Bauhinia angelae Casas-Restrepo, Fonseca-Cortés & L.P. Queiroz, 2025

Casas-Restrepo, Luis Carlos, Fonseca-Cortés, Andrés & Queiroz, Luciano Paganucci De, 2025, Bauhinia angelae (Leguminosae: Cercidoideae): An overlooked new species from drylands of Northeastern Brazil, Phytotaxa 691 (3), pp. 271-281 : 273-278

Bauhinia angelae Casas-Restrepo, Fonseca-Cortés & L.P. Queiroz , sp. nov. ( Figs 1–3 ).

Bauhinia angelae is morphologically similar to Bauhinia catingae by sharing armed branches, bilobed leaflets longer than wider or equal, spathaceous calyx, white petals, and oblongs fruits. It differs by presenting triangular stipules (vs. filiform stipules), leaflets 3–10 × 2 –7 cm (vs. leaflets 2–2.5 × 1.5–2 cm), flower buds 2.5–6.5 cm long with the apex capitate and twisted lobes (vs. flower buds 2–3 cm long with the apex acuminate lacking lobes), oblong petals with undulate margins (vs. elliptic petals with entire margins) and mature fruits longer than 10 cm long (vs. mature fruits up to 7 cm long).

Type :— BRAZIL. Bahia . Mucugê , Estrada Mucugê-Itaetê , ca. 10 km E do entroncamento com a rodovia Mucugê-Andaraí, 25 Jan 2000 [fl., fr.], L. P. Queiroz 5698 (holotype HUEFS [ HUEFS 43141 !]; isotypes CEPEC [ CEPEC 113537 !], K [ K807644 !]) .

Shrub or treelet 1.5– 3 m. Indumentum of short, erect and soft simple trichomes intermixed with yellowish, simple boatshaped glandular trichomes on the branches, stipules, petiole, lower surface of leaflet, inflorescences, pedicels, bracts, and bracteoles. Stipules 4–6 mm long, triangular, puberulous, caducous. Petiole 1–2.8 cm long, subterete, puberulous to glabrescent, pulvine 1–3 mm long; leaflet 3–10 × 2–7 cm, ovate to elliptical, base subcordate to truncate, bilobed, the lobes acute, fused through 1/3 to 1/2 of the leaflet length, margins undulate, coriaceous, acrodrodomous, with 7–11 main veins, plane on the upper surface, prominent in the lower surface, secondary veins perpendicular to the primary veins, reticulate in both surfaces, tertiary veins intricately reticulate, upper surface glabrous, lower surface puberulous, denser on the nerves; pulvinule 1–3 mm long. Inflorescence a terminal pseudoraceme, 7–18 cm long, peduncle 2–6 cm long, sparsely puberulous, the flowers arranged in pairs along the rachis; bracts and bracteoles 3–5 mm long, linear to triangular, persistent, puberulous to glabrous, pedicel 0.5–2 cm long. Flowers buds 2.5–6.5 × 0.3–0.7 cm, fusiform, 5-subcostate, constricted at the apex, lobes tortuous forming a capitate apex. Flowers in anthesis 5.5–9 cm long; hypanthium 0.5–1.5 cm long, cylindrical-tubular, internally glabrous, externally sericeous; calyx spathaceous, sericeous at the outer surface, glabrous at the inner surface; petals 5, held reflexed and erect in the flower at anthesis, forming a zygomorphic corolla, 5–7.5× 1–2.3 cm, free, white, ovate-lanceolate, brochidodromous, glabrous, claw 1–2 mm long; stamens 10, all fertile, heterodynamous, filaments 2.5–5 cm long, joined at the base, staminal sheath up to 3 mm long, internally and externally densely pubescent, anthers up to 1 mm long, linear, glabrous; gynoecium 4.5–7 cm long, stipe 1–1.5 cm long, ovary 1–2 cm long, style 2–4 cm long, glabrous, stigma bilobed. Legume 10–20 × 1–2 cm, laterally compressed, narrowly oblong, apex and base acute, stipitate by 1.5–2 cm long, elastically dehiscent, valves brown, woody, glabrescent to glabrous, the minor veins raised and reticulated. Seeds 8–20, 8–10 × 5–7 mm, ovate to elliptical, compressed; testa brown, smooth with fracture line conspicuous and encircling half of the seed circumference; hilum subterminal, concealed by the funicular remnant.

