Commelina rufipes Seub.

Commelina rufipes Seub. View in CoL

Figs 8 View Fig , 16 View Fig ; Table 3 View Table 3

Commelina rufipes Seub. View in CoL (Seubert in Martius 1855: 265). – Commelina rufipes Seub. var. rufipes View in CoL (Seubert in Martius 1855: 265). – Phaeosphaerion persicariifolium var. rufipes (Seub.) C.B.Clarke ( Clarke 1881: 137) View in CoL . – Athyrocarpus rufipes (Seub.) Standl. ( Standley & Calderon 1925: 47) View in CoL . – Phaeosphaerion rufipes (Seub.) Standl. & Steyerm. (Standley & Steyermeyer 1952: 22) View in CoL . – Commelinopsis rufipes (Seub.) D.R.Hunt (Hunt 1981: 195) View in CoL .

Athyrocarpus persicariifolius f. tetraspermus Donn.Sm. (Donnel Smith 1903: 54) View in CoL , nom. nud. Syn. nov.

Etymology

The epithet derives from the Latin ʻ rūfus ʼ (which derives from the Proto-Italic ʻ *rouðos ʼ, meaning ʻredʼ) + ʻ pēs ʼ (meaning ʻfoot, stem, stalkʼ), in reference to this species’ stems and leaves covered by red to rusty hairs.

Type material

BRAZIL – São Paulo • s.loc.; 1817; st.; C.F.P. Martius s.n.; lectotype: M [ M0210921 ]!, designated by Pellegrini & Forzza (2017); isolectotype: M [ M0210920 ] ! • Bertioga, estrada Bertioga/São Sebastião , bairro São Rafael ; 25 Oct. 2007; fl.; R.C. Forzza et al. 4823; epitype: RB [ RB00515585 ]!, designated by Pellegrini & Forzza (2017) .

Selected material examined

North America

MEXICO – Tabasco • Tapijuluya ; 5 Jan. 1890; fl.; J.N. Rovirosa 685; K, US .

Central America

BELIZE – Toledo • on hill slope near Pate’s Camp , Edwards Road beyond Columbia ; 14 Feb. 1951; fl.; P.H. Gentle 7204; P .

COSTA RICA – Puntarenas • Cantón de Golfito, peninsula across bay , west from the town of Golfito (generally west of Playa Cacao); 29 Jan. 1992; fl.; H.H. Schmidt 600; CR, MO, US 2ex.

EL SALVADOR – La Libertad • Comasagua ; Dec. 1922; fl.; S. Calderón 1411; US .

GUATEMALA – Alta Verapaz • Cubilquitz ; Nov. 1901; fl.; H. von Türckheim 8328; K, MO, US.

HONDURAS – Distrito Central • Francisco Morazán, Montana La Tigra 35 km NE de Teguciagalpa, bosque húmedo montano bajo ; 16 Oct. 1982; fr.; D. Montoya 85; MO .

NICARAGUA – Atlántico Norte • along the new road between Rosita and Puerto Cabezas , ca 15.7 km SW of Río Kukalaya; 30 Apr. 1978; fr.; W.D. Stevens et al. 8474; MO, US .

PANAMA – Darien • trail from Cana to Colombian border along Río Setigandí ; 19 Apr. 1980; fr.; A.H. Gentry et al. 28572; MO, US .

South America

BOLIVIA – Santa Cruz • Velasco Province, Mauritiella palm swamp at Cuatro Vientos ; 1 Oct. 1995; fr.; R. Ritter & P. Foster 2480; MO, NHA, US, USZ .

BRAZIL – Rio de Janeiro • Silva Jardim , Reserva Biológica de Poço das Antas , Juturnaíba , trilha Rodolfo Norte , caminho para a Pelonha ; 18 Aug. 1995; fl., fr.; J.M.A. Braga et al. 2735; RB .

COLOMBIA – Vaupés • Río Kananari (affluent of Río Apaporis), Cerro Isibukuri ; 3 Aug. 1951; fl.; R.E. Schultes & I. Cabrera 13258; COL, K, U .

FRENCH GUIANA – Camopi • Arrondissement de Caiena , Cachoeira Três Saltos ; 1 Sep. 1960; fl., fr.; H.S. Irwin et al. 47944; IAN, MG, MO, NY, RB, US .

PERU – Loreto • Maynas , Dtto. Iquitos. Rio Nanay , Carretera de Picuruayco , below Bellavista ; 28 Jun. 1974; fl., fr.; S. McDaniel & M. Rimachi Y. 18845; RB .

SURINAME – Sipaliwini • Vicinity of airstrip along Ulemari River , 71 km up Ulemari River from its confluence with Litani River; 29 Apr. 1998; fl., fr.; B.E. Hammel et al. 21713; BBS, LPB, MO, P, U, US .

