Staurogyne mandioccana (Nees) Kuntze (1891: 497)

Braz, Denise Monte & Monteiro, Reinaldo, 2017, Taxonomic Revision of Staurogyne (Nelsonioideae, Acanthaceae) in the Neotropics, Phytotaxa 296 (1), pp. 1-40 : 23-24

15. Staurogyne mandioccana (Nees) Kuntze (1891: 497) . Ebermaiera mandioccana Nees von Esenbeck (1832: 80) . Neotype (designated by Braz & Monteiro 2011b: 176): — BRAZIL. Rio de Janeiro: without date, L. Riedel 797 (neotype: LE!). ( Fig. 15 )

Ebermaiera mandioccana var. triandra Hiern (1877: 69) , syn. nov. Type: — BRAZIL. Rio de Janeiro: Corcovado, 11 September 1969, A. Glaziou 3806 (holotype: P!, isotypes: BR!, C!).

Herb or subshrub 40 − 80 cm tall, usually branched, sparsely pilose with simple trichomes. Petiole 8 − 21 mm long; blade elliptic, 6.5 − 11.9 × 1.9 − 3.6 cm, apex acute to slightly acuminate, base acute to slightly attenuate, adaxially glabrous, abaxially with sparse simple trichomes restricted to the veins, usually with scattered disc-shape trichomes. Inflorescence in dense, terminal and axillary, bracteate spike-like raceme, terminal ones 2.3 − 8.4 cm long, peduncle 1 − 5 mm, axillary ones 1 − 2.9 cm long, peduncle 2 − 10 mm long; flowers opposite; rachis, bracts and bracteoles sparsely pilose with simple trichomes, rarely also glandular; bracts and bracteoles yellowish to greenish-white, bract broad-elliptic to suborbicular, sometimes slightly obovate, 5.5 − 9.5 × 3.3 − 5.6 mm, 3 acrodromous veins, bracteoles elliptic to lanceolate-elliptic, 4.3 − 7.5 × 1.1 − 1.9 mm. Pedicel 0.3 − 1.2 mm long, sometimes flowers sessile; calyx greenish-white to yellowish, sparsely glandular and simple pilose, dense in the veins and margin, non-ciliate, posterior segment 6 − 10.8 × 2.0 − 4.6 mm, 3-nerved, lateral pair of segments 5.8 − 9.5 × 0.5 − 1.1 mm, anterior pair of segments, 6.2 − 11 × 0.9 − 2 mm; corolla white to lilac, sometimes with purple markings at limb and throat, 7.8 − 10.3 mm long, basal tube 2 − 3 mm long, anterior lobe 2.8 − 3 mm long, externally with dense simple trichomes, rarely glandular, internally usually glabrous; posterior stamens 2 − 3.1 mm long, anterior 2.6 − 3.5 mm long, staminode 0.6 − 1.3 mm long; ovules 11 − 16 per locule, posterior lobe of the stigma slightly divided to slightly concave. Capsule 6.5 − 9 × 2.4 − 3.2 mm, sparsely glandular pilose to glabrescent.

Specimens examined:— BRAZIL. Rio de Janeiro: Rio de Janeiro, Alto da Boa Vista, Reserva Florestal do Departamento de Conservação Ambiental , 28 August 1975, Carauta 1787 & Dunn-Araújo ( F, GUA, RB) ; Rio de Janeiro, Serra da Carioca , 25 October 1968, Carauta 651 ( F, GUA), October 1933, Brade 12904 ( RB) ; Rio de Janeiro, Reserva Florestal da FEEMA, 27 September 1990, Carauta 6248 ( GUA) ; Rio de Janeiro, Floresta da Tijuca , 20 August 1971, Andrade s.n. (R-198609) ; Rio de Janeiro, Corcovado , 11 September 1869, Glaziou 3806 ( C, P), 2 June 1948, Duarte & Pereira 1128 ( RB) ; Rio de Janeiro, Morro do Sumaré , August 1920, Constantino s.n. (RB-12332), 31 October 1939, Ducke & Kuhlmann s.n. (RB-41477) ; Rio de Janeiro, Morro do Queimado , 13 September 1949, Brade & Duarte 2007 ( RB) ; Macaé, 5 July 1831, Riedel s.n. (LE-797). Minas Gerais: Rio Preto , July 1897, Brandão 2549 ( R). Santa Rita do Jacutinga, 29 July 1970, Urbanno 9031-A ( CESJ) .

Distribution and habitat:— Staurogyne mandioccana is endemic to the Brazilian Southeastern Atlantic Forest, occurring in several nearby mountains, above 450 m elevation.

Phenology:— It was collected with flowers and fruits from July to October.

Taxonomic notes:— Staurogyne mandioccana is recognized by its glabrous leaves, the bracteate terminal inflorescence longer than the axillary ones, by the colored bracts broad-elliptic to suborbicular, with acrodromous venation, and by the bracts and the calyx about the same size of the corolla. It is related to S. sylvatica in the characters of the inflorescences and corolla, but differs by the bracts 5.5 − 9.5 mm long (not 3.8 − 6.5(− 7) mm), the corolla 7.8 − 10.3 mm long (not 10 − 16.5 mm), and the pedicel 0.3 − 1.2 mm long (not 1.5 − 3 mm). Braz & Monteiro (2006) reported other features, beside a very distinctive distribution to both species. Staurogyne mandioccana was the first species described in the genus from the Neotropics.

Hiern (1877) proposed Staurogyne mandioccana var. triandra , which was considered to be different from var. mandioccana by the size of the petiole, the larger spike with ovate bracts and 3 stamens. However, in the type specimens of var. triandra , all flowers has 4 stamens and no one with 3 stamens was seen. Based on the analyzed material, the delimitation of varieties could not be justified either based on distribution of individuals or morphology, and the variety triandra is now included as a synonym under S. mandioccana .

Figures

FIGURE 15. Staurogyne mandioccana. A.Flowering branch. B. Flower and bracteoles. C. Bract. D. Bracteoles. E. Calyx. F. Anther in frontal view. G.Anther in dorsal view. H. Staminode. I. Stigma in lateral view. J. Corolla lobes (A–D, H–I from Carauta 1787; E–G from Carauta 651).