Cassiinae pt 1 NY-Botanical_gardens_Vol. 35_1 - Copy.pdf - Antbase

1982] CASSIINAE—SENNA 95
broad many-ovulate pod enclosing two interfingering rows of seed-locules. In
Serra do Roncador in northeastern Mato Grosso it is sympatric with var. silvestris
but readUy distinguished by the pronounced venulation ofthe leaflets' lower face.
The two varieties again occur close together in south-central Minas Gerais, var.
bifaria below 1000 m on the headwaters of Rio das Velhas and var. silvestris at
mostly greater elevations on the Atlantic slope. Elsewhere their ranges are mutually
exclusive. The var. unifaria, which replaces var. bifaria in central and
southwestern Mato Grosso, is entirely similar to var. bifaria at anthesis, but
obviously different in the narrower pod and few uniseriate seeds. A similarly
narrow but more papery and delicately venulose pod characterizes var. velutina,
already distinguishable in flower by the golden-strigulose inner sepals and the
puberulent anthers.
The variety varies somewhat in density of pubescence and outhne of leaflets,
and its pod varies in length and breadth to about the same degree as that of var.
silvestris. A curious dwarf form, small-leaved and flowering when only 5 dm tall,
was coUected (Irwin 23921) with normal var. bifaria (Irwin 23915) between Agua
Boa and Jequetai in northern Minas Gerais; its genetic structure would make an
interesting study.
4. Senna gundlachii (Urban) Irwin & Barneby, comb. nov. Cassia gundlachii
Urban, Feddes Repert. Sp. Nov. 15: 309. 1918.—"Hab. in Cuba ori­
ent.: Wright no. 150."—Holotypus, presumably tB; neoholotypus,
GH! isotypi, BR, G, MO, NY!
Cassia esmeraldensis Alain, Contrib. Ocas. Mus. Hist. Nat. Colegio 'De La Salle' 9: 10, fig.
1950.—"Tipo en [LS, nunc HAC], Alain, Clemente y Crisogono 1035, de La Esmeralda, sur
de Cananova, Oriente tCuba], Juho de 1949."—Holotypus not seen; isotypus, numbered
Alain 1025, NY!
Shrubs or small trees at anthesis 2-1 m, resembling smaU-lvd forms of S.
silvestris, except for the glossy upper face of lfts and dorsaUy glabrous sepals,
petals and gynoecium puberulent throughout with fine subappressed hairs 0.1-0.2
mm, the inflorescence a leafless or basally leafy-bracteate thyrse or panicle of
racemes.
Stipules caducous (little known) linear-subulate 2-3 mm.
Lvs (12-) 15-23 cm; petiole including wrinkled pulvinus 2-4.5 cm, at middle
0.6-1.1 mm diam, terete except for shallow open ventral sulcus; rachis (5.5-)8-14
cm, the interfoliolar segments 8-22 mm; pulvinules 1.5-2.5 mm; lfts 7-12 or of
some upper lvs only 5-7 pairs, a httle accrescent upward to beyond middle of
rachis, thence slightly smaller, aU ovate or broadly lanceolate acuminate, the
longest 3.5-6.5(-7.5) x l-1.8(-2.5) cm, 2.5-3.7 times as long as wide, symmetricahy
rounded or cuneate at base, the margins revolute, the midrib impressed-
sulcate above, cariniform beneath, the ±7-10 pairs of camptodrome secondary
veins with connecting tertiary and subsequent reticular venules aU sharply finely
prominulous on both faces, a trifle more so above than beneath.
Racemes densely subcorymbosely 10-60-fld, the axis including peduncle be­
coming 2-6 cm; bracts caducous ovate or subulate 1-1.5 mm; pedicels at full
anthesis 1.5-2.7 cm; hypanthium ±2 mm long; sepals reflexed at anthesis, sub­
membranous dark purplish-brown glabrous cUiolate, all obovate but strongly
graduated, the outer 3-4 mm, the longest inner one 6.5-8 mm; petals yellow
orange-veined subhomomorphic, beyond the conspicuous claw broadly flabellate
truncate-emarginate, the longest 12-17 mm; androecium glabrous, the filaments
of 4 median stamens 1.5-2 mm, of 3 abaxial ones 3^ mm, the anthers of 4 median
stamens 3-3.5 mm, their beak ±0.4-0.6 mm, those of 2 latero-abaxial ones lu-