Distribution and habitat: — Bauhinia angelae is an endemic species of Brazil, found in the Caatinga regions of Bahia and Minas Gerais, where it grows along roadsides and in secondary vegetation.

Conservation status —The AOO showed an area of 116,259.64 km 2 and the EOO of 108,000 km 2. Bauhinia angelae meets the requirements of Least Concern (LC).

Etymology: —The specific epithet honors Dr. Angela Maria Studart da Fonseca Vaz, former researcher at the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden, for her contribution to the knowledge of the Brazilian legumes, especially for her research on Bauhinia and related genera in Brazil.

Comments — Bauhinia angelae is a species commonly recorded and treated as a synonymous of B. catingae Harms , under the provisional name Bauhinia cacovia ined., proposed by R. Wunderlin in the 1980s. Within this classification, two subspecies were also proposed: B. cacovia subsp. cacovia and B. cacovia subsp. blanchetiana . Although these names were assigned to some herbarium specimens, they were never validly published.

Considering references where the name Bauhinia cacovia has been cited along with specimens studied by Wunderlin ( Lewis 1987, Queiroz 2009), it is evident that the morphological characteristics described here for Bauhinia angelae correspond to the specimens that Wunderlin referred to as B. cacovia subsp. blanchetiana [S. Mori et al. 9510 (K, NY, RB, US), S. Mori et al. 14434 (CEPEC, K, NY), Rose & Russell 19918 (NY, US), D. Andrade-Lima 58—2913 (K), Blanchet 3673 (F, BR)].

Regarding B. cacovia subsp. cacovia , some specimens were also referred to by Wunderlin and cited by Lewis (1987) as plants exclusively distributed in the Atlantic Rainforest of south Bahia state [T. S. dos Santos 1430 (CEPEC, IPA), R. S. Pinheiro 1350 (CEPEC, US)]. However, the characteristics observed in these specimens such as leaflets with acuminate lobe apices, floral buds lacking lobes and constriction at the apex, and their biome of distribution, suggest that this subspecies is more closely related to Bauhinia forficata Link. However , the plant populations of B. forficata are variable, and some subspecies have been proposed (see key). Therefore, a more comprehensive and detailed analysis is required to properly circumscribe species related to B. forficata .

Among the species distributed through the Brazilian Caatinga, B. angelae is more closely related to B. catingae by sharing armed branches, bilobated leaflets longer than wider or equal, spathaceous calyx, white petals, and oblongs fruits. However, B. angelae is distinguishable by its triangular stipules (vs. filiform stipules), leaflets 3–10 × 2–7 cm (vs. leaflets 2–2.5 × 1.5–2 cm), flower buds 2.5–6.5 cm long with the apex capitate and twisted lobes (vs. flower buds 2–3 cm long with the apex acuminate lacking lobes), oblong petals with undulate margins (vs. elliptic petals with entire margins) and mature fruits longer than 10 cm long (vs. mature fruits up to 7 cm long).

