Murdannia paraguayensis (C.B.Clarke ex Chodat) G. Brueckn ., Nat. Pflanzenfam. (ed. 2)15a: 173. 1930.

Pellegrini, Marco Octavio de Oliveira, Faden, Robert B. & Almeida, Rafael Felipe de, 2016, Taxonomic revision of Neotropical Murdannia Royle (Commelinaceae), PhytoKeys 74, pp. 35-78 : 53-55

5. Murdannia paraguayensis (C.B.Clarke ex Chodat) G. Brueckn., Nat. Pflanzenfam. (ed. 2)15a: 173. 1930. Figs 6 , 10

Phaeneilema paraguayensis (C.B.Clarke ex Chodat) G. Brückn., Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin-Dahlem 10 (91): 56. 1927.

Aneilema paraguayense C.B.Clarke ex Chodat, Bull. Herb. Boissier, sér. 2, 1: 437. 1901. Lectotype (designated here): PARAGUAY. Departamento de Canindeyú: Sierra de Maracayú, fl., fr., Oct 1898-1899, E. Hassler 5083 (G barcode G00195432!; isolectotypes: BM barcode BM000526690!; G barcode G00009034!, NY barcode NY00247403!).

Description.

Herbs ca. 20.0-150.0 cm tall, perennial, rhizomatous with a definite base, terrestrial to paludal to rooted emergent in flooded fields. Roots thin, rarely thick, fibrous, medium to dark brown, densely to sparsely pilose with medium to dark brown hairs, emerging from the short rhizome and from the basalmost nodes. Rhizomes short, light to medium brown, buried in the sand or ground. Stems prostrate, with erect to ascending apex, succulent, unbranched or only branched at the base; internodes 3.4-13.0 cm long, green to vinaceous, glabrous to sparsely pilose, becoming glabrous with age, with a line of eglandular hyaline hairs opposite the leaf above. Leaves spirally-alternate, sometimes becoming distichously-alternate at apex, evenly distributed along the stems, the distal ones gradually smaller than the basal ones; sheaths 1.2-3.3 cm long, green to vinaceous, glabrous to pilose along the fused edge, sometimes with a few scattered long, glandular hairs, margins ciliate to sparsely setose at base, hairs hyaline; lamina 2.5-23.6 × 0.4-1.2 cm, succulent, canaliculate, slightly falcate to falcate, green on both sides, drying light brown to olive-green or light green on both sides, linear-lanceolate to linear-elliptic or linear-oblong, glabrous, base truncate to rounded, margins light green to pink or vinaceous, ciliate to sparsely setose only at base, apex acute to acuminate; midvein conspicuous or inconspicuous, slightly impressed adaxially, slightly obtuse abaxially, secondary veins 2-3(-4) pairs, adaxially inconspicuous or slightly conspicuous, light green, abaxially slightly conspicuous. Inflorescences 1-(2), thyrsi, terminal or axillary from the uppermost node, thyrse with 9-24 verticillate cincinni, arranged in 3-9 whorls; peduncles 1.2-7.5 cm, with glandular to densely glandular, hyaline hairs; basal bract leaf-like, 2.1-3.2 × 0.9-1.2 cm, lanceolate, glabrous, base rounded, margins ciliate to setose only at base, apex acute to acuminate, veins inconspicuous or slightly conspicuous, concolorous to light green; cincinni bracts ca. 1.4 -5.1-(10.0) × 1.0-1.6 mm, lanceolate to ovate, light green to pink or vinaceous, glandular-pubescent to glabrous, base truncate, margins glabrous, sometimes with a tooth at the base in each side, apex acute; cincinni 1-flowered, patent to erect, straight, peduncle inconspicuous, internodes absent; bracteoles ca. 0.8-1.2 × 0.3-0.6 mm, persistent, triangular, flat, light green to pink, glabrous, base truncate, margins glabrous, apex acute. Flowers bisexual or male, enantiostylous, ca. 1.3-2.5 cm diam.; floral buds narrowly ovoid, 5.3-6.2 × 2.6-3.2 mm, light green to pink; pedicels 1.0-5.2 mm long, light green to pink or vinaceous, with glandular to densely glandular, hyaline hairs, deflexed and elongate in fruit; sepals 5.3-8.0 × 1.8-4.7 mm, triangular to ovate-triangular, cucullate, light green to pink to vinaceous, with glandular to densely glandular, hyaline hairs, apex acuminate, margins hyaline light green to hyaline pink or vinaceous; petals equal, 0.8-1.3 × 0.5-0.7 cm, obovate to narrowly obovate, slightly cucullate, white to lilac to purple or mauve, with minute glandular hairs at base on the adaxial surface, base cuneate, margins entire to erose at the apex, apex acute to obtuse; stamens 3, equal, filaments gently curved at the apex, 6.0-9.6 mm long, pale lilac to lilac or purple, with minute glandular, hyaline hairs, anthers elliptic to oblong, 0.9-2.0 × 0.4-0.7 mm, connective purple to bluish purple, anthers sacs lilac to purple, pollen white; staminodes 3, equal, filaments straight, 3.1-5.3 mm long, pale lilac to white, with minute glandular, hyaline hairs, antherodes sagittate, 0.8-2.3 × 0.8-1.1 mm, connective golden yellow, lobes conspicuous, cream-colored to pale yellow; ovary ellipsoid to oblongoid, 1.5-3.5 × 0.7-1.3 mm, 3-locular, light green to green, smooth, with densely glandular, hyaline hairs, style gently curved at the apex, ca. 3.5-8.0 mm, pale lilac to lilac, with minute glandular, hyaline hairs, stigma capitate, lilac to purple. Capsules 5.1-9.8 × 3.2-5.0 mm, 3-locular, 3-valved; oblongoid to broadly oblongoid, apiculate due to persistent style, light brown when mature, smooth, with sparse glandular, hyaline hairs, sometimes becoming glabrous with age. Seeds 2 per locule, 3.4-4.2 × 1.7-2.1 mm, reniform to broadly ellipsoid, strongly cleft towards the embryotega, ventrally flattened, testa dark brown to greyish brown, sparsely farinose, scrobiculate, with ridges radiating from the embryotega, with a tan appendage that extends ventri-laterally to the embryotega and basally into the hilum; embryotega semilateral, relatively inconspicuous, without a prominent apicule; hilum linear, approximately the same length as the seed, in a shallow depression.

