1. Crumenaria decumbens Mart., Nov. Gen. Sp . Pl. 2: 69. 1827

(Fig. 1-3).

Typus: BRAZIL. Piauí: Oeiras, Ilha, s.coll., s.d., (holo-: M [M0147083] digital image!) .

= Crumenaria diffusa Suess. in Lilloa 4: 134. 1939.

Typus: Ceará: Cedro, VI.1933, Luetzelburg 25788 (holo-: M, digital image!) syn. nov.

= Crumenaria steyermarkii Standl. in Publ. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Bot. Ser. 22: 156. 1940.

Typus: Jutiapa: plains and swampy ground along railroad between Agua Blanca and Amatillo, 950-, 24.X.1939, Steyermark 30448 (holo-: F [F0068132F], digital image!; iso-: NY [NY00233279]!) syn. nov.

Slender annual leafy herb up to 30(-50) cm, with thin roots. Stems erect or decumbent, subangled, striate, ca. diam., much ramified, with sparse, appressed hairs. Leaves membranous; stipules linear-elliptic, 1- long, apex acute, margin ciliate; petiole glaber or pubescent 2-; blade ovate, elliptic ovate, or subtriangular, 1- × 1-, margin entire, subcrenate, or with minute teeth, ciliate, base cordate, apex somewhat obtuse or acuminate, mucronate, 3(-5)-nerved at the base, adaxial surface glaber, abaxial surface with appressed hairs on the nerves. Inflorescences axillary, 1-2 flowered; peduncles 6-20mm, glaber. Flowers white; pedicels 1-, glabrous or pubescent, receptacle with long, thin, rigid appressed hairs; floral tube turbinate-campanulate, 1- long, glaber; sepals 0.8- long; petals 0.6- long; stamens with filaments 0.3- long and anthers long; style single or divided. Fruit 4- long × broad, surface with sparse hairs, apex scarcely emarginate, margin ciliate.

Iconography. – MARTIUS (1826 -1827): tab. 160 and Figure 3.

Distribution and habitat. – Crumenaria decumbens has been collected in Bolivia (JØRGENSEN & al., 2013), Brazil (TORTOSA, 2008; de LIMA, 2010), Guatemala (STANDLEY & STEYERMARK, 1949), and Honduras (MOLINA, 1975), in sandy or rocky soils, in margin of subhumit forests, and as a weed in cornfields and roadsides, at elevation from 300 to 900 m.

Phenology. – Crumenaria decumbens flowers from August to May.

Etymology. – The name of C. decumbens is taken from its decumbent habit.

Discussion. – Crumenaria decumbens is a quite distinct slender annual herb, different from the other species of the genus, which are perennial. Its roots smell like menthol (Abbott 16283 and Abbott & Mostacedo 16078).

Crumenaria diffusa and C. steyermarkii match all the diagnostic characters of C. decumbens, although the stems are more erect in the type of C. diffusa and leaves are slightly wider in that of C. steyermarkii .

Additional specimens examined. – BOLIVIA. SantaCruz: Chiquitos, Roboré, E of Roboré River and N of Avenida del Ejército and railroad track, 4.II.1995, Abbott & Mostacedo 16078 (BAA, NY). Ñuflo de Chavez: Lomerio, ca. south of Concepción to Las Trancas community, then ca. to north on access “road”, 21.II.1995, Abbott 16283 (MO, digital image); camino de Concepción a San Antonio de Lomerio, a SE de Concepción, 23.I.2004, Silis Neffa & al. 1177 (CTES).

BRAZIL. Bahia: Barreiras, valley of the Rio das Ondas, ca. W of Barreiras, Rio das Ondas, 6.III.1971, Irwin & al. 31660 (NY). Piauí: no date, Gardner 2314 (NY). Rio de Janeiro: Serra da Estrela, 1836- 1841, Gardner 2314 (NY). Rio Grande do Norte: pau dos Ferros, sítio Boi Morto, 17.V.1984, Sarmento & Santino de Asis 765 (NY).

GUATEMALA. Jutiapa: vicinity of Jutiapa, ca., 24.X- 5.XI. 1940, Standley 75343 (MO, NY); vicinity of Jutiapa, ca., 24.X- 5.XI.1940, Standley 75047 (NY). Zacapa: near the electric plant of Río Hondo, base of Sierra de las Minas, 11.X.1940, Standley 73976 (NY).

HONDURAS. Francisco Morazán: on rocky roadside hill of Támara Valley, vicinity of Río del Hombre, 28.IX.1969, Molina R. & Molina 24543 (MO, NY); vicinity of El Zamorano, 780-, 3- 17.VIII.1947, Standley 12066 (NY, PH); along río Caparroza, above El Zamorano, IX-X.1948, Standley 12795 (NY).