VENEZUELA – Barinas • Distr. Pedraza, trail from Mesa de Canagua to Cerro El Filón , W of the Río Curbatí ; 24 Nov. 1990; fl., fr.; L.J. Dorr et al. 7812; NY, PORT, US .

Description

Herbs 10–60 cm tall, prostrate to ascending, perennial, delicate to medium-sized, terrestrial. Roots fibrous, thin. Rhizome short. Stems monomorphic, base prostrate, apex prostrate to ascending, unbranched to branched at base; internodes 0.8–7.6 cm long, distally shorter, green, glabrous, with a line of acicular hairs opposite to the leaves, hairs hyaline or rusty to rusty-brown. Leaves distichously-alternate, evenly distributed along the stem, pseudopetiolate; sheaths 0.4–1.9 cm long, light green, hirsute, hairs acicular, rusty to rusty-brown, rarely hyaline, margin upright, hirsute, with a denser line of hirsute hairs opposite to the leaves, hairs acicular, rusty to rusty-brown; pseudopetiole inconspicuous up to 2.4 mm long; blades (1.1–)3.5–14.1 × (0.4–) 1.2–5.3 cm, lanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, straight, membranous, adaxially green to bluish-green, abaxially light green, adaxially hispid, abaxially hispid, hairs hyaline, hirsute along the midvein, hairs rusty to rusty-brown, base symmetric, cuneate to obtuse, margin slightly revolute, scabrid with prickle-hairs, apex acute; midvein conspicuous, adaxially impressed to channelled, abaxially prominently obtuse, secondary veins 2–3 pairs, adaxially conspicuous, abaxially conspicuous, becoming more conspicuous on both sides when dry. Synflorescence composed of a solitary main florescence or main florescence plus 1–2 co-florescences, restricted to the apex of the stems. Inflorescences terminal or apparently so, peduncle 2.1–6.4 mm long, shorter than ½ length of the spathe, straight, villous with acicular hairs, hairs hyaline; spathe 1.4–4.5 × 1.5–4.8 cm, ovate to widely ovate, patent to the peduncle, light green, internally conspicuously mucilaginous, base only basally connate, splitting open in fruit, truncate to subcordate, externally villous with acicular hairs, hairs hyaline, sometimes with sparse hirsute acicular hairs, hairs rusty to rusty-brown, margin flat, apex acute, straight, veins 4–5 pairs, conspicuous, becoming more conspicuous when dry; upper cincinnus developed, 1–2-flowered, flowers mainly staminate, rarely bisexual, peduncle 1.4–3.6 cm long, exserted, gently decurved at pre-anthesis, anthesis, post-anthesis and fruit, sparsely to densely puberulous with minute hook-hairs, hairs hyaline; lower cincinnus 3–6-flowered, flowers mainly bisexual, sometimes staminate, peduncle 0.8–1.9 cm long, thickened in fruit, glabrous to sparsely puberulous with minute hook-hairs. Flowers chasmogamous, strongly zygomorphic, enantiostylous (style gently dislocated to the opposite side to the medial stamen); floral buds 0.9–3.6 × 0.5–2.1 mm, obovoid, light green to white, glabrous; pedicel 1–2.3 mm long, deflexed in bud and at anthesis, reflexed and elongating in fruit, white to light green, puberulous with minute hook-hairs, hairs hyaline; sepals hyaline, early deciduous in fruit, dorsal sepal 2.2–3.4 × 1–1.7 mm, elliptic, concave, glabrous, apex acute, lower sepals 3.5–4.8 × 2.4–3.3 mm, shortly-clawed, connate up to mid-length, oblique-obovate, concave, glabrous, apex obtuse; paired petals 0.6–0.9 × 0.5–0.8 cm, clawed, claw 2.4–3.7 mm long, white, limb 3.9–5.4 × 5.5–7.5 mm, rhombic to rotund, white, base asymmetric, round to subtruncate, apex round to slightly emarginate to emarginate, medial petal 3–4.5 × 0.7–1.5 mm, sessile, elliptic to narrowly oblanceolate, entire, flat, concolourous with the paired petals, opaque, glabrous on both sides, apex obtuse; staminodes 2–3, generally medial staminode completely absent or greatly reduced and lacking the antherode, filaments 3.1–4.6 mm long, arcuate-decurved, apex recurved to abruptly recurved, white, base sometimes pale yellow, antherodes 0.4–1 × 0.9–1.2 mm, cordate, pale yellow, minute pollen sacs between the upper and lower lobes absent, apiculate between the upper lobes, upper lobes absent, lower lobes obovoid; lateral filaments 3.1–5.3 mm long, very gently sigmoid to gently sigmoid, apex gently recurved, apex gently recurved, white, base sometimes pale yellow, anthers 1–1.6 × 0.4–0.7 mm, held near the medial stamen, subcordate, yellow, connective yellow, pollen yellow, drying ochre; medial filament 2.5–4.6 mm long, arcuate-recurved, white, base sometimes pale yellow, anther 1.3–2 × 0.5–0.8 mm, held with the lateral anthers, widely oblong to widely elliptic, slightly curved, yellow, connective oblong, yellow, anther sacs not appressed to each other, pollen yellow, drying ochre; ovary 1.3–1.5 × 0.9–1.3 mm, 3-carpellate, 5-ovulate, widely ellipsoid to subglobose, white to pale yellow, smooth, puberulous with glandular microhairs, style 3.4–5.7 mm long, exceeding the stamens, very gently sigmoid to arcuate-decurved, apex strongly decurved, white, base sometimes pale yellow, deciduous in fruit, stigma truncate, white. Capsules 2–4 per spathe, 4.3–6.3 × 3.7–6.1 mm, subglobose to globose, short-stipitate, stipe 0.6–1.2 mm long, fruit wall thin, crustaceous, apex round, generally apiculate due to the persistent style base, not constricted between the seeds, pearly-white to silvery when mature, shiny, smooth, 3-locular, indehiscent, dorsal locule 1-seeded, ventral locules 2-seeded. Seeds monomorphic, 2.1–3.9 × 1.6–3.1 mm, the dorsal seed slightly larger than the ventral ones, all seeds adnate to the fruit wall and septa forming a dispersal unit, ellipsoid to triangular-ellipsoid, dorsally slightly flattened, ventrally pyramidal, not cleft towards the embryotega, dark grey to black, testa smooth, non-farinose, embryotega semilateral, inconspicuous, with a prominent apicule, hilum linear, longer than ½ the length of the seed.

