width ratio 1.7–2.6(–4.5), proximal leaflets (19–)33–81 × (7–) 14–47 mm, length-to-width ratio 1.5–2.7(–3.2); leaflets elliptic, largely elliptic, obovate to largely obovate, rarely oblanceolate, apices obtuse, rounded or emarginate, rarely mucronate, bases attenuate, narrowly cuneate, or oblique, margin often slightly and irregularly crenulate, with minute circular and elongate blackish marks (glands?) irregularly distributed especially near margin, discolorous, both surfaces nitid, adaxial surface dark green, abaxial surface light green often reddish-brown when dried, main vein salient on abaxial surface, secondary venation brochidodromous, tertiary veins finely reticulate, secondary veins impressed on both surfaces. Reproductive branches leafless when flowering. Inflorescences 1–8- flowered umbelliform cymes, borne on terminal, leafless branches often modified as brachyblasts, flowers spreading away from the branch of origin, not pendent; pedicels, receptacle, and calyces ferruginous due to dense, pulverulent indument, pedicels to 6 cm long, furrowed/angulate, bracteoles oblong-ovate, often inserted 10–25 mm below the calyx (not inserted at the base of calyces except in very young flower buds), caducous at anthesis. Flower obovoid in bud; receptacle elongate, 10–25 mm long, glands absent; calyx cupuliform (often appearing campanulate in herbarium specimens), 9–14 × 8–10 mm, 5-lobed to inconspicuously lobed at anthesis, internally sericeous, externally often greenish distally due to loss of indument, accrescent in fruit; petals white, obovate, unilaterally apiculate, 25–30 × 10– 12 mm (5 mm at base) when fresh, velutinous on both surfaces; staminal tube white, 6–10 mm long, length-to-width ratio 1 × 1, glabrous, slightly constricted near the dilated apex; filaments white, anthers yellow; ovary subglobose, 4 × 6 mm, entirely covered by dense ferruginous indument with stellate trichomes and scales, style white, stigma green. Loculicidal capsules woody, pendent, 38–52 × 33–47 mm, subglobose to widely-obovoid, globose when young, apex rounded to emarginate, exocarp densely covered with pulverulent, ferruginous indument, kapok abundant, light brown. Seeds numerous, 5–7 × 4–5 mm (8 × 6 mm when fresh), striate, striae 4 in number, subglobose to pyriform, glabrous, brown.

Phenology: — Eriotheca dolichopoda has been collected with flowers in October (very young flower buds), November and December, and with fruits in January.

Distribution and habitat: — Crown shape of Eriotheca dolichopoda varies with habitat: individuals in forest areas have longer boles and smaller, broom-like crowns whereas individuals in open, grazed areas have shorter boles and larger, spreading crowns. Eriotheca dolichopoda is known presently from 17 municipalities in Bahia, including the type locality ( Fig. 2 ). It inhabits low elevation wet and semideciduous forest near the coastline up to 900 m in northern Chapada Diamantina (Espinhaço Mountain Range) where it also can be found in riverine forest. The Chapada Diamantina is located within the Caatinga phytogeographic domain but comprises a mosaic of vegetation types influenced also by Cerrado and Atlantic Forest domains ( Harley 1995; Kamino et al. 2008). In Chapada Diamantina , E. dolichopoda inhabits semideciduous forest such as those occurring in Serra do Orobó that were demonstrated to be floristically more related to Atlantic Forest rather than Caatinga vegetation ( Cardoso et al. 2009). Additional species endemic to Bahia with similar geographic distribution pattern (i.e., occurring in both semideciduous forest in Chapada Diamantina and coastal Atlantic Forest) include Dahlstedtia bahiana (A.M.G.Azevedo) M.J.Silva & A.M.G.Azevedo (2012: 104; Fabaceae ) and Eschweilera tetrapetala S.A. Mori (1981: 467 ; Lecythidaceae ), both of which are threatened with extinction in the category Endangered—EN ( Fernandez et al. 2020, 2021a).

