Calliandra asplenioides (Nees) Renvoize

Authors

Rupert C. Barneby

Authority

Barneby, Rupert C. 1998. Silk tree, guanacaste, monkey's earring: A generic system for the synandrous Mimosaceae of the Americas. Part III. Calliandra. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 74: 1-223.

Family

Mimosaceae

Scientific Name

Calliandra asplenioides (Nees) Renvoize

Type

"Um Valos im Campo Geral [leg. Pr. Maximilian]." — Holotypus, BR!. — Bokermann (1957: 236) identified Quartel del Valo with contemporary Valo Fundo, situated at ±15° 10'S, 41°40/W on the Bahia-Minas boundary, visited by Maximilian in February 1817. — Inga

Synonyms

Calliandra mertensioides Benth., Calliandra asplenioides (Nees) Renvoize

Description

Species Description - Shrubs resembling C. fasciculata in habit, stature, and inflorescence, fertile when 0.5-1.5, exceptionally 3 m, or even arborescent to 5 m, the young stems and lf-axes varying from pilose with patent fine straight hairs ±0.4-1 (-1.4) mm to microscopically puberulent or minutely granular-resinous, the firm, plane or ventrally low-convex lfts bicolored lustrous dark above, lighter brown and often densely resinous-punctate beneath, facially glabrous but sometimes remotely ciliolate; phyllotaxy distichous. Stipules ovate-triangular, lanceolate or linear, mostly obtuse, 0.8—4 mm, weakly 1-5-nerved dorsally, deciduous. Lf-formula ii—iv(—vi)/(12—)14—25(—30); lf-stks 1-6 (-7) cm, the petiole including fuscous pulvinus 1.5-7(-12, seldom >4) mm, the one or the longest interpinnal segment 5-15 mm, the ventral groove bridged at insertion of pinnae; pinnae subequilong or a little shorter distally, the rachis of longer ones (3.5-)4-7(-8) cm, the longer interfoliolar segments 1.8-4 mm; lft-pulvinules 0.1-0.45 mm, at least twice broader than long; lfts usually ± decrescent at each end of rachis, the blades sessile against rachis, in outline narrowly oblong from shallowly cordate or obliquely subtruncate base, broadly obtuse or obtuse and obscurely depressed-deltate at apex, the larger ones 6—12(—14) x (2-)2.3-4.5 mm, 2.4 x 3.7(-4) times as long as wide; venation palmate, the nearly straight midrib forwardly displaced to divide blade 1:(1.9—)2.2—3.6, weakly 1-3-branched near or above mid-blade, the inner posterior primary nerve incurved- ascending beyond mid-blade, the outer posterior ones 1-3, short and weak, the whole venation either weakly prominulous or immersed above (but epidermis often wrinkled when dry), sharply prominulous beneath. Peduncles 1-5(-6) per node, (1-)1.5-6 cm, ebracteate; capitula densely 4-12(-?)-fld, the clavate or depressed-hemispherical receptacle 2-4 mm diam; bracts of lower fls deltate-ovate or subulate 0.4-1.2 mm, caducous, of inner fls often 0; fls homomorphic, either sessile or contracted at base into a turbinate or drum-shaped, discolored pedicel 0.4-0.8 x 0.7-2.1 mm; perianth glabrous or thinly puberulent distally, faintly or imperceptibly nerved; calyx (disregarding pedicel) 1.3-3.3 x l-2.5(-4) mm, the depressed- deltate or shortly subulate teeth 0.3-1 mm; corolla 5-8(-9) mm, the ovate lobes 2-3.5 mm (some sinuses shallower); androecium (20-)24-54-merous, (18-)22-34 mm, the stemonozone 1.4—2.2 mm, internally thickened but not disciferous, the tube 5-8 mm, the tassel either white, or white and distally pink, or pink to red overall; ovary at anthesis glabrous. Pods 1-3 per capitulum, erect, linear-oblanceolate 4.5-8 x 0.71 cm, lignescent, resinously granular overall and sometimes in addition finely pilosulous, the sutural ribs in dorsal view ±2.5-3 mm wide, the plane recessed valves evenulose or almost so; seeds (few seen) oblong-elliptic in broad view, ±6.5-9 x 4.5 mm, the smooth testa light brown, the narrowly U-shaped pleurogram 4.5-7 x 2.5-3 mm.

Distribution and Ecology - In campo rupestre, in pockets of quartzite outcrops, and on rocky stream banks and cliff-ledges, 700-300 m, scattered along and near the crest of Chapada Diamantina and Sa. do Espinhaço from Sa. Agua da Rega and Rui Barbosa near 12°20'S in interior Bahia s. to Sa. da Caraça near 20°05'S in centr. Minas Gerais. — Fl. XII-IV, the fruit long persistent.

Relationships - Among Bahian calliandras of ser. Calliandra with deltate calyx-teeth C. asplenioides is recognized by pinnae 3-4 pairs in almost all larger leaves, relatively broad leaflets, and filaments about 24-54 per flower. In Minas Gerais the sympatric C. fasciculata, similar in leaf-formula, has linear or linear-lanceolate, not narrowly oblong, leaflets about 4-8, not 2.4-4.5, times as long as wide. The resinous spots or glandular trichomes that are a feature of C. asplenioides in Minas are rare or absent in C. fasciculata, which has usually longer floral bracts 2.5-15 (not 0.6-1.2) mm long.

Distribution

Bahia Brazil South America| Minas Gerais Brazil South America|