Croton cerino-dentatus Müller Argoviensis (1873: 186)

Medeiros, Débora, Valle, Luci De Senna, Esser, Hans-Joachim & Alves, Ruy José Válka, 2016, Floristic and taxonomic treatment of Croton subsect. Medea (Euphorbiaceae) from Brazilian campos rupestres, Phytotaxa 263 (3), pp. 167-201 : 173-176

2. Croton cerino-dentatus Müller Argoviensis (1873: 186) .— Croton cerino-dentatus var. martii Müller Argoviensis (1873: 186) ; nom. inval. Lectotype (designated by Van Ee & Berry 2011: 96):— BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Barreiras, near Serro Frio, no date (fl), C.F.P. von Martius Obs. 1416 (M 00861114!; isolectotype M 0086113!). ( Fig. 3 , A–L)

C. cerino-dentatus var. warmingii Müller Argoviensis (1873: 186) . Lectotype (designated by Van Ee & Berry 2011: 96):— BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Lagoa Santa, no date, J.E.B. Warming 1615 (G 00386514!).

Subshrubs, 0.4−1.5 m tall. Leaves not imbricate, patently disposed along the branches, petiolate with the petiole 5−7 mm long; leaf blade lanceolate to narrow-lanceolate, 2.5−4 × 0.4−0.5 cm, base acute, symmetric, margin irregularly serrate along the whole length, glandulose, with a gland on each tooth, apex acute, trichomes stellate on both surfaces, trinerved, venation conspicuous up to ½ of the blade stipules filiform to lanceolate, 1−1.2 mm long, margin glandulose, trichomes stellate on the adaxial surface, absent on the abaxial one, caducous. Inflorescences 1−2 cm long, with a naked sterile zone between basal pistillate flowers and apical staminate ones, trichomes stellate; bracts ovate-lanceolate, stipitate-glandulose, 3−3.5 mm long on the staminate flowers, 3−4 mm long on the pistillate ones, trichomes stellate on the adaxial surface. Staminate flowers 7−10 per inflorescence; pedicel 1.8−2 mm long; sepals 5, obovate-lanceolate, 3 × 1.5−1.7 mm, margin entire, trichomes stellate on both surfaces; petals 5, ovate-lanceolate, 4.3 × 1 mm, thicker at the base, margin entire; stamens 11, filaments 1.7 mm long, anthers globose, 0.5−0.6 mm long, glabrous. Pistillate flowers 1−2 at the base of the inflorescence; pedicel 1 mm long; sepals 5, lanceolate, 4−5 × 1.6−1.8 mm, margin entire with sessile glands, trichomes stellate on both surfaces; petals absent; ovary globose, 1.7 × 1.6 mm; styles multifid, 3−4 times branched at the base, 1.5−2 mm long, glabrous. Capsules globose, 4 × 4 mm, trichomes stellate brownish; seeds ellipsoid, 4.2 × 3 mm.

Distribution:— Minas Gerais, Serra do Cipó, 1150 m elevation, Planalto Diamantino, 1082−1548 m elevation, and Minas Novas, 800 m elevation ( Fig. 4 ).

Additional specimens examined: — BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Grão Mogol, estrada de Montes Claros para Grão Mogol, 68 km de Grão Mogol, 12 April 1981 (fl), A. Furlan et al. s.n. (SPF 22617); Itacambira, 17 o 07’S, 43º04’W, 14 February 1988 (fl, fr), J.R. Pirani et al. 2321 (SPF); Januária, estrada de Januária para Serra das Araras, 18 April 1973 (fl), W.R. Anderson 1040 (RB); Minas Novas, estrada MG-308, de Turmalina para Minas Novas, 09 September 2005 (fl), D. Medeiros 403 & A.M. Werneck (R), D. Medeiros 404 & A.M. Werneck (R); Serro, estrada de Serro para Milho Verde, 21 January 2005 (fl, fr), D. Medeiros 366 & A.M. Werneck (R), D. Medeiros 367 & A.M. Werneck (R), D. Medeiros 368 & A.M. Werneck (R), D. Medeiros 369 & A.M. Werneck (R), D. Medeiros 370 & A.M. Werneck (R), D. Medeiros 371 & A.M. Werneck (R), D. Medeiros 372 & A.M. Werneck (R), D. Medeiros 373 & A.M. Werneck (R), D. Medeiros 374 & A.M. Werneck (R), D. Medeiros 375 & A.M. Werneck (R), D. Medeiros 376 & A.M. Werneck (R), D. Medeiros 377 & A.M. Werneck (R), D. Medeiros 378 & A.M. Werneck (R), D. Medeiros 379 & A.M. Werneck (R). Várzea de Palma, Fazenda Mãe D’Água, 23 November 1962 (fl), A.P. Duarte 7450 (RB).

Taxonomic notes: — Müller Argoviensis (1873) described two morphological varieties of this species, recognizing C. cerino-dentatus var. warmingii and C. cerino-dentatus var. martii , based on leaf features, such as length of the petiole, venation and margin. These varieties were synonymized by Govaerts et al. (2000), which proposal is accepted here; in addition, var. martii became a nomenclatural synonym of the species by the former lectotypification.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Croton cerino-dentatus. A. Branch; B. Stipule; C. Inflorescence; D. Staminate flower: E. Stamen, F. Sepal (ventral side), G. Petal (ventral side); H. Pistillate flower: I. Sepal (dorsal side); J. Gynoecium; K. Fruit; L. Seed (dorsal and ventral sides) (after D. Medeiros 372 & A.M. Werneck (R)).

FIGURE 4. Distribution map of Croton cerino-dentatus.