Eperua manausensis E.A. Fortes & Mansano, 2023

Fortes, Elenice A., Da Silva, Guilherme S. & Mansano, Vidal F., 2023, Two new species of Eperua (Leguminosae, Detarioideae, Detarieae) from the Amazon and Cerrado Biomes discovered in a botanical garden and a backyard, Phytotaxa 591 (3), pp. 196-208 : 204-207

Eperua manausensis E.A. Fortes & Mansano sp. nov. ( Figs. 2 , 6 , 7 )

Type:— BRAZIL. Amazonas , Manaus , Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke, trilha do Jardim Botânico MUSA , planta marcada JBN 634 , 08 June 2017 , Cabral F. N . et al. 1561 (holotype INPA [0284318]!, isotype RB [01459755]!) .

Diagnosis:— Eperua manausensis has short and erect inflorescences, tubular corollas, and inserted stamens. It differs from species with the same type of inflorescence, corolla, and stamen by the combination: 2–3-jugate leaves, cordate to subcordate leaflet base, two intramarginal veins, vein closer to the margin continuous, tomentose inflorescences, caducous bracteoles attached to the lower middle portion of the pedicels, tomentose stamen sheath, densely tomentose to villous ovary, and puberulous fruit.

Tree 20.0 m tall. Trunk 38.0 cm in diameter, bark brownish, lenticellate. Stipules 1.8–1.9 × 0.8–1.4 mm, free, nonfoliaceous, ovate to lanceolate, caducous. Leaves 2–3jugate, glabrous; petioles 0.6–2.9 cm long; rachis 3.5–14.6 cm long; petiolules 6.2–9.1 mm long; blades 5.3–12.8 × 3.5–6.5 cm, coriaceous, glabrous, inconspicuous pellucid-punctate to pellucid-punctate, discolorous, equilateral, lower pair ovate, middle pair elliptic, upper pair elliptic, apex attenuate to acuminate, base symmetrical, lower pair base subcordate to cordate, middle pair base subcordate to rounded, upper pair base subcordate, rounded to obtuse, margin revolute to flat at the apex, secondary venation with two intramarginal veins, vein closer to the margin continuous, main vein straight, prominent only near the base on the adaxial surface, tertiary veins conspicuous. Inflorescences axillary, panicle, erect, tomentose, brownish-yellow, 4.6–8.9 cm long, lateral racemes 2.1–3.4 cm long, alternate and distichous; bracts not seen, caducous; bracteoles 4.9–5.0 × 3.0– 3.2 mm, ovate, apex gland present, tomentose externally, pubescent to tomentose within, brownish-yellow, caducous, attached to the lower middle portion of the pedicel; pedicel 17.5–18.9 mm long, 1.0 mm in diameter, not twisted, tomentose, brownish-yellow; buds 0.7 cm long, 0.4 cm in diameter, tomentose, brownish-yellow. Flowers: hypanthium 3.8 mm long, 2.8 mm in diameter, cup-shaped, equilateral, tomentose, brownish-yellow; sepal 1.6 × 0.5 cm, oblong to elliptic, unequal, the dorsal one larger, cucullate, apex gland absent, pink, tomentose, scarious marginally, brownish-yellow; adaxial petal 3.8 × 4.7 cm, flabellate, tubular, apex rounded, base attenuate, pink to purple, glabrous; petalodia not seen; stamens inserted, joined basally in a diadelphous sheath, dorsal one free, longer filaments 3.1 cm long, shorter filaments 2.0 cm long, sheath inequilateral, shorter side 6.5 mm long, longer side 8.0 mm long, sheath tomentose, brownish-yellow, free filaments glabrous, anther 2.2 × 0.8 mm, rectangular; ovary 7.1 × 3.7 mm, obovate, densely tomentose to villous, brownish-yellow, stipe tomentose, style 4.0? cm long, glabrous, stigma capitate. Legumes 11.3– 15.9 × 7.7–8.3 cm, stipe 0.9–1.4 mm long, obovate to irregularly elliptic, apex obtuse, apiculate, dorsal margin slightly thickened, brownish-red, with inconspicuous transversal veins, puberulous to puberulent, brownish. Seeds 1–2 per fruit.

