Croton limae A.P.S. Gomes, P.E. Berry & M.F. Sales (2010: 206)

Rossine, Yuri, Melo, André Laurênio De, Athiê-Souza, Sarah Maria & Sales, Margareth Ferreira De, 2023, Understanding the “ Marmeleiros ”: a taxonomic treatment of Croton sect. Lasiogyne (Euphorbiaceae) in Brazil, Phytotaxa 584 (4), pp. 219-250 : 236

7. Croton limae A.P.S. Gomes, P.E. Berry & M.F. Sales (2010: 206) .

Holotype:— BRAZIL. Bahia: Andaraí, Pai Inácio, N da estrada entre Andaraí e Lençóis , 12°30’ S, 41°30’ W, 18 February 1997, M. L. Guedes et al. 5857 ( HUEFS [ HUEFS63180 !]; isotypes: ALCB [2x ALCB37462 !], CEPEC, IBGE, MO, NY, PEUFR) . Fig. 7 (a–e), 9 (a)

Description: —Monoecious shrub to tree, 2–10 m tall; latex yellow; branching monopodial, branches cylindrical, brown to yellowish; trichomes dentate-lepidote to lepidote. Leaves alternate; stipules linear to narrowly lanceolate, 0.5–1.3 × 0.3–0.5 cm long, usually deciduous, with dentate-lepidote trichomes; petiole cylindrical to slightly striated, 1–4 cm long, with dentate-lepidote trichomes; leaf blade chartaceous, ovate to elliptic, 3.0–15.5 × 1.5–10, strongly bifacial, adaxial face dark green with stellate to stellate-lepidote or glabrescent trichomes, abaxial face shiny, silver to ferruginous with lepidote trichomes, base rounded, rarely cordate, margins entire, apex acute to acuminate, venation brochidodromous with 8–15 secondary veins. Thyrses 5–26 cm long, terminal, with dentate-lepidote trichomes, peduncle ca. 1 cm long; cymules unisexual, lax, reduced to solitary flowers; bracts persistent, ovate to triangular, 0.7–2 × 0.4–1 mm, margins entire, apex acute, with lepidote trichomes. Staminate flower with pedicels 3–8 mm long; sepals silver to ferruginous, joined up to ⅓ of their length, lobes triangular to oval, 2–3 × 2–2.3 mm, margins entire, apex acute, with lepidote trichomes externally, glabrous internally; white, oblong petals, ca. 4 × 1–1.2 mm, margins entire, apex rounded, with lepidote trichomes; stamens 15, filament 5–6 mm long, anther elliptic, 0.8–1 × 0.5–0.7 mm; nectariferous disc of 5 free segments, elliptic, glabrous. Sessile to subsessile pistillate flower, pedicel up to 1.5 mm long; sepals silvery to ferruginous, united for ⅓ of their length, lobes triangular, 3.0–4.3 × 1.6–2.3 mm, slightly reduplicated vertically, margins entire, apex acute, with lepidote trichomes externally, glabrous internally; petals usually absent, when present they are yellow, filiform, up to 1 mm long, margins entire, apex acuminate, with simple trichomes; ovary spheroid, 2.5–3 mm diam., with lepidote trichomes; styles ascending, free, multipartite, up to 18 stigmatic tips, with stellate-lepidote trichomes; nectary disk of 5 free segments, elliptic, glabrous. Capsule golden to orange, spheroid, 5–8 mm diam., unlobed, surface non-muricate, with lepidote trichomes; columella up to 7 mm long, striated, apex flattened. Seed brown to gray, obovoid, 5–6 × 3.5–4.0 mm, smooth, caruncle elliptic.

Vernacular names:— Marmeleiro, marmeleiro-amarelo.

Distribution and habitat, conservation status, and phenology: — Croton limae is endemic to the Caatinga domain (Gomes et al. 2010), occurring in Bahia, Ceará, Paraíba, Pernambuco, and Piauí (Caruzo et al. 2022) (fig. 9, a). It is found in sandy to clayey soils, in disturbed areas such as roadsides, but also in the interior of arboreal caatinga. It can form very dense populations, dominating the tree component of the areas where it occurs. Croton limae is classified as Least Concern (LC), for having a wide EOO (> 345,000 km 2), an AOO of 208 km 2, and occurring in protected areas such as the Morro do Chapéu State Park (BA), the S„o Francisco River National Monument (BA), and Araripe-Apodi (CE). Flowering and fruiting throughout the year.

Notes: — Croton limae is morphologically similar to C. tricolor by sharing a silver to ferruginous indumentum, ovate to oblong leaf blades, a terminal inflorescence, and staminate flowers with 10–15 stamens. In addition to their morphological similarities, these two species are occasionally found in the same environments. Croton limae can be distinguished from C. tricolor by its usually deciduous and narrowly triangular to linear stipules (vs. persistent, lanceolate to auriculate stipules in C. tricolor ); brochidodromous venation (vs. eucamptodromous); triangular sepals of the pistillate flower (vs. lanceolate to oblong); spheroid, unlobed capsules (vs. ovoid to obloid, 3-lobed); and seeds with smooth surfaces (vs. rugose surfaces).

Representative specimens:— BRAZIL. Bahia: Rio de Contas, 9 km da cidade, beira da estrada para Marcolina Moura , localidade do inst. do milênio, 13º60’44” S, 41º76’00” W, 23 January 2008, R. M . Harley 55788 ( HUEFS) . Ceará: Aiuaba, Serra dos bois, Sítio Olho D’água, 10 April 1997, L. W . Lima-Verde 666 ( HUEFS) . Paraíba: Monte Horebe , em direç„o a Mauriti (Ceará), 15 March 2000, Barbosa et al. 2025 ( JPB). Pernambuco: Ipubí, 3 km da estrada Serrolândia—Crato, Chapada do Araripe, capoeira na beira da estrada, 7º73’33” S, 40º43’33” W, 15 February 1984, G . Fotius 3772 ( HUEFS) . Piauí: Pio IX, Cova Donça , 21 February 1980, A . Fernandes et al. s.n. ( EAC7962 ) .

Figures

FIGURE 7. a–e Croton limae: a flowering branch with monopodial ramification b narrowly lanceolate stipules, c staminate flower of 15 stamens, d pistillate flower with triangular and vertically reduplicated sepals, spheroid ovary, and ascendant and multipartite styles, e spheroid fruit. f–k C. micans: f flowering branch with monopodial ramification, g detail of the recurved leaf blade base, h auriculate helicoidal stipule, i staminate flower of ca. 13 stamens, j pistillate flower with sepals strongly reduplicated horizontally and vertically, obloid ovary, and ascendant and multipartite styles, k fruit. l–p C. sacaquinha: l flowering branch with sympodial ramification, m linear stipules, n staminate flower of 15 stamens, o pistillate flower with sepals slightly reduplicated vertically, developed petals, ovoid ovary, and ascendant and multipartite styles, p ovoid fruit, 3-lobed.