A New Species of Aldina (Fabaceae: Caesalpinioideae) from Venezuelan Amazonia

Abstract

Aldina paulberryi (Fabaceae: Caesalpinioideae), a new species from Amazonian lowland forest, is described and illustrated, and its relationship with A. reticulata is discussed. Aldina paulberryi Aymard, sp. nov. TYPE: Venezuela. Amazonas: Rio Orinoco, cerca de Macuruco, bosques h6medos, 200 m, 3 Mar. 1976, P Berry 2125 (holotype, VEN; isotypes, MO, NY). Figure 1. A. reticulatae R. S. Cowan affinis, sed ab ea foliolis late ovatis vel orbicularibus, venatione tertiaria inconspicua usque obsoleta, petalis 5, 1-1.5 cm longis, filamentis 56 mm longis, antheris 4-5 mm longis; ovario lineari-elliptico, 2-4 mm longo, stylo ca. 3 mm longo, stipite 2-5 mm longo diversa. Tree 15 m tall; branches and branchlets densely yellow pubescent, becoming glabrous when mature. Leaves 3-foliolate or the uppermost 1-foliolate, alternate; petioles ca. 5 cm long, densely yellow pubescent, becoming glabrous when mature, petiolules 1-2.5 cm long, densely yellow pubescent, articulate at apex; leaflets chartaceous to subcoriaceous, broadly ovate to orbicular, 7-15 cm long, 6-14 cm wide, the base acute to subcordate, the apex obtuse, margins subrevolute, entire, glabrous on the upper surface, yellow appressed-pubescent on the lower surface, more densely so on the midrib and secondary nerves, becoming glabrous and graygreen when mature, secondary nerves conspicuous, 7-13 on each side, tertiary venation inconspicuous to obsolete. Inflorescence axillary, simple, 7-19flowered, 11-19 cm long, densely yellow appressed-pubescent, becoming glabrous when mature. Flowers pedicellate, pedicels 2.5-5 mm long, articulate at the base, densely yellow appressedpubescent; calyx entire in bud, opening apically, hypanthium 1-1.3 cm long, densely yellow appressed-pubescent, sepals 3 or 4, 4-5 mm long, 25 mm wide, ovate, densely yellow appressed-pubescent externally, glabrous internally; petals 5, 11.5 cm long, white, obovate, unguiculate at the base, glabrous on both surfaces; stamens 30-40, white, uniform, connate at the base, filaments glabrous, 5-6 mm long, anthers glabrous, linear, dorsifixed, 4-5 mm long; ovary linear-elliptic, striate, 2-4 mm long, densely yellow pubescent, style glabrous, ca. 3 mm long, stipe densely yellow pubescent, glabrous at the base, 2-5 mm long, stigma terminal, fruit obovoid, ca. 2.5 cm long, woody, 1seeded. (Fig. 1.) Distribution and ecology. Known only from the type locality, where it has been collected in lowland humid forest. Aldina paulberryi is most closely allied to A. reticulata Cowan, from Venezuelan Amazon montane forests (Cowan, 1953, 1961), but differs in having leaflets broadly ovate to orbicular, tertiary venation inconspicuous to obsolete, 5 petals 1-1.5 cm long, filaments 5-6 mm long, anthers 4-5 mm long, ovary linear-elliptic, 2-4 mm long, style ca. 3 mm long, and stipe 2-5 mm long. In contrast, A. reticulata is characterized by leaflets oblong to oblong-ovate, tertiary venation strongly reticulate, 4 petals ca. 2.5 cm long, filaments ca. 1.5 mm long, anthers ca. 7 mm long, ovary oblong-ovate, 4-5 mm long, and style 3-6 mm long. This species is named in honor of Paul E. Berry for his significant contributions to our knowledge of the flora of the Venezuelan Guayana. Acknowledgments. I thank Kay Yatskievych (MO), David Neill (MO), and James Zarucchi (MO) for valuable comments and observations on the manuscript. I am grateful to Roy Gereau (MO) for revising the Latin diagnosis, to Robert Magill (MO) and the Missouri Botanical Garden staff for making their facilities available for my research, and to Bobbi Angell for preparing the illustration.