Casearia decandra Jacquin (1760: 21)

Conceição, Lázaro Henrique Soares De Moraes, Marquete, Ronaldo, Lima, Laura Cristina Pires, Caxambu, Marcelo Galeazzi & Temponi, Lívia Godinho, 2025, Salicaceae of Parque Nacional do Iguaçu, Paraná, Brazil, Phytotaxa 682 (1), pp. 51-67 : 57

3. Casearia decandra Jacquin (1760: 21) ( Fig. 2 g –h )

Description: —Trees 3–4 m; unarmed, branches slightly striate, light brown to slightly grayish, older branches glabrous and young branches puberulent to pubescents, lenticellate; stipules 5–5.5 × 1 mm, lanceolate, pubescent in the internal face, puberulent in the external face, margin ciliate, glands in the margin absent. Leaves discolorous; petiole (2) 3–4.5 mm long, cylindrical, with two projections in the superior part of the leaf blade, slightly flattened at the base, puberulent; blade (43–)52–66(–88) × 16–23(–30) mm, narrowly elliptic to elliptic, apex acuminate, rarely acute, base cuneate, rarely narrowly cuneate, margin serrulate, usually entire in the lower third, glands present at apex of the teeth, slightly revolute, membranaceous, glabrous in both surfaces, however with midvein puberulent adaxially, glabrescent abaxially, translucent dots and traces present, brochidodromus, midvein and secondary veins slightly prominent adaxially and prominent abaxially, glands at the base of the leaf blade absent. Inflorescences fasciculate, bracts and bracteoles not observed. Flowers bisexual; pedicels 3–4 mm long, articulated near the base, puberulent, sepals 5, 3–3.5 × 1 mm, oblong, externally puberulent to tomentose, apex villous, internally puberulent to tomentose; petals absent; stamens 10, filaments ca. 1.5 mm long, internally pubescent at the base, glabrous at apex, wider near the base, anthers dorsifixed, rimose, glabrous, apical gland of the anther absent; lobes of the nectariferous disk conspicuous, ca. 1 mm long, clavate, tomentose, alternate to the filaments; ovary 0.5–1 × 0.5 mm, spheroid, ovoid, glabrous to pubescent, superior, 3-carpelate, unilocular, about 8 ovules, parietal placentation, style ca. 1.5 mm long, narrowly conic, pubescent, stigma capitate, pubescent. Fruit a capsule, 8–10 × 8–10 mm, spheroid, glabrous, greenish when unripe, orange-whitish, dull, regularly dehiscent, aril present, orange; seeds 3–5, 5–6.5 × 3.5–4.5 mm, yellowish, smooth; embryo spatulate, 4–4.5 × 3.5 mm, cotyledonary leaves rounded at apex, base chordate, hypocotyl-radicle axis cylindrical.

Examined Material: — BRAZIL. PARANÁ: borda do Parque Nacional do Iguaçu, Area 2, 25º25’7’’ S, 53º54’9’’ W, 12 December 2019, fr., L.H.S.M. Conceição et al. 223 (UNOP!) ; estrada de terra Céu Azul-Serranópolis do Iguaçu, Area 2, 25°22’38” S, 53°52’43” W, 13 November 2015, fr., E.L. Siqueira & M.P. Chagas 1841 (FURB!, HCF) .

Additional Material: — BRAZIL. PARANÁ: Cascavel, fragmento Florestal ao lado do Lago Municipal, 24º58’1’’ S, 53º26’10’’ W, 19 November 2020, fr., L.H.S.M. Conceição et al. 288 (UNOP!).

Distribution and habitat: — Casearia decandra can be found from Central America to South America, except in Chile ( Marquete & Mansano 2016). In Brazil it is widely distributed, occurring in all regions ( Marquete & Mansano 2016, Flora e Funga do Brasil 2024). In the ParNa Iguaçu it was found in area 2, in Submontane Semidecidual Seasonal Forest.

Phenology: —Collected with fruits in November and December.

Diagnosis: — Casearia decandra can be recognized by its lanceolate stipules, leaves with sparse translucent dots and traces that are not easily observed against the light, stigma always capitate, never 3-lobed, and by the larger fruits (8–10 × 8–10 mm) when compared to C. sylvestris that is the most similar species.

Preliminary Conservation Status: —This species has a very wide distribution, EOO= 19,604.952 km ², as well as several records deposited in herbaria, including recent collections and confirmed occurrence in integral protection conservation units, this species is therefore assessed as Least Concern – LC (IUCN 2024).

Figures

FIGURE 2.A–C.Banara parviflora A.Branch with fruits, B. Detail of the fruits at different stagesof ripening, C.Detail of the indumentum of inflorescence branches. D–F. Banara tomentosa D. Panicle inflorescence, E. Detail of the fruits at different stages of ripening; F. Detail of the inflorescence branch indumentum. G–H. Casearia decandra G. Branch with ripe fruits, H. Detail of the translucent dots on the leaf blade. I. Casearia lasiophylla. Branch with fruits at different stages of ripening.