Prockia crucis P.Browne ex Linnaeus (1759: 1074)

6. Prockia crucis P.Browne ex Linnaeus (1759: 1074) View in CoL ( Fig. 3 e–f View FIGURE 3 ; 4 e View FIGURE 4 )

Description: —Trees, treelets and shrubs 3– 6 m.; unarmed, branches slightly striate to smooth, brown to grayish, old branches glabrous and young branches tomentose, rarely pubescent, not lenticellate, rarely slightly lenticellate; leaf-like stipules, 7–13 × 3–8 mm, falcate, external surface glabrous, internal surface tomentose, glabrous to glabrescent, margin ciliate, glands in the margin present; Leaves discolorous; petioles (10–)12–22(–31) mm long, cylindrical, sometimes slightly flattened, canaliculate at the base, rarely caniculate at the apex, pubescent to tomentose; blade (65–)75–124 × (36–)41–67(–108) mm, elliptic to ovate, apex acuminate, base rounded, slightly cordate, sometimes slightly oblique, margin serrate, ciliate, with glands in the abaxial surface, membranaceous, adaxial surface glabrescent to pubescent, abaxial surface pubescent, translucent dots absent, actinodromus with 7(–8) primary veins, primary and secondary veins not prominent in the adaxial surface, primary and secondary prominent in the abaxial surface, glands at the base of the leaf blade present, 2, brown to blackish. Inflorescences racemose to corymb, (41–) 50–72 mm long, main axis and ramifications pubescent, bracts not observed, bracteoles 3 × 0.5–1 mm, lanceolate, ciliate, external surface pubescent, internal surface glabrous. Flowers bisexual; pedicel (12–)13–21(–22) mm long, pubescent, articulated near the lower third; sepals 3, (8–)9–10.5 × (5–) 6.5–7 mm, ovate to widely ovate, external surface tomentose to pubescent, internal face villous, petals 3, (5.5–)6–6.5 × (2.5–) 3.5–4 mm, elliptic, external surface tomentose, internal surface villous, apex reflexed; stamens numerous, filaments 8–8.5 mm long, glabrous, straight, anthers basifixed, rimose, glabrous, apical gland of the anther absent, connective not observed, lobes of the nectariferous disk absent; ovary 2.5–3.5 × 2–2.5 mm, widely ellipsoid to ovoid, pubescent from the middle region to the apex, superior, 3–4 carpellate, 3–4 locular, ovules numerous, placentation axial (peltate placenta), style 5–5.5 mm long, glabrous, stigma 3–4 lobed, glabrous. Fruit a berry, 7.5–8 × 7.5–8 mm, spheroid, pubescent, dark red to vinaceous when ripe, levigate, indehiscent, aril absent; seeds 8, ca. 1.5 × 1 mm, blackish, longitudinally striate, apiculate; embryo spatulate 0.5–1.5 × 0.5 mm, cotyledonary leaves rounded at apex and base, hypocotyl-radicle axis cylindrical.

Examined Material: — BRAZIL. PARANÁ: cercanias da BR-277, Area 1, 25º9’9’’ S, 53º50’4’’ W, 29 October 2020, fl.,bt., E.L. Siqueira et al. 3460 (HCF, UNOP!) GoogleMaps ; trilha da Educação Ambiental, Area 1, 25º9’21’’ S, 53º50’38’’ W, 29 November 2018, fl., C.R. Rauber et al. 212 (UNOP!) GoogleMaps ; trilha Manoel Gomes, Area 1, 25º9’16’’ S, 53º50’24’’ W, 2 December 2019, fl., L.H.S.M. Conceição & J.G. Wink 195 (UNOP!) GoogleMaps ; trilha Manoel Gomes, Area 1, 25º9’18’’ S, 53º50’19’’ W, 2 December 2019, fl., L.H.S.M. Conceição & J.G. Wink 197 (UNOP!) GoogleMaps ; trilha Manoel Gomes, Area 1, 25º9’31’’ S, 53º49’45’’ W, 2 December 2019, fl., L.H.S.M. Conceição & J.G. Wink 202 (UNOP!) GoogleMaps ; trilha da cachoeira do Rio Azul, Area 1, 28 January 2020 (fr.), L.H.S.M. Conceição et al. 241 (UNOP!) ; edge of forest by rod S. of Jardinópolis, Area 2, 19 November 1966, fl., J.C. Lindeman & J.H. de Hass 3304 (U!) ; trilha da Represa, Area 3, 25º37’41’’ S, 54º27’50’’ W, 6 December 2019, fl., L.H.S.M. Conceição et al. 205 (UNOP!) GoogleMaps .

Distribution and habitat: — Prockia crucis occurs from Mexico to South America, with its southerly range limits in northern Argentina and southern Uruguay ( Sleumer 1980). In Brazil it occurs in all regions (Flora e Funga do Brasil 2024). In the ParNa Iguaçu it occurs in all three areas, in Submontane Semidecidual Seasonal Forest, Montane Mixed Ombrophilous Forest and Alluvial Mixed Ombrophilous Forest.

Phenology: —Collected with flowers in October, November and December, and with fruits in January.

Diagnosis: — Prockia crucis can be recognized by its 7(–8) nerved leaves, with a rounded to slightly cordate base with two glands. Besides that, it is the only species of Salicaceae from the ParNa Iguaçu with corymb or racemose inflorescences.

Preliminary Conservation Status: —This species has a very wide distribution, EOO= 18,706.085 km ², as well as several records deposited in herbaria, including recent collections and confirmed occurrence in integral protection conservation units, this species is therefore assessed as Least Concern – LC (IUCN 2024).