Additional specimens examined (paratypes):— BRAZIL. Bahia : Abaíra , Estrada velha Baríra-S. José, Estrada S. José-Brejo, 13°14’00”S, 41°41’00”W, alt. 700–800 m, 31 January 1992, D. J. N. Hind 51409 ( HUEFS, K, MO, MBM, NY, RB) ; Anagé , Estrada para Brumado, 14°36’44”S, 41°08’08”W, 15 January 1996, L. P. Félix HST5204 ( HUEFS) ; Barra do Mendes , 4 km de Barra do Mendes, caminho para Olhos d’Água, 11°03’00”S, 42°03’00”W, 26 January 2000, E. Saar 67 ( HUEFS) ; Boa Vista do Tupim , ca. 3 km após a balsa para a travessia do Rio Paraguaçú, para João Amaro, na estrada para Boa Vista do Tupim, 12°39’37”S, 40°36’33”W, 26 April 1994, L. P. de Queiroz 3870 ( BHCB, HUEFS) ; Caetité , Fazenda Baixa Grande, caminho para Paleú do Vento, 14°38’03”S, 42°38’12”W, alt. 820 m, 9 February 1997, B. Stannard PCD5289 ( CEPEC, HUEFS, K, MBM) ; Caetité , Mata, em um dos morros ao redor da cidade, 14°30’46”S, 42°30’50”W, 13 April 2005, S. F. Conceição 201 ( HUEFS) ; Delfino , Rio Salitre, 10°19’19”S, 41°19’51”W, alt. 750 m, 23 May 2008, E. Melo 5707 ( HUEFS) ; Iraquara , Along road from Iraquara to BR-242, 12 km S of Iraquara, 12°14’55”S, 41°37’09”W, 14 June 1981, S. A. Mori 14434, 600 m ( CEPEC, K, NY) ; Irecê , Fazenda Bela Vista, 11°59’00”S, 42°59’00”W, 20 January 1984, G. Fotius 3704 ( HUEFS) ; Itaberaba , Fazenda Palmeiral, ca. 4 km da variante partindo da BR-242, está a ca. 3 km W de Itaberaba, 12°31’39”S, 40°18’25”W, 28 April 1994, L. P. de Queiroz 3894 ( HUEFS) ; Jacobina , 11°10’50”S, 40°31’06”W, 19 February 2000, F. S. Cavalcanti 619 ( HUEFS, RB) ; Lajedinho , Proximidade do povoado de Simpatia. Morro com afloramentos de calcário em vertentes com paredões, 12°00’07”S, 41°00’41”W, alt. 593 m, 21August 2016, P. H. A. Melo 5322 ( HUEFS) ; Lajedinho , Proximidade do povoado de Simpatia. Morro com afloramentos de calcário em vertentes com paredões, 12°00’07”S, 41°00’42”W, alt. 593 m, 17 March 2016, P. H. A. Melo 4828 A ( HUEFS) ; Maracás , 13°26’28”S, 40°25’51”W, 20 April 1983, A. M. de Carvalho 1871 ( HUEFS) ; Maracás , Ca. de 10 km na estrada para Contendas do Sincorá, 13°26’28”S, 40°25’51”W, 26 February 2000, M. M. da Silva 285 ( HUEFS) ; Maracás , Sudoeste, 13°26’28”S, 40°25’51”W, 21 January 1981, L. P. de Queiroz ; M. L. Guedes 127 ( ALCB) ; Morro do Chapéu , BA-052, 11°48’20”S, 40°48’41”W, alt. 680 m, 15 June 2006, J. M. Gonçalves 36 ( HUEFS) ; Morro do Chapéu , Estrada para Cachoeira Domingos Lopes, 11°56’46”S, 40°56’14”W, alt. 724 m, 5 April 2002, A. Oliveira 140 ( HUEFS) ; Morro do Chapéu , Ventura, beira do rio, um pouco acima do povoado, 11°33’00”S, 41°09’22”W, 4 March 1997, P. Gasson PCD6024 ( CEPEC, HUEFS, K) ; Morro do Chapéu , entre Morro do Chapéu e Seabra, 18 February 1986, A. Fernandes ( HUEFS) ; Morro do Chapéu , Ventura, 11°13’00”S, 41°09’00”W, 25 March 2016, M. L. Guedes & M. Casaes 24559 ( ALCB) ; Mucugê , Caminho para Andaraí, BA-142, 13°00’19”S, 41°22’15”W, 3 December 2022, M. L. Guedes 33083 ( HURB) ; Palmeiras , BR 242 , na entrada para Pratinha. Lagoa da Pratinha, 12°30’42”S, 41°30’19”W, alt. 810 m, 19 January 2008, R. P. Oliveira 1446 ( HUEFS) ; Poções , Km 2 a 4 da estrada que liga Poções (BR-116) ao povodão de Bom Jesus da Serra (ao W de Poções), 14°31’47”S, 40°21’55”W, 5 March 1978, S. A. Mori 9510 ( K, NY, RB, US) ; Rio de Contas , 7.9 km de Marcolino Moura e 2.3 km da Fazenda Teixeira, em direção de Rio de Contas , Trilha que vai ao Vale do Rio Baeta, 13°45’04”S, 41°45’10”W, alt. 735 m, 8 December 2004, R. M. Harley 55348 ( HUEFS) ; Rio de Contas , Beira da estrada, km 10, Rio de Contas para Jussiape, 13°34’44”S, 41°48’41”W, 16 February 1997, R. M. Harley PCD5871 ( ALCB, HUEFS) ; Rio de Contas , Tamanduá, na estrada de terra para Arapiranga, a 8 km a oeste de Umbuzeiro dos Santos , 13°34’44”S, 41°48’41”W, alt. min 774 m, 2 January 2023, D. C. Zappi ; S. Albuquerque-Lima ; N. P. Taylor 6006 ( HURB) ; Santa Inês , Propriedade Pedrão, 13°17’32”S, 39°49’08”W, 9 March 1958, Andrade-Lima 58-2913 ( K) ; Urandi , Estrada que vai para Fazenda Palmeiras, a 3 km de Urandi, 14°37’39”S, 42°37’46”W, alt. 726 m, 9 April 2002, T. Ribeiro 397 ( HUEFS) ; Minas Gerais : Francisco Sá, LT Irapé-Montes Claros, 16°28’33”S, 43°29’18”W, 17 March 2005, C. V. Vidal 3 ( BHCB) ; Janaúba , ca. 10 km N of Janaúba on the road to Jaíba, 15°23’56”S, 43°23’25”W, alt. 546 m, 7 January 2003, L. P. de Queiroz 7482 ( HUEFS) ; Monte Azul , Serra do Espinhaço, subida via Montevidiu, 15°09’18”S, 42°52’29”W, 14 January 1997, G. Hatschbach ; O. S. Ribas ; F. Deodato 65751 ( MBM); Ninheira , Sudoeste de Ninheira, 17°34’45”S, 41°34’45”W, alt. 776 m, 13 January 2014, D. M. Neves 1616 ( HUEFS) ; Porteirinha , Lagoinha, 15°44’36”S, 43°01’42”W, 17 February 1991, G. Hatschbach, M. Hatschbach & O. S. Ribas 55205 ( CEPEC, MBM, RB) ; Salinas , Barragem de Matrona, Córrego Baé, 16°10’13”S, 42°17’25”W, 18 February 1998, E. Tameirão Neto 2681 ( BHCB) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Illustration of Bauhinia angelae Casas-Restrepo, Fonseca-Cortés & L.P. Queiroz. A: Flower and fruiting branch; B: Prickle; C: Stipule; D: Flower bud; E: Flower; F: Petals; G: Stamens, showing the indumentum at the base; H: Gynoecium; I: Seed. Photograph courtesy of Dr. Rubens Teixeira de Queiroz. Scale bars: A, E, F: 5 cm; B: 1 cm; C: 5 mm; D: 3 cm; G-H: 2 cm; I: 1.5 cm. Line drawing based on the holotype L.P. Queiroz 5698 (HUEFS 43141) Elaboration by A. Fonseca-Cortés.

