Croton gracilipes Baillon (1864: 333)

Pereira, Amanda Da Paixão Noronha, Riina, Ricarda & Caruzo, Maria Beatriz Rossi, 2022, Croton (Euphorbiaceae) of the Brazilian state of Paraná: an annotated checklist, species distribution, and identification key, Phytotaxa 570 (3), pp. 231-274 : 246-248

16. Croton gracilipes Baillon (1864: 333) .

Lectotype (designated by Santos et al. 2017): — BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: s.loc., 1838, P.C.D. Claussen 773 ( P 00493373 !; isolectotype P 00493372!) . Remaining syntype: — BRAZIL. Mato Grosso: s.loc., 1833, C. Gaudichaud-Beaupré 250 (P 00493374!). ( Fig. 9 , F–J)

This shrub or small tree can be recognized by its ovate leaves with sessile acropetiolar nectary glands and pistillate petals transformed into conspicuous nectary glands. Croton gracilipes differs from C. urucurana by the length of the staminate flowers (7 mm in C. gracilipes vs. 3.5 in C. urucurana ), pistillate petals (nectary glands in C. gracilipes vs. filiform in C. urucurana ), and the columella apex (inflated and trilobed in C. gracilipes vs. inconspicuous and unlobed in C. urucurana ). It is the only species that can be also found as a small tree that possess an inflated, trilobed columella apex. It belongs to Croton sect. Adenophylli subsect. Pungentes Croizat ( van Ee & Berry 2021) .

Distribution and habitat:— It occurs in Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil (DF, GO, MG, MS, MT, SP, PR) ( Santos et al. 2017, Caruzo et al. 2020), growing in edges of semideciduous seasonal forest, and also in fluvial islands (northwestern Paraná state), between 350 and 900 m elevation. ( Fig. 8 ).

Phenology:— Flowering from October to April, and fruiting from April, October and November.

Representative specimens:— PARANÁ: Adrianópolis, Ponte do Ribeira , 20 February 1981, G . Hatschbach 43630 ( MBM, NY). Fênix, Estação Ecológica de Fênix , 23°58’05.8”S, 52°04’07.4”W, 356 m, 18 April, 2013, E. L . Siqueira 655 ( HCF, MBM). Jataizinho, Conglomerado 61, 01 June 2015, A. A . Oliveira 1907 ( FURB, MBM, RB). Londrina, Rodovia Londrina-Mauá , 04 August 1991, L. H . Soares-Silva, F. C . e Silva & R . Goldenberg 288 ( FUEL, K). Santa Maria do Oeste, Rio Pitanga próximo ao Rio Feio , 19 February 2004, G . Hatschbach, M . Hatschbach & E . Barbosa 76807 ( MBM, RB) .

Figures

FIGURE 8. Map showing the known geographic distributions of Croton fuscus, C. glandulosus, C. glechomifolius, and C. gracilipes in Paraná state.

FIGURE 9. Croton glechomifolius. A. Creeping habit. B. Reniform leaves. C. Leaf base with blackish trichomes. The arrow points to a stipitate acropetiolar nectary gland. D. Pistillate flowers with bifid styles. E. Hispid capsules. C. gracilipes. F. Sessile acropetiolar nectary glands. G. Inflorescence with unisexual lower cymules. H. Staminate flower.I. Capsule. J. Pistillate flowers, with bifid styles; arrow points to petals transformed into globose glands (colleters). C. grandivelus. K. Leaf. L. Congested inflorescence. M. Staminate flowers. Photos: A.P.N. Pereira.