Specimens seen.

BRAZIL. Distrito Federal: Brasília, immediately N of Brasília, rio Torto, 18 Sep 1965, H.S. Irwin et al. 8425 (NY, RB, US); Mato Grosso: Santa Cruz Do Xingu, Parque Estadual do Xingu, limite norte do parque, 6 Mar 2011, D.C. Zappi et al. 3166 (K, RB, UNEMAT); São Félix do Araguaia, estrada entre a vila Pontinópolis e a Serra dos Magalhães, 21 Mar 1997, V.C. Souza et al. 14814 (ESA, RB); Sinop, estrada para Porto dos Gaúchos, ca. 500 km leste do rio Teles Pires, 22 Oct 2004, V.C. Souza 30056 (ESA); Xavantina, Camp B of Base Camp, 10 Jan 1968, D. Philcox & A. Ferreira 3958 (K); loc. cit., 10 km E from base, ca. 270 km from Xavantina, 6 Mar 1968, fl, D.R. Gifford RG76 (K); loc. cit., s.dat., fl., fr., G.R.D. Smith 43 (K); loc. cit., Oct-Nov 1967, fl., J. Ramos & R. Sousa R7 S30 (K); loc. cit., 1 km S of base camp, 14 Mar 1968, D. Philcox & A. Ferreira 4539 (K, NY, P, UB); loc. cit., Xavantina-Cachimbo road, 1 km E of km 244, 15 Mar 1968, D. Philcox & A. Ferreira 4550 (K, NY, P, RB, UB); loc. cit., close to the Xavantina-São Félix do Araguaia road, 11 Apr 1968, J.A. Ratter et al. 992 (K, NY, P, UB); loc. cit., córrego do Porco, 240 km N of Xavantina, 7 May 1968, J.A. Ratter et al. 1339 (K, NY, P, RB, UB); loc. cit., 5 Oct 1968, R.M. Harley 10489 (K, NY, P, RB, UB); loc. cit., 10 Oct 1968, R.M. Harley et al. 10591 (K, NY, P, RB); loc. cit., arredores do acampamento da expedição inglesa até o córrego do Surucucu, 10 Oct 1968, Sidney & Onishi 1356 (RB, UB); Mato Grosso do Sul: Indaiá do Sul/ Chapéu Azul, cachoeira aos fundos da cidade, 18 Feb 1996, M.R. Pietrobom da Silva et al. 2923 (MBM); Sidrolândia, fazenda Olho D’água, km 392 da Estrada Campo Grande-Sidrolândia, 19 Apr 2013, S.N. Moreira et al. 1451 (BHCB); Minas Gerais: Araxá, próximo a Araxá, vale do rio Araguarí, 1 Nov 1970, A.P. Duarte 13912 (HB, MBM). PARAGUAY. Amambay: Sierra de Amambay, April 1912-1913, E. Hassler 11347 (BM, K, P).

