Celtis brasiliensis (Gardner) Planchon (1848: 310)

Zamengo, Henrique Borges, Chamorro, Débora C., Houtepen, Erika. T., Gaglioti, André Luiz, Pederneiras, Leandro Cardoso, Prado, Darién E. & Oakley, Luis J., 2025, Taxonomic revision of the Celtis iguanaea complex (Cannabaceae), Phytotaxa 689 (1), pp. 53-98 : 66-67

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.689.1.5
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03A0BD67-3122-9D6B-54D5-FD697BAFA7F6
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Celtis brasiliensis (Gardner) Planchon (1848: 310)
status

Treatment

2. Celtis brasiliensis (Gardner) Planchon (1848: 310) View in CoL ( Figures 2B–B View FIGURE 2 3 View FIGURE 3 , 4B View FIGURE 4 , 5C–D View FIGURE 5 , 6C–D View FIGURE 6 , 7 View FIGURE 7 ).

≡ Mertensia brasiliensis Gardner (1843: 339) .

Lectotype (designated by Zamengo et al. 2023b):— BRAZIL. Rio de Janeiro: Magé, Piedade , “ Organs Montains ” [Serra dos Órgãos ], March 1837, fl., G. Gardner 347 (lectotype: BM [013718813] image!; isolectotype: K [000512924] image!).

= Momisia membranacea Weddell (1852: 196) View in CoL . Celtis membranacea (Weddell) Miquel (1853: 176) View in CoL . Lectotype (designated by Zamengo et al. 2023b):— BRAZIL. Rio de Janeiro: Without a specific location, 1831–1833, fr., C. Gaudichaud-Beaupré 1081 (lectotype: P [00089356] image!; isolectotypes: B [10 1154233] image!, P [00089355] image!, P [00089357] image!).

Scrambling shrubs or scrambling trees, 1.5–10 m tall; secondary and tertiary branches chestnut-brown or cinereous-gray, sinuous, terete or sulcate, glabrous to pilose, the trichomes ivory-white or lemon-yellow; thorns 1–16 mm long, in pairs or solitary, semi-curved to straight, buff-yellow, cinereous-gray, fuscous-brown, maroon-red or stramineous-yellow, glabrous to subglabrous, the trichomes ivory-white or lemon-yellow, scarce both at the base and on the entire surface of the thorns. Leaf: petiole 2–6 mm long, subglabrous or pilose,the trichomes ivory-white or lemon-yellow; leaf blades elliptic, 1.4–7.2 × 0.7–4.6 cm, concolorous (emerald-green or olive-green), chartaceous or membranous, the apex acuminate, rounded, cuspidate or obtuse, the base symmetrical, rounded, obtuse or subcordate, the margins crenulate-serrate, serrate or serrulate, teeth congested emerging from the middle to the distal third (mature leaves), adaxial surface scabrous, opaque, subglabrous, the trichomes ivory-white or lemon-yellow concentrated on the veins an scarce on the blade surface, abaxial surface velvety or smooth, subglabrous to pubescent, the trichomes ivory-white or lemon-yellow, concentrated both on the veins and on the blade surface, sometimes with protruding veins, buff-yellow or chestnut-brown, pocket domatia conspicuous, subglabrous to pilose, the trichomes ivory-white or lemon-yellow dispersed over the entire surface. Cymes glomerulate, peduncles 3–5 mm long, pilose to pubescent, the trichomes ivory-white or lemon-yellow, bracts absent. Staminate flowers: pedicels 0.5–2 mm long, pilose to pubescent, the trichomes ivory-white or lemon-yellow; sepals abaxially pilose to pubescent, the trichomes ivory-white or lemon-yellow, the margins ciliate. Pistillate flowers: pedicels 2–5 mm long, pilose to pubescent, the trichomes ivory-white or lemon-yellow; ovary 2–3 × 2–3 mm, pilose, throughout or sometimes concentrated at the base and scarce on the surface, the trichomes ivory-white or lemon-yellow, scabrous, the style conspicuous (0.6–1 mm long), the stigmatic branches 2–3 mm long, bifid, the lobes 1–1.5 mm long. Drupe: ovate, 10.3–10.6 × 8.5–9.3 mm, epicarp primrose-yellow, scabrous or smooth, glabrous or subglabrous, the trichomes ivory-white; mesocarp viscous, membranous, alveolate; pyrene ovate, 6.5–7 × 5.5–5.7 mm, ivory-white, surface alveolate-crateriform-verrucose, monoapiculate, the apiculum aciculate, 0.3–0.5 mm long, linear apex apiculum, scar present.

