Tovomita stellaris L. Marinho & Amorim, 2025

54. Tovomita stellaris L. Marinho & Amorim , sp. nov. – Fig. 77, 78.

Holotype: Brazil, Bahia, Ibirapitanga, Serra do Papua, APA do Pratigi , descida da parcela 3 antes do córrego 01, 13°54'58"S, 39°27'57"W, 13 Mar 2013, fl. ♀, L. Y. S. Aona & al. 2406 ( HURB [ HURB000006219 View Materials ]!; isotypes: HUEFS [ HUEFS000078823 About HUEFS ]!, UEC [ UEC023408 About UEC ]!). GoogleMaps

Suggested vernacular name — mangue-estrela ( Brazil).

Diagnosis — Tovomita stellaris is similar to sympatric species T. megantha , from which it can be distinguished by patent petals and sepals (vs reflexed in T. megantha ), stamens (fl. ♂) and staminodes (fl. ♀) dorsiventrally compressed (vs terete) and less than 4 mm long (vs ≥ 6 mm long) in T. megantha .

Description — Trees up to 15 m tall, prop roots conspicuous; exudate yellow, abundant. Petioles 2–3.3 cm long, smooth, green or reddish, lenticels absent. Leaf blades 11–14 × 4–7 cm, greenish in sicco and in vivo, coriaceous, black dots absent, oblong to obovate, base decurrent, apex rounded; papillae, lenticels and fungal spots absent; exudate canals inconspicuous. Venation: secondary veins 7–9 pairs, 10–20 mm apart from each other, forming angle 55°–65° to midvein, prominent abaxially, immersed adaxially, arcuate near margin; intersecondary veins Fig. 75. Distribution map of Tovomita secunda (black triangles), T. speciosa (white squares)