Distribution and habitat.

Murdannia paraguayensis occurs in Paraguay and central Brazil, being known from the states of Distrito Federal, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul and Minas Gerais (Fig. 10 ). It grows in open flooded grass fields, of the Amazon, Cerrado, Chaco and Pantanal domains.

Phenology.

It was found in bloom and fruit throughout the year.

Conservation status.

Murdannia paraguayensis possesses one of the widest distribution ranges among Neotropical Murdannia , with a EOO of ca. 886,876.606 km2 and a AOO of ca. 22,500.000 km2. Thus, following the IUCN recommendations ( IUCN 2001), Murdannia paraguayensis should be considered Least Concern.

Nomenclatural notes.

When describing Aneilema paraguayensis , Chodat (1901) only mentions “Ipé-hu, Oct., 5083", at the end of his brief diagnosis. According to Stafleu and Cowan (1979), Hassler’s Paraguayan collections are generally housed at G. After consulting several herbaria, we found a specimen at NY herbarium, two specimens at G, and one at BM that matched the protologue. Thus, we selected as the lectotype the specimen at G which shows the typical deflexed pedicel characteristic of this species.

Discussion.

Murdannia paraguayensis has been historically confused with Murdannia gardneri s.l., due to the verticillate cincinni in the inflorescence. For differences between Murdannia burchellii , Murdannia gardneri and Murdannia paraguayensis , see the comments on those species above and Table 1 . Despite this historic confusion, Murdannia paraguayensis is morphologically very similar to Murdannia engelsii , due to its petals, androecium and gynoecium with glandular hairs, pedicels deflexed postanthesis and in fruit, and capitate stigma. Nevertheless, Murdannia paraguayensis can be differentiated by its erect habit (vs. trailing in Murdannia engelsii ), leaves spirally-alternate (vs. distichously-alternate), much larger inflorescences with several whorls of cincinni (vs. consisting of a solitary cincinnus), peduncle solely with glandular hairs (vs. with a mixture of eglandular and glandular hairs), cincinni 1-flowered (vs. 2-7-flowered), capsules oblongoid to broadly oblongoid (vs. broadly ovoid to broadly ellipsoid), and locules 2-seeded (vs. locules 1-seeded).

The specimen H.S. Irwin et al. 8425 looks very distinctive from the other analyzed specimens due to its: apparently creeping habit, leaves distichously-alternate at apex, sheaths with a few scattered long glandular hairs, blades with strongly undulate margins, short congested inflorescence, and very short pedicels. Nevertheless, it possesses the same inflorescence architecture, capsules with glandular hairs, and 2-seeded locules. We believe that the blades with strongly undulate margins may be a result of the drying process. Thus, we consider that these collections don’t merit any taxonomic recognition.

Figures

Figure 6. Murdannia paraguayensis (C. B. Clarke) G. Brueckn. A Detail of a flowering shoot, showing the succulent stem, succulent, canaliculate and falcate leaves, and an inflorescence with lilac flowers B Detail of the apex of a flowering shoot, showing a terminal inflorescence with white flowers, and pedicels deflexed post-anthesis C Inflorescence showing the 1 - flowered verticillate cincinni and open mauve flowers D Side view of a male flower, showing the sepals with glandular hairs E flooded grassland in Sidrolandia, Mato Grosso do Sul. Photograph A by I. L. M. Resende, B, E by S. N. Moreira and C-D by V. C. Souza.

Figure 10. Distribution map of Neotropical Murdannia Royle. Full circles Murdannia burchellii Full stars Murdannia engelsii Triangles Murdannia gardneri Stars Murdannia paraguayensis Full squares Murdannia schomburgkiana Squares Murdannia semifoliata.