Staurogyne brachiata (Hiern) Leonard (1937: 402)

Braz, Denise Monte & Monteiro, Reinaldo, 2017, Taxonomic Revision of Staurogyne (Nelsonioideae, Acanthaceae) in the Neotropics, Phytotaxa 296 (1), pp. 1-40 : 9-10

3. Staurogyne brachiata (Hiern) Leonard (1937: 402) . Ebermaiera brachiata Hiern (1877: 69) . Type: — BRAZIL. Rio de Janeiro: Petrópolis, March 1869, A. Glaziou 3070 (holotype: P!; isotypes: R!, BR!; photograph: F!). (Figure in Wawra 1883: t.10) ( Fig. 5 )

Staurogyne wawrana Leonard (1937: 402) . Ebermaiera gracilis Wawra (1883: 94) , non S. gracilis Kuntze (1891: 497) , syn. nov. Type: — BRAZIL. Rio de Janeiro: Petrópolis, 1879, V.F.H. Wawra 55 (holotype: BR!).

Subshrub ca. 1 m tall, glabrous at the base, branches glabrescent. Petiole 1.2 − 3 cm long; blade elliptic to lanceolate, 6.7 − 18 × 2.7 − 6.1 cm, apex acuminate, base attenuate, glabrous on both surfaces, lower surface rarely with disc-shape trichomes. Inflorescence in lax, terminal and axillary, bracteate panicle, 4 − 15 cm long, peduncle 1.5 − 4 cm long; flowers opposite; rachis usually sparsely simple and glandular pilose; bracts and bracteoles slightly yellow to yellow-greenish, sparsely pilose with glandular trichomes, bract lanceolate to elliptic, 5 − 8 × 1.5 − 2.5 mm, usually with 3 acrodromous veins, 1-2 pairs of bracteoles, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 5 − 7 × 0.9 − 1.5 mm. Pedicel 9.5 − 22 mm long; calyx greenish-yellow, sparsely glandular pilose, non-ciliate, posterior segment 2.5 − 3.5 × 11 − 14 mm, 3 − 5- nerved, lateral pair of segments 9 − 10 × 0.9 − 1 mm, anterior pair of segments 11 − 12.5 × 1.5 − 2 mm; corolla yellow, 2.1 − 3.2 cm long, basal tube ca. 3.5 mm long, anterior lobe 1.3 − 3 mm long, internally and externally sparsely pilose with glandular trichomes; posterior stamens 6.8 − 10 mm long, anterior stamens 9.2 − 12 mm long, staminode 1.7 − 4.3 mm long; ovules ca. 22 per locule, posterior lobe of the stigma truncate to slightly concave. Capsule 11 − 12 × 3 − 3.5 mm, sparsely glandular pilose.

Specimens examed:— BRAZIL. Rio de Janeiro: Nova Friburgo , Jardim Botânico, 1951, Duarte 4290 ( RB) ; Petrópolis, 1879, Wawra 55 ( BR) ; Nova Iguaçu, Tinguá , 1 August 1957, Emydgio 1281 ( R) ; Petrópolis , Serra da Estrela , 16 April 1937, Kuhlmann 118 ( RB, US) ; Petrópolis, 1964, Duarte 9940 ( HRCB, RB) ; Petrópolis, March-April 1869, Glaziou 15291 ( C, K, LE, P) .

Distribution and habitat:— Staurogyne brachiata is endemic to the State of Rio de Janeiro, in the Atlantic rain forest, occurring above 800m elevation.

Phenology:— It was collected with flowers in March and April.

Taxonomic notes:— Staurogyne brachiata is distinct from the other species of the genus by the absence of pubescence on vegetative parts, the compound inflorescence, with flowers long-pedicellate, usually two pairs of bracteoles present, and the androecium inserted in the upper half of the corolla.

Leonard (1937) established the name Staurogyne wawrana for the species originally described as Ebermaiera gracilis because of the existence of S. gracilis . The analysis of the protologues and types, in addition to materials of several herbaria, showed that the only distinguishable morphological feature between the two species is the stigma with a subcapitate lobe as described for S. wawrana . However, this difference was not observed in any of the studied material of the genus, including the type material of E. gracilis , and S. wawrana is now treated as a synonym of S. brachiata . The taxon described by Wawra (1883) was richly described and illustrated in a watercolor picture on its original publication.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Staurogyne brachiata. A. Flowering branch. B. Flower, bract and bracteoles. C. Bract. D. Calyx. E. Anther in dorsal view. F. Anther in frontal view. G. Staminode. H. Stigma in lateral view. I. Corolla lobes. J. Floral pedicel, bract and a pair of bracteoles (A, D, H–I from Duarte 9940;B–C, G from Khulmann 118; E–F from Duarte 9240).