Phenology:— Flowers in June; fruits in January and June.

Distribution:— It is known from only one specimen collected twice (2017 and 2022) in Musa. This botanical garden has trails, museums, and exhibitions for educational and recreational purposes, but scientific research is also conducted in the area because the garden encompasses native “terra firme” forest vegetation (100 hectares) of the Adolpho Ducke Forest Reserve.

Habitat:— It was collected in “terra firme” forest at 114 m elev. The “terra firme” forest is located at the highest elevations of the Adolpho Ducke Forest Reserve, in well-drained clayey, nutrient-poor soils (Ribeiro et al. 1999). Eperua manausensis is sympatric with E. duckeana and E. glabriflora , which are very common in the type locality.

Occurrence in protected areas:— It occurs in the Adolpho Ducke Forest Reserve ( Brazil, Amazonas).

Etymology:— The specific epithet alludes its discovery in Manaus ( Brazil, Amazonas).

Vernacular names:— Unknown.

Uses:— Unknown.

Taxonomic notes:— Eperua manausensis is most similar to E. grandiflora ( Aublet 1775: 757) Baillon (1870: 110) subsp. guyanensis R.S. Cowan (1975: 34) , with which it shares the non-glabrous inflorescence, stamen sheath, and ovary; indeed, no other species with short and erect inflorescences share this combination (see Table 2 ). Eperua manausensis differs from E. grandiflora subsp. guyanensis mainly by the tomentose inflorescence (vs. pubescent, puberulous to glabrescent in E. grandiflora subsp. guyanensis ), larger (4.9–5.0 × 3.0– 3.2 mm) and caducous bracteoles attached to the lower middle portion of the pedicel (vs. smaller (1.9–3.0 × 1.5–3.4 mm) and persistent, attached at the base of the hypanthium in E. grandiflora subsp. guyanensis ), tomentose pedicel, hypanthium, and sheath (vs. pubescent, puberulous to glabrescent in E. grandiflora subsp. guyanensis ), and densely tomentose to villous ovary (vs. sericeous in E. grandiflora subsp. guyanensis ).

Specimens examined (Paratypes):— BRAZIL. Amazonas, Manaus, Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke , MUSA, planta marcada JBN 634 ao lado direito da Casa-Oficina, à 20 m da trilha Branca, 114 m elev., 3°0’22.9”S 59°56’22.7”W, 27 January 2022, Fortes E.A. & Viana G.P. 194b ( HUEFS!, IAN!, INPA!, MG!, NY!, RB [01458706]!, UEC!, US!).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Geographic distribution of Eperua cerradoensis and Eperua manausensis. Biome shape from IBGE (2019).

FIGURE 6. Eperua manausensis: A. trunk base; B–C. leaves; D. bark; E. leaflet abaxial surface, bar 1 cm; F. intramarginal vein, abaxial side, bar 1 mm; G. pellucid-punctate leaflet, bar 1 mm; H. flowering branch, ruler 15 cm; I. branch bearing a fruit, ruler 15 cm; J. inflorescence with a flower highlighted, bar 1 cm; K. ovary and stamens highlighting the indumentum, bar 1 cm. Photos, A–G, K: E.A. Fortes; H–J: F.N. Cabral.

FIGURE 7. Eperua manausensis: A. two-leaved branch showing the leaflet number variation; B. piece of branch showing the pair of stipules; C. detail of the leaflet base, abaxial side; D. detail of the abaxial margin of the leaflet showing the two intramarginal veins; E. inflorescence; F. flower; G. flower bud and bracteoles; H. detail of the indumentum of the inflorescence axis; I. sepal; J. stamen; K. detail of the indumentum at the base of the filament; L. carpel and stamen sheath; M. detail of carpel indumentum; N. fruit; O. detail of the fruit indumentum. A, C–D, O: specimen Fortes E.A. & Viana G.P. 194b; E–N: specimen Cabral F.N. et al. 1561. Illustrated by Marcus Falc„o.