Distribution

Commelina rufipes is widespread, extending from southern Mexico (States of Tabasco and Chiapas) to Southern Brazil (State of Paraná) ( Fig. 8 View Fig ). Commelina rufipes presents a peculiar disjunct distribution, altogether skipping seasonally dry forests and savanna-like formations in South America and being absent from the West Indies. This pattern dramatically differs from the morphologically similar but ecologically much more tolerant C. obliqua . It is also worth mentioning that the number of records for C. rufipes is much smaller when compared with C. obliqua . Commelina rufipes is primarily absent from Colombia and Venezuela, and entirely absent from Ecuador, even in well-preserved rainforests ( Fig. 8 View Fig ). However, the absence of C. rufipes from Ecuador and Suriname, as well as from most of Colombia and Venezuela, likely represents a collection gap and/or results from taxonomic confusion with C. obliqua . The distribution pattern of C. rufipes highlights this species’ close association with the major North, Central and South American rainforest biomes (i.e., the Central-American Rainforest, the Chocó-Darién Rainforest from Panama, the Amazon Rainforest, and the Atlantic Rainforest).

Ecology

It grows in the understory of well-preserved rainforests and riparian forests, especially along perennial watercourses.

Phenology

It was found in bloom and fruits throughout the year but peaking during the rainy season. Nonetheless, due to the small size of its white flowers compared to its very showy and conspicuous pearly-white to silvery fruits, it has been poorly collected in bloom.

Vernacular names

Trapoeraba ruiva ( Brazil), manobi-pitan ( Brazil), andacá-ruivo ( Brazil), andacá-pitan ( Brazil), Anda ka’a pytã ( Brazil – Guarani), zapupa ( El Salvador).

Conservation

Commelina rufipes presents wide EOO (14 746 312 km 2) and AOO (ca 3016 km 2) and, thus, does not meet the thresholds for criterium B. No information is currently available on its populational trends or its current threats. Thus, following the IUCN (2012) criteria and the IUCN Standards and Petitions Committee (2024) recommendations, we suggest C. rufipes should be considered as Least Concern (LC).

Remarks

Based on morphological and geographic data, we recognise C. rufipes as distinct from C. obliqua (previously C. rufipes var. glabrata ) and C. pseudomonosperma , in opposition to the very broad circumscription proposed by Hassemer (2020). There is no morphological overlap in any vegetative and reproductive characters of these three closely related species ( Table 3 View Table 3 ). Furthermore, they show noticeable differences in their distribution patterns ( Figs 8 View Fig , 11 View Fig ). Commelina rufipes can be very easily recognised, even when lacking flowers and fruits, due to its prostrate stems, characteristically hirsute leaf-sheaths with rusty to rusty-brown hairs, leaf-blades lanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, opaque and membranous, hispid on both sides with hyaline hairs and sparsely hirsute along the midvein and near the base with rusty to rusty-brown hairs, base symmetric and cuneate to obtuse, and apex acute ( Table3 View Table 3 ). Furthermore, its spathe is ovate to widely ovate and hispid with hyaline hairs (sometimes with some rusty hairs). Its white flowers present a flat medial petal that ranges from very narrowly elliptic to narrowly elliptic. This combination of characters, plus the fruit and seed characters shared with C. pseudomonosperma and C. obliqua (previously C. rufipes var. glabrata ), make this species unique in the genus and very readily diagnosed ( Table 3 View Table 3 ).