Conservation status: — Eriotheca dolichopoda is known from 29 individuals from 17 municipalities and 23 different localities, of which six localities are situated inside three state-level protected Reserves ( Fig. 2 ). Nevertheless, the Atlantic Forest habitat has been lost at an accelerated rate due to anthropogenic pressures ( Tabarelli et al. 2005), the two former protected areas allow sustainable use of natural resources, and none of these reserves are of the highest level of protection (level I or II) described by Dudley (2008). Based on field observations, populations of E. dolichopoda are represented by few individuals and often only a single, isolated adult individual in grazed areas as observed in Itanhém, Santa Luzia, and Tapiramutá. No young individuals were found near adult trees during our fieldwork, which suggests demographic decline. The extent of occurrence (EOO) of this species has been calculated to be 106,690.135 km 2, which qualifies the species for the Least Concern (LC) category, and the area of occupancy (AOO) was estimated to be 92 km 2, which qualifies it for the Endangered (EN) category ( Bachman et al. 2011; IUCN 2022). Therefore, due to the much-fragmented vegetation, habitat in continuing decline, small number of mature individuals, and the small AOO (92 km 2) of E. dolichopoda , we categorize this species as Endangered belonging to the EN B1ab(i,iv), B2ab(ii,iii) category based on available data and IUCN criteria ( IUCN 2022).

Specimens examined:— BRAZIL. Bahia, Canavieiras, estrada da Ouricana, 15º43’11”S, 39º03’07”W, 10 m alt., 07 November 2023 (lf, fl buds), J. G. Carvalho-Sobrinho & F. Pereira 4036 ( CEPEC!). Barra do Choça, km 20 da rodovia Conquista/ Barra do Choça , 15º43’11”S, 39º03’07”W, 29 November 1972 (lf, fl), T. S. Santos 2554 ( CEPEC!, NY barcode 00402474!). Cruz das Almas, Mata Ombrófila secundária no centro da cidade, 10 March 2011 (lf), J. G. Carvalho-Sobrinho & M. C. Machado 2949 ( HUEFS barcode 000133193!) ; Mata do Cazuzinha próximo à Praça da Ciência, 12º40’03”S, 39º06’19”W, 23 November 2021 (fl, fr), M. L. L. Martins 2397 ( HURB barcode 000026996, in two sheets!) ; same locality, 04 February 2022 (fr), M. L. L. Martins 2474 ( HURB barcode 27073!) ; same locality, 04 February 2022 (fr), M. L. L. Martins 2480 ( HURB barcode 27079!). Ilhéus, Área do CEPEC ( Centro de Pesquisas do Cacau ), km 22 da rodovia Ilhéus / Itabuna ( BR 415 ), Quadra D, 29 December 1982 (lf), T. S. dos Santos 3839 ( CEPEC!, NY barcode 000402439!) ; Fazenda Serra Grande, ao W do CEPEC, 30 March 1994 (lf), M. Hummel 55 ( CEPEC!) ; same locality, 27 April 1994, M. Hummel & B. Spuhler 87 ( CEPEC!). Itaberaba, ARIE Serra do Orobó , entrada da Faz. Leão dos Brejos, 12º25’01”S, 40º30’59”W, 398 m alt., 22 Apr 2006 (lf), D. Cardoso 1252 ( HUEFS barcode 000133700!) ; ARIE Serra do Orobó, Faz. Gameleira, 12º14’52”S, 40º32’14”W, 675–800 m alt., 14 July 2006 (lf), L. P. Queiroz et al. 12250 ( HUEFS barcode 000138119!) ; Serra 1, Faz. Gameleira, 12º24’44”S, 40º32’12”W, 783 m alt., 19 August 2005 (lf), L. P. Queiroz et al. 10776 ( HUEFS barcode 000134060!, CEPEC barcode 118401!). Itanhém, depois de Batinga, em direção ao norte, 16º52’50”S, 40º27’51”W, 360 m alt., 07 November 2023 (lf), J. G. Carvalho-Sobrinho & S. Gois 4031 ( CEPEC!). Morro do Chapéu, Cachoeira do Ferro Doido, ca. 15 km E de Morro do Chapéu na Estrada do Feijão , 11º37’32”S, 40º59’53”W, 883 m alt., 05 October 2007 (lf), L. P. Queiroz et al. 13105 ( HUEFS barcode 000133988!) ; Cachoeira do Ferro Doido, ca. 18 km E de Morro do Chapéu na estrada para Salvador , 11º37’40”S, 40º59’52”W, 850–900 m alt., 09 March 2003 (lf), L. P. Queiroz et al. 7678 ( HUEFS barcode 000138407!) ; same locality, same date (lf), L. P. Queiroz et al. 7677 ( HUEFS barcode 000133772!). Santa Luzia, BA-270 indo para BR-101, 15º25’10”S, 39º21’51”W, 130 m alt., 06 July 2011 (lf), J. G. Carvalho-Sobrinho et al. 3123 ( HUEFS barcode 000134096) ; rodovia saindo da BR-101 em direção a Santa Luzia, 3 km antes da cidade, cabruca na beira da estrada, em frente ao Rancho Badico, 15º25’10”S, 39º21’52”W, 130 m alt., 06 November 2023 (lf), J. G. Carvalho-Sobrinho & F. Pereira 4034 ( CEPEC!) ; rodovia saindo da BR-101 em direção a Santa Luzia, 700 m antes da cidade, cabruca na beira da estrada, 15º25’40”S, 39º20’34”W, 120 m alt., 06 November 2023 (lf, fl buds), J. G. Carvalho-Sobrinho & F. Pereira 4035 ( CEPEC!). São José da Vitória , BR 101 ca. 5km da Fazenda Itacomcau e do córrego das Pratas, 15º09’12”S, 39º24’19”W, 19 December 2005 (lf, fl), J. G. Jardim et al. 4924 ( CEPEC!, HUEFS barcode 000134024!, SP 057740 !) ; BR 101 sentido Jussari, a 10 km da Fazenda Itacomcau e do Rio das Pedras, 28 September 2006 (lf), M. C. Duarte et al. 92 ( CEPEC!). Tapiramutá, estrada de terra sentido Agropecuária Dona Anísia, 11º51’28”S, 40º43’52”W, 810 m alt., 14 October 2023 (fl buds), C. L. Ribeiro 174 ( HUEFS barcode 000100270192!) .

