Calliandra oroboensis E.R. Souza & L.P. Queiroz, 2014

Calliandra oroboensis E.R. Souza & L.P. Queiroz View in CoL , sp. nov.

Type:— BRAZIL. Bahia: Ruy Barbosa, Serra Orobó, riacho Cazuza , 526m., 12°19’27’’S, 40°29’37’’W, 27 July 2004 (fl.), L.P. de Queiroz, J.G. de Carvalho, D. Cardoso & T. Costa 9281 (holotype HUEFS GoogleMaps ; isotypes K GoogleMaps , SPF GoogleMaps ).

Figures 1I–K View FIGURE 1 , 4 View FIGURE 4 , 5F View FIGURE 5 , 6D–H View FIGURE 6 .

Similar to C. elegans Renvoize (1981: 77) in having a terminal inflorescence highly branched but differing from it mainly by the densely branched and erect habit (vs. stems distally few-branched and flexuose) and leaves with few pairs of pinnae.

Highly branched shrubs, 1.2–1.5 m tall, branches and young leaf axes sparsely pilose to glabrescent, old branches glabrous; distichous phyllotaxy. Stipules lanceolate, ca. 2–3 × 0.5–1 mm. Leaves petiolate; petiole 2– 3 mm; rachis 0.5–0.7 cm long; pinnae in 2 pairs, 3.5–5 cm long; leaflets in 17–21 pairs, slightly overlapping, 10–12.5 × 2–2.5 mm, coriaceous, oblong, apex obtuse, base truncate, asymmetric, glabrous, margin ciliate, venation palmatedimidiate, midrib eccentric. Inflorescences pedunculate glomerules, 4–5 glomerules clustered in fascicles along a terminal pseudoraceme; peduncle 18–22 mm long, not bracteate. Flowers homomorphic, pentamerous, sessile; calyx campanulate, tube glabrous, ca. 2 mm long, lobes deltoid, ciliate, 0.5–0.6 mm long; corolla campanulate, glabrous, tube 4–6 mm long, lobes oblong, ca. 5 mm long; stamens white, stemonozone ca. 2 mm long, staminal tube ca. 11 mm long, filaments free for 3–3.2 mm; intrastaminal nectary absent; ovary obovate, glabrous, ca. 2 mm of long, style 33–35 mm long, stigma globose. Pods linear-oblanceolate, apex acute, mucronate, base cuneate, 6–9 × 0.8–1 cm, valves ligneous, glabrous. Seeds with a hard testa, ochre coloured, speckled with brown, ca. 6.5 × 4 × 1 mm.

Polyad description:— Ellipsoid, calymmate, large-sized (193.8 µm in length × 93.8 µm in width), eightgrained (2 central grains surrounded by 6 heteromorphic peripheral grains). Apical peripheral pollen grain (78.8 µm in length) has a long sticky appendage (33.8 µm in length). Central pollen grains are irregularly disposed, smaller than peripheral ones (33.8 µm in diam.), with 4–5 pores on the perimeter of the outer face. Exine is 3 µm thick, with rugulate surface and some depressions close to apertures (SEM); exine is psilate to rugulate when examined in LM.

Ecology and distribution: —an endemic species of the Serra do Orobó in the municipality of Ruy Barbosa. Occurs in “campo rupestre”, riparian areas and in the transition between savanna and “campo rupestre” at elevations between 526 and 807 m. Specimens were found flowering in May, July and December and fruiting in July.

Notes:— Calliandra oroboensis , C. elegans and C. lanata are the only species of the sect Monticola that present the flowers grouped in a terminal pseudoraceme exserted from the foliage, composed of fascicles of up to five pedunculate glomerules, and a shrubby habit. However, C. lanata is easily recognized by its large stipules and its densely white pilose-tomentose indumentum. C. oroboensis and C. elegans differ by the shorter pinnae (3.5–5 cm long vs. 10–15 cm), fewer pinnae per leaf (2 pairs vs. 3–6 pairs) and shorter petioles (2–3 mm vs. 10–20 mm).

Etymology: —the epithet refers to the distribution of the species, which is restricted to the “Serra do Orobó”.

Paratypes: — BRAZIL. Bahia: Ruy Barbosa, Serra Orobó , 12°18’S, 40°26’W, 28 May 2005 (fl.), T.A.B. Costa & J.G. Nascimento 26 ( HUEFS) GoogleMaps ; encosta da Serra , 700m, 12º18’52’’S, 40º28’32’’W, 28 July 2004 (fl.), L.P. de Queiroz et al. 9335 ( HUEFS) GoogleMaps ; campo rupestre acima da zona das velózias , 640-807 m, 12º18’35’’S 40º29’3”W, 18 December 2004 (fl.), L.P. de Queiroz et al. 9883 ( HUEFS) GoogleMaps .