Strychnos alvimiana Krukoff & Barneby (1973: 105)

Strychnos alvimiana Krukoff & Barneby (1973: 105) View in CoL . ( Figs1J–K View FIGURE 1 )

Type: — BRAZIL. Bahia, Itacaré, highway to Barragem, 14°18’00”S, 39°01’59”W, 13 July1971 (st.), T. S. Santos 1757 ( holotype NY!, isotype CEPEC!).

Epitype (designated here):— BRAZIL. Bahia, Itacaré, Itacaré–Taboquinha highway, 14°16’39”S, 38°59’48”W, 20 July 1973 (fr.), T. S. Santos 2683 ( NY!, isoepitypes CEPEC!, RB!).

Lianas; branches brown, cylindrical to quadrangular, glabrous, thorns and tendrils present; linear stipules. Leaves opposite; petiole 1–1.5 cm long, glabrous or rarely pubescent; blade brownish-gray to greenish-brown when dry, discolours, (3.5–)4–9.2 × (1.5–) 2.7–4.3 cm, elliptic to narrow-elliptic, cuneate at base, acuminate to acute at apex, revolute along the margins, subcoriaceous, glabrous on both sides, 3-plinerved. Thyrses with more than 50 flowers, congested, terminal; peduncle 2.7–4.2 cm long, glabrous; bracts 0.8–12 mm long, lanceolate, acute to acuminate at apex, toothed along the margins; bracteoles 0.5–1 mm long, lanceolate, acute to acuminate at apex, toothed along the margins. Flowers sessile; calyx 5-merous, green to blackish when dry; calyx lobes green to blackish when dry, 3.5–4 × 1–1.2 mm, narrow-lanceolate, acute to acuminate at apex, sparsely toothed at the margins; corolla not seen. Berries green, 2.3–3.5 × 2.2–3 cm, pericarp subwoody, rugose, glabrous; seeds 1 or 2, brown, 1–1.8 × 0.8–1.4 cm, discoid, smooth forehead, glabrous.

Etymology: —The epithet honours one of the most important collector of Strychnos in Bahia, Paulo de Tarso Alvim (1919–2011).

Distribution and habitat: — Strychnos alvimiana is endemic to Bahia ( Guimarães et al. 2015), occurring in the Atlantic Forest domain, in the woods and subwoods of dense ombrophilous, montane and submontane forests. It is reported for the municipalities of Ilhéus ( R. Lemos Fróes 12735/91 —NY!), Itacaré ( T.S. Santos 2683— CEPEC! NY! RB!), Maraú ( R.P. Belém 3512 —CEPEC! NY!) and Una ( R.P. Belém 3708 —CEPEC! NY!).

Phenology: —Found with old flowers in January, July and September and with fruits in January and July.

Notes: — Krukoff & Barneby (1973) associated Strychnos alvimiana with S. nigricans Progel (1868: 280) and S. mattogrossensis Moore (1895: 392) because they present fruits with fibrous pericarps. The three species occur sympatrically, in the same environment, and belong to S. section Breviflorae . Strychnos alvimiana can be distinguished from the two species by the glabrous branches ( vs. pubescent), subcoriaceous leaves ( vs. chartaceous to papyraceous), with secondary nerves visible only on the abaxial side ( vs. visible on both sides), and longer inflorescences (3.4–5.5 vs. 2–3 cm), and from the other species of the section (except S. atlantica and S. parviflora Spruce ex Bentham 1857: 107 ) by the habit (lianas vs. usually shrubs), leaves almost always glabrous ( vs. usually puberulous), curved spines [ vs. without spines, except in S. brasiliensis ( Sprengel 1825: 588) Martius (1841: 84) ] and longer sepals ( 3.5–4 mm vs. 0.8–2.5 mm long).