Etymology: —The epithet “ brasiliensis ” refers to the country of Brazil where the type was collected.

Vernacular names: —Corrupiá, espora de galo, espora de pinto, esporão de galo, grão de galo, joá branco, joá cipó, joá de espinho, juá and joazeiro ( Brazil).

Distribution, habitat and ecology: —Endemic to Brazil, all records from the Atlantic Forest in the states of Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro ( Figure 7 View FIGURE 7 ).

Except for the types of synonymized taxa, Berg & Dahlberg (2001) do not mention any other specimens analyzed, making it impossible to understand their morphological criteria and correct the identifications of taxa erroneously identified as C. brasiliensis . We noted that the majority of specimens identified as C. brasiliensis by Berg & Dahlberg (2001) belong to three species: C. clausseniana (occurring mainly in the dry areas of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay), Celtis serratissima Zamengo, Torres, Gaglioti & Romaniuc (2020: 953) , which occurs in the dry areas of Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay), and C. pubescens (occurring in the Amazonian areas of Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru).

Celtis brasiliensis occurs in Atlantic Rainforest, restingas and anthropic areas and has an affinity for sandy soils. Heliophilous, all records associated with open environments with high light incidence.

Phenology: —Flowering from July to March and fruiting from June to May of the following year.

Taxonomic notes: — Baehni (1936) synonymized C. brasiliensis under C. pubescens . These species are distinct. Celtis brasiliensis is endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest (states of Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro states, Figure 7 View FIGURE 7 ), it has secondary and tertiary branches glabrous to pilose with ivory-white trichomes; thorns glabrous to subglabrous, the trichomes ivory-white; petiole subglabrous to pilose, the trichomes ivory-white or lemon-yellow, leaf blades adaxially surface subglabrous with trichomes concentrated on the veins and scarce on the blade surface ( Figure 2B View FIGURE 2 1 View FIGURE 1 ), abaxially surface subglabrous to pubescent ( Figure 2B2 View FIGURE 2 ), with pocket domatia ( Figure 2B View FIGURE 2 3 View FIGURE 3 ); ovary pilose; mature drupe primrose-yellow ( Figure 6C View FIGURE 6 ), 10.3–10.6 × 8.5–9.3 mm ( Figure 6C View FIGURE 6 ), epicarp glabrous ( Figure 6C View FIGURE 6 ) or subglabrous with trichomes ivory-white; epicarp surface scabrous to smooth, pyrene 6.5–7 × 5.5–5.7 mm ( Figure 6D View FIGURE 6 ), without scar ( Figure 6D View FIGURE 6 ), surface alveolate-crateriform-verrucose ( Figure 6D View FIGURE 6 ), whereas C. pubescens it is endemic to the Amazonian regions of Bolivia, Brazil (Acre state), Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela ( Figure 7 View FIGURE 7 ), has secondary and tertiary branches pubescent to velutinous, the trichomes chestnut-brown or lemon-yellow; thorns pubescent to velutinous, the trichomes chestnut-brown; petiole pubescent to velutinous, the trichomes chestnut-brown or lemon-yellow, leaf blade adaxially surface pilose to pubescent with trichomes both on the veins and along the blade surface ( Figure 3C View FIGURE 3 1 View FIGURE 1 ), abaxially surface pubescent to velutinous ( Figure 3C View FIGURE 3 2 View FIGURE 2 ), with tuft domatia ( Figure 3C3 View FIGURE 3 ); ovary pubescent; mature drupe lemon-yellow ( Figure 6Q, R View FIGURE 6 ), 8–10 × 4–6 mm ( Figure 6Q, R View FIGURE 6 ), epicarp pilose to pubescent with lemon-yellow trichomes concentrated both at the base and along the surface of the epicarp ( Figure 6Q, R View FIGURE 6 ), scabrous surface, pyrene 5–6.5 × 4–4.5 mm ( Figure 6T View FIGURE 6 ), with scar ( Figure 6T View FIGURE 6 ), and alveolate-crateriform pyrene surface ( Figure 6T View FIGURE 6 ).