FIGURE 2. Vegetative morphological comparison between B. catingae (A-B) and B. angelae (C-D). B. catingae: A: stipules and base of the leaf; B: Leaf morphology. B. angelae: C. stipules, prickles, and base of the leaf; D: Leaf morphology. Specimens:A: M.L. Guedes 16139 (HUEFS 158532); B: R.F. Machado 633 (HUEFS 189003); C: L.P Queiroz 3870 (HUEFS 16784); D: L.P Felix s.n. (HUEFS 27602). Scale bars:A, C: 5 mm, B, D: 1 cm. Photographs and plate elaboration by A. Fonseca-Cortés.

FIGURE 3. Reproductive morphological comparison between B. catingae (A, B, E lower) and B. angelae (C, D, E upper). Bauhinia catingae: A: Flower buds lacking constriction at the apex and lobes; B: White flowers with elliptic petals with entire margin; E lower: mature fruits up to 7 cm long. Bauhinia angelae: C: Flower buds with constriction at the apex and twisted lobes; D: White flowers with oblong petals with undulate margins; E upper: Mature fruits longer than 10 cm long. Specimens:A: M.L. Guedes 16139 (HUEFS 158532); B: E. Saar 67 (HUEFS 55296); C: L. Marinho 133 (HUEFS 195301); D: no voucher; E: upper: L.P Queiroz 5698 (HUEFS 43141); E: lower: L.P. Queiroz 9162 (HUEFS 82488). Photographs: A, C, E by A. Fonseca-Cortés; B. courtesy of L. Marinho; D. courtesy of V. A. M. Pereira. Scale bars: A–C: 1 cm, B–E: 2 cm. Plate elaboration by A. Fonseca-Cortés.