Zornia myriadena Benth., Fl. Bras. (Martius)

Zeferino, Laís Couto, Lewis, Gwilym Peter, Pezzini, Flávia Fonseca & Fortuna-Perez, Ana Paula, 2025, A taxonomic synopsis of the genus Zornia J. F. Gmel. (Leguminosae: Papilionoideae) for the Neotropics, Acta Botanica Brasilica (e 20240197) 39, pp. 1-37 : 28

Zornia myriadena Benth., Fl. Bras. (Martius) 15(1): 85. 1859.

Figs 4C , 11 , S 2

Type: BRAZIL. Bahia: s.loc., s.d., Martius s.n. [lectotype M–0233826 ! designated by Fortuna-Perez and De Azevedo (2011)] .

Shrub to ca. 80 cm tall. Stems decumbent, branched, glabrous to villous. Leaves with 4 leaflets, petiolate. Leaflets 5–17 × 3–6 mm, obovate, villous to glabrous. Stipules obovate, 4–6 veined. Solitary flower. Bracteoles 5–5.5 × 2–2.5 mm, elliptic, 6–7 veined, punctate, villous, green. Loment with up to 15 articles; articles 2–3 × 2–2.3 mm, not reticulate-veined, bristle-like trichomes absent.

Distribution and habitat: Cuba, Brazil, Jamaica. It occurs mainly in Tropical Dry Forests.

Conservation Status: Near Threatened (NT). The disjunct distribution adds complexity to the assessment, emphasizing the need for targeted conservation measures in both regions of occurrence (EOO= 4,946,100.470 km ²; AOO= 364.000 km ²).

Notes: Due to the presence of solitary flowers, Z.myriadena resembles Z. echinocarpa , but it differs by an absence of trichomes on the loment (vs. bristle-like trichomes 1 mm long in Z. echinocarpa ).

Representative specimen examined: BRAZIL. Alagoas: Maragogi , 20 September 1954, J.I.A.Falcão et al.1179 (RB); Bahia: Andaraí, 12 February 1977, R.M. Harley 18568 (K, P); Minas Gerais: Pedra Azul, 11 December 1984, G.P. Lewis et al.6704 (K); Pernambuco: Panelas, 16 September 1981, J.D.C. Arouck Ferreira 128 (K). CUBA. Província of Santa Clara : district of Cienfuegos, 8 October 1895, Rob Combs 404 (K, P). JAMAICA. Ashley Hall savanna, Lower Clarendon, 6 December 1917, Harris 12731 (K).

Figures

Figure 2. Zornia richness in the Neotropics, all 50 species represented (map prepared using the monographaR package).

Figure 4. Neotropical Zornia fruit morphology showing variation in the loment. It shows the article indumentum and presence or absence of bristle-like trichomes. A. Z. subsessilis B. Z. sericea C. Z. myriadena D. Z. ulei E. Z. bracteata. (Photos A: T.C. Monteiro; B: T.M. de Lima C, D: R.T. Queiroz; E: N. Frade).

Figure 11. ZorniamyriadenaA. Solitaryflower,loment lacking trichomesB. Stemsdecumbent,branched;Zorniasericea C. Inflorescence, bracteoles lanceolate and sericeous D. Fruits E. Shrub in habit. (Photos A, B, C: R.T. Queiroz; D, E: T.M. de Lima).