After comparing the type of C. brasiliensis and other specimens from Rio de Janeiro, we concluded that C. membranacea should be synonymized under C. brasiliensis . In this sense, C. brasiliensis can be differentiated from C. iguanaea by the following characters: C. brasiliensis has mature leaves with serration from the middle to the distal third ( Figure 2B View FIGURE 2 ), adaxial surface pilose to velutinous, scabrous ( Figure 2B View FIGURE 2 1 View FIGURE 1 ), abaxial surface with trichomes both on the veins and on blade surface ( Figure 2B2 View FIGURE 2 ); glomerulate cymes ( Figure 4B View FIGURE 4 ); conspicuous style ( Figure 5D View FIGURE 5 ); mature drupe primrose-yellow ( Figure 6C View FIGURE 6 ), mesocarp viscous, alveolate, pyrene without scar, surface alveolate-crateriform-verrucose with non-prominent warts ( Figure 6D View FIGURE 6 ), whereas C. iguanaea has mature leaves with entire leaf margins ( Figure 3A View FIGURE 3 ) or with teeth restricted to the upper third ( Figure 9D, E View FIGURE 9 ), adaxial surface glabrous to subglabrous, smooth, abaxial surface with trichomes concentrated on the veins and scarce on the blade surface ( Figure 3A View FIGURE 3 2 View FIGURE 2 ); paniculiform cymes ( Figure 4F View FIGURE 4 ); inconspicuous ( Figure 5N View FIGURE 5 ) or no style; mature drupe fulvous-orange ( Figure 6M View FIGURE 6 ), mesocarp non-viscous, not ornamented, pyrene with scar, verrucose pyrene surface, and prominent warts ( Figure 6N View FIGURE 6 ).

Additional material examined: — BRAZIL. Espírito Santo: Aracruz, PORTOCEL, na restinga, 19 February 1992, fr., O.J. Pereira 2723 ( SP, VIES). Cariacica, PNM do Mochuara, 20º17’42” S 40º25’49” W, 19 May 2018, fr., A.M. Assis et al. 4464 ( VIES). Linhares, Pontal do Ipiranga, 10 March 1996, fr., A.M. Assis et al. 103 ( SP, VIES), São Rafael, Rodovia Antônio Armani, 19º27’43” S, 40º12’32” W, 5 April 2022, fr., D.F. Silva et al. 391 ( VIES). Marataízes, na restinga, 3 November 1972, fr. P.L. Krieger 11865 ( CESJ, SP). Serra, Jacareípe, restinga, 20º8’60” S 40º11’00” W, 7 December 1996, fl., A.R. Azevedo & F. Passamani 105 ( VIES). Vila Velha, Interlagos, restinga, 10 November 1995, fl., O. Zambom & M. Fernandes 161 ( SP, VIES), Alagados do vale, Vale Encantado, 25 January 2015, fr., R.T. Valadares 1282 ( VIES). Vitória, Praia Comprida, 5 May 1946, fr., A.C. Brade et al. 18101 ( RB); Reserva Ecológica Restinga de Camburi, 23 August 1997, fr., A.M. de Assis & I.W. Júnior 316 ( VIES). Rio de Janeiro: Araruama, Praia Seca, restinga, 8 March 2008, fr., A.C.S. Cavalcanti et al. 63 ( RB). Armação dos Búzios , estrada para Búzios, 22 January 1967, fr., D. Sucre 1447 ( RB); praia rasa, restinga, 12 November 1998, fr., A.Q. Lobão et al. 390 ( RB); restinga de Manguinhos, 12 November 1999, fl., D. Fernandes & J. Caruzo 289, 297 ( RB); mata residual na margem da lagoa de Geribá, 21 October 2000, fr., C. Farney et al. 4241 ( RB); Rasa, 22°44’28” S, 41°57’15” W, 3 April 2004, fr., H.G. Dantas & R.D. Ribeiro 247 ( RB); Tauá, 7 March 2004, fr., A.F.P. Machado et al. 95 ( RB); Rasa 22°45’18” S, 41°59’04” W, 27 August 2004, fl., H.G. Dantas 393 ( RB). Cabo Frio, Restinga do Peró, 17 September 1968, fl., D. Sucre 1447 ( RB). São Pedro da Aldeia, Avenida Wilson Mendes 478, - 22.8679219 S, - 42.0288895 W, 27 March 2021, fr., H.B.Z. Souza & F.M. Bastos 145 ( RB).

SP	Instituto de Botânica
VIES	Federal University of Espírito Santo
CESJ	Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora
RB	Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro

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No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.

Taxonomy

Kingdom	Plantae
Phylum	Tracheophyta
Class	Magnoliopsida
Order	Rosales
Family	Cannabaceae
Genus	Celtis