Additional specimens recorded (not vouchered):— BRAZIL. Almadina , 1,1 km antes da cidade na BA-262, 14º42’43”S, 39º37’44”W, 298 m alt., 29 September 2022 (lf), J. G. Carvalho-Sobrinho obs. Canavieiras, estrada da Ouricana, 11 March 2022 (lf), 15º40’31”S, 38º59’42”W, 10 m alt., J. G. Carvalho-Sobrinho obs .; estrada da Ouricana, 02 Ago 2021 (lf), 15º43’18”S, 39º08’16”W, 10 m alt. Barra do Choça , J. G. Carvalho-Sobrinho obs. Coaraci, 1,2 km ao norte do trevo para Almadina na BA-262, 14º42’39”S, 39º33’55”W, 215 m alt., 12 March 2022 (lf), J. G. Carvalho-Sobrinho obs. Eunápolis, 5 km ao sul do Parque de Vaquejada, saindo da BR-101 c. 7 km ao sul da cidade, 16º27’02”S, 39º37’46”W, 135 m alt., 08 June 2023 (lf), J. G. Carvalho-Sobrinho obs .; 3 km a sudeste do Parque de Vaquejada , 16º27’09”S, 39º36’47”W, 146 m alt., 08 June 2023 (lf), J. G. Carvalho-Sobrinho obs. Feira de Santana, margem da rodovia BR-116 em direção a Santa Bárbara, 12º06’00”S, 38º58’09”W, 255 m alt., 25 Apr 2023 (lf), J. G. Carvalho-Sobrinho obs. Ilhéus, próximo a fábrica da Mendoá Chocolates, 14º43’03”S, 39º11’17”W, 86 m alt., 13 December 2021 (lf), J. G. Carvalho-Sobrinho obs. Itajuípe, saída da BA-262 a 6,7 km de Itajuípe em direção a Coaraci, 14º39’58”S, 39º26’17”W, 156 m alt., 13 December 2022 (lf), J. G. Carvalho-Sobrinho obs. Itamaraju, margem da BA-489 em direção a Prado, 17º05’09”S, 39º28’35”W, 25 m alt., 20 January 2024 (lf), J. G. Carvalho-Sobrinho obs. Planalto, região de Parafuso, entrada a 13,6 km da cidade na BA-642, 14º47’12”S, 40º23’19”W, 749 m alt., 08 December 2022 (lf), J. G. Carvalho-Sobrinho obs .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Morphological and ecological aspects of Eriotheca dolichopoda. A: Plank buttresses and furrowed bark. B: Vegetative branch with 5–7-foliolate nitid leaves. C: Hollow branch with ants (arrows). D: Leafless branch with umbelliform cymes. E: Flower bud obovate and reflexed petals. F: Unilaterally apiculate petals. G: Dissected flower showing cupuliform calyx and staminal tube. H: Dissected flower showing ovary indument (arrow). I: Young fruit exocarp with pulverulent, ferruginous indument. J: Leafless branch with pendent, long pedicellate, subglobose to obovoid fruits (note the absence of glands on receptacles). K: Numerous, striate seeds. All photos by J. Carvalho-Sobrinho.

FIGURE 2. Distribution map of Eriotheca dolichopoda. Occurrences within Protected Reserves shown in rectangles, including separate insets. See text for vegetation discussion.