Fridericia nicotianiflora ( Kraenzl.) L. G. Lohmann

Kaehler, Miriam & Lohmann, Lúcia G., 2022, Taxonomic revisions in Fridericia (Bignonieae, Bignoniaceae) II: the “ Neomacfadya ” clade, Willdenowia 52 (2), pp. 247-271 : 260-261

6. Fridericia nicotianiflora ( Kraenzl.) L. G. Lohmann in Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 99: 440. 2014 ≡ Arrabidaea nicotianiflora Kraenzl. in Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin-Dahlem 6: 369. 1915. – Holotype: Brazil, Acre, Rio Branco, Seringal São Francisco , Apr 1911, E. Ule 9782 (B destroyed [photo F negative no. 18451!, photo MO accession code MO-1026106!]; lectotype (designated by Lohmann in Lohmann & Taylor 2014: 441): K barcode K000403352!; isolectotype: MG barcode MG014611 [image!]). – Fig. 4F–H, 5.

– “ Fridericia nicotianiflora ” (Bureau K. Schum) L. G. Lohmann, Cat. Pl. Fung. Brasil 1: 766. 2010. Designation not validly published (Art. 41.1).

Morphological description — Lianas, evergreen, up to 25 m high. Branches terete (sometimes subquadrangular), lenticellate, brown when dry, glabrous to glabrescent, with simple trichomes; without interpetiolar ridge, with interpetiolar glandular fields; prophylls of axillary buds triangular, not apiculate, c. 1.5 mm long. Leaves (1 or)2-foliolate; petiole 0.4–2.5 cm long, velutinous, with simple trichomes only at canalicule; petiolules with equal lengths, 0.7–2 cm, velutinous, with simple and glandular capitate trichomes; blade chartaceous, smooth, margin entire or revolute, central leaflet elliptic when 1-foliolate, base cuneate, apex acute, lateral leaflets elliptic, 7.6–17.5 × 3–7.5 cm, base cuneate, apex long acuminate, adaxially not vernicose, glabrescent, with simple trichomes throughout, abaxially puberulous, with simple trichomes only at veins, venation pinnate, secondary veins raised, tertiary veins flat to slightly raised, without pocket but sometimes with trichome tuft domatia. Inflorescences terminal and axillary, thyrse with abortion of buds, with 2 or 3 orders, first-order peduncles 2–2.7 cm, second-order 0.7–1.4 cm, third-order c. 0.3 cm, pubescent, with simple and capitate glandular trichomes; bracts linear, c. 2 mm long, caducous; bracteoles triangular, c. 1 mm long, persistent; pedicels 0.5– 0.7 cm long. Calyx narrowly tubular, costate when dry, shortly 5-denticulate (sometimes laterally split), 1.4–1.7 × 0.2–0.4 cm, glabrescent to pubescent, with simple trichomes and lepidote with glandular peltate trichomes, membranaceous, green at base and whitish close to rim, without glands. Corolla narrowly infundibular, slightly zygomorphic, not furrowed, 3.4–4.5 cm long, (0.4–) 0.7– 1.2 cm wide at tube mouth, externally puberulous, without glands, lobes 1–1.5 × 0.6–0.8 cm, margin acuminate to caudate and flat, white, pale pink to purple outside and in lobes and white inside. Androecium with all stamens included; longer filaments 1.5–2.5 cm long, shorter filaments 1.1–2 cm; staminode 2–3 mm long; anthers 2.2–3 mm long, connectives not protruding. Gynoecium with ovary cylindric, 2–3 × 0.7–1.2 mm, smooth, lepidote, style 2.1–2.7 cm long; stigma rhomboid; nectar disk annular and pulviniform under ovary, c. 0.7 × 2 mm. Fruit linear, flat, margins slightly raised, central ridge not raised (sometimes slightly raised), valves coriaceous, smooth, 20–37 × 0.9–1.4 cm, pubescent with glandular capitate long stalked trichomes; septum coriaceous. Seeds oblong, body oblong, 0.9–1.1 × 3.2–3.4 cm, wings hyaline, 0.2–0.5 cm wide, margins crisped.

Phenology — Produces flowers all year round. Fruits were collected in February, June and August.

Distribution and habitat — Fridericia nicotianiflora is distributed in W lowland Amazonia and low-altitude rainforests in the C and N Andes. It is distributed through Bolivia ( Pando), Brazil ( Acre and Rondônia), Colombia ( Cordoba, Putumayo and Vaupés), Ecuador ( Napo and Orellana) and Peru ( Huánuco, Loreto and Madre de Dios).

Conservation status — Fridericia nicotianiflora is categorized as Least Concern (LC) based on its Extent of Occurrence ( 1,849,631 km 2) and Area of Occupancy ( 50,000 km 2).

Remarks — Fridericia nicotianiflora is easily recognizable by the long ( 1.4–1.7 cm), narrow ( 0.2–0.4 cm), costate and tubular calyx and by the apically acuminate to caudate corolla lobes. When sterile, this species can be confused with Cuspidaria floribunda (DC.) A. H. Gentry due to the elliptic leaflets with cuneate base and pinnate venation. However, the flowers of C. floribunda have short (< 0.9 cm) and not costate tubular calyces and apically rounded corolla lobes. The fruits of F. nicotianiflora share simple and glandular capitate trichomes with those in F. arthrerion . However, the leaflets of F. arthrerion are ovate to elliptic with actinodromous basal venation and rounded bases, whereas the leaflets of F. nicotianiflora are elliptic with pinnate venation and cuneate bases.