Aeschynomene martii Benth.
-
Authority
Rudd, Velva E. 1955. The American species of Aeschynomene. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 32: 1-172.
-
Family
Fabaceae
-
Scientific Name
-
Type
Type localities: In caatinga near Joazeiro, Bahia, and Serro Frio, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Syntypes collected by Martius.
-
Description
Deprecated: mb_convert_encoding(): Handling HTML entities via mbstring is deprecated; use htmlspecialchars, htmlentities, or mb_encode_numericentity/mb_decode_numericentity instead in /home/emu/nybgweb/www-dev/htdocs/science-dev/wp-content/themes/nybgscience/lib/VHMonographsDetails.php on line 179
Description - Shrub about 2 m. tall; stems canescent when young, glabrate, brownish-barked when older; stipules deltoid-lanceolate, acuminate, 3-4 mm. long, 1-1.5 mm. wide at base, pubescent; leaves 1.5-2.5 cm. long, 15-30-foliolate; leaflets oblong, obtuse, 5-8 mm. long, 1.5-2 mm. wide, the upper surface subglabrous, the lower sparsely appressed-pubescent to glabrous, prominently reticulate; inflorescences axillary, fasciculate, few-flowered, the bracts and bracteoles deltoid-ovate, acute, about 1 mm. long, 0.5-1 mm. wide, appressed-pubescent; flowers 11-14 mm. long; calyx 4-5 mm. long, sparsely pubescent, ciliolate; standard averaging about 12 mm. long, the claw 3 mm. long, the blade suborbiculate, retuse, about 9 mm. long and 10 mm. wide, pubescent on the outer face; wings and keel about as long as the standard, the wing blades about 4 mm. wide, the keel blades about 3.5 mm. wide; stamens about 12 mm. long; ovary about 5 mm. long, 3-ovulate, appressed-pubescent along the margins, otherwise glabrous, the stipe about 4 mm. long; mature fruit and seeds not seen.
-
Discussion
Although I have not seen either of the syntypes, I have seen a more recent specimen, which apparently is an authentic representation of the species. It was collected in the general region of the type collections and corresponds almost exactly with Bentham's original description and illustration in "Flora Brasiliensis". This species is similar to Ae. scoparia, but differs most conspicuously in having longer, more glabrous leaflets and larger flowers.