Mimosa cylindracea

  • Title

    Mimosa cylindracea

  • Author(s)

    Rupert C. Barneby

  • Scientific Name

    Mimosa cylindracea Benth.

  • Description

    196. Mimosa cylindracea Bentham, J. Bot. (Hooker) 4: 389. 1841.-"Brazil, Pohl.", the data expanded in Martius, Fl. bras. 15(2): 354. 1876 to: "Bordo do Campo," the habitat mistaken for the locality, this, according to duplicate labels at NY, W, being Conceição, Goiás, where Pohl collected in IX. 1819.— Holotypus, Pohl 1395, K (hb. Benth.)! = NY Neg. 1852; isotypi, +B = F Neg. 1312, F! NY! US (numbered 261)! W!

    M. cylindracea sensu Bentham, 1875: 411, 1876: 354, exclus. pl. bahiens.; Burkart, 1964: 375.

    Slender arborescent shrubs attaining ± 3 m, the relatively long, amply foliate hornotinous branches, lf-axes and peduncles densely tomentulose or in part lepidote with densely plumose brownish setulae to 0.2-0.8 mm or with contracted stelliform scales, the foliage moderately bicolored, the lfts brown-olivaceous above, paler beneath, subequally stellate on both faces, sordid-grayish, the narrow amentiform fl-spikes solitary or usually 2—4 together, the early ones axillary and immersed in foliage, the later ones often forming a shortly exserted panicle. Stipules firm, lance-linear or -elliptic 3-7 x 0.5-0.5 mm, pubescent dorsally like stem, persistent. Leafstalks (2-)4-7(-8) cm, the shallowly grooved petiole (1-) 2-3.5 cm, at middle 0.65-0.9 mm diam., the interpinnal segments (3-)4.5-14 mm; pinnae of most lvs 3-6-, according to Burkart to 9-, of some distal lvs only 2-jug., little or not accrescent distally, the axis of longer ones 3—5(—5.5) cm, the longer interfoliolar segments 1.5-3 mm; lfts of longer pinnae 16-27-jug., the first pair 0.5-2 mm distant from subulate, elliptic or sometimes dilated and microphyllidious paraphyllidia 0.5-1.5 mm, the plane blades oblong or oblong-elliptic obtuse from semicordate base, the larger ones 4.5-6.5 x 1.5-2.8 mm, 2.3-3 times as long as wide, all faintly 1 (-2)-nerved from pulvinule, the midrib displaced to divide blade 1:2-2.5, the posterior nerve short or obsolete. Peduncles mostly 12-30 mm; flower-spikes without filaments (22-)25-45 x 4.5-5 mm, ±5-9 times as long as diam.; bracts linear or oblanceolate 0.67-1.2 mm, tomentulose distally, persistent; flowers 4-merous 4-androus, mostly bisexual; calyx membranous brown, shallowly campanulate 0.3-0.5 mm, glabrous externally; corolla plumply obovoid-ellipsoid camosulous 2.1-2.5 mm, densely pallid-tomentulose externally, the concave ovate lobes 0.8-1.1 x 0.65-0.9 mm; filaments sulphur-yellow, at base either free or monadelphous through 0.5 mm, exserted 2.4—4 mm, staminodia 0. Pods (few seen) ±10-19 x 5 mm, the replum and valves densely shortly stellate- lepidote overall, the dehiscence craspedial; ripe seeds unknown.

    At thicket-margins and in brejo within cerrado climax, ±400-1050 m, apparently rare and scattered over the Brazilian Planalto from centr. Goiás and Distrito Federal to s.-w. and centr. Minas Gerais and e. S. Paulo.—Fl. IX-V.

    As Burkart has remarked, M. cylindracea resembles M. scabrella in aspect of foliage and its gray indumentum, while very different in the spicate inflorescence. It is somewhat precariously distinguished from M. furfuracea by more appressed vesture of stelliform setae, by narrower spikes, persistent bracts, slightly larger calyx, and on the average more numerous and smaller leaflets. The known ranges of the two species are far from coextensive, but overlap in eastern S. Paulo and adjacent Minas Gerais, and both species have been collected in the Brazilian Federal District.

    Possibly they may represent aspects of one polymorphic species.

    Martius’s collection from Bahia that Bentham cited (1876: 354) as M. cylindracea has become the type of M. coruscocaesia Barneby.