Hirtella insignis Briq. ex Prance, Fl. Neotrop. Monogr.

Barros, Natália, Menezes, Luis Fernando Tavares de, Sothers, Cynthia & Peixoto, Ariane Luna, 2025, Flora of Espírito Santo: Chrysobalanaceae, Rodriguesia (e 00872024) 76, pp. 1-39 : 18-19

4.5. Hirtella insignis Briq. ex Prance, Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 9: 279. 1972. Fig. 6

Shrub or tree, up to 12 m tall, DBH 5.7 cm, stem 1.5–4 m tall, cylindric, bark rough; young branches sparsely hispid, becoming glabrous with age, conspicuously lenticellate. Leaves oblong to oblong-elliptic, 6.7–14.2 × 3.2–6.5 cm, chartaceous to coriaceous, discolorous, base subcordate, apex acuminate, acumen up to 5 mm long, glabrous on both sides, midrib plane to prominulous adaxially, prominent abaxially, glabrous, primary veins 7–8 pairs, with sessile discoid glands at lamina base, margin slightly revolute, glabrous to sparsely hispid; petiole 2–4 mm long, glabrous to sparsely hispid, terete, eglandular; stipules 2, linear, 2–3 mm long, chartaceous, sparsely hispid, persistent. Inflorescence terminal, corymbose panicle, sparsely hispid to glabrescent, bracts 2, lanceolate, ca. 2 mm long, sparsely hispid, with or without stipitate gland at apex; bracteoles 2, triangular, 1–2 mm long sparsely hispid, with or without stipitate gland at apex. Flowers ca. 1.6–2 cm long, glabrescent, pedicel 5–6 cm long; receptacle campanulate, ca. 2 mm long, glabrous except at throat; sepals triangular, 3–3.5 mm long, puberulous, reflexed; petals rounded, 4–5 mm long, glabrous; stamens 5, inserted unilaterally, filaments white to purple, ca. 1.2 cm long, united at base; ovary 1.5–2 mm long, sericeous, style 0.8–1 mm long, basal 1/2 tomentulose. Drupe vinaceous, obovoid, sessile, 1.5–2 × 0.8–1.1 cm, epicarp smooth, longitudinally striate, glabrescent.

Selected material examined: Águia Branca , Águas Claras, Zequinha, 15.VIII.2007, fr., R.R. Vervloet 3185 ( HUEFS, MBML) . Aracruz , M7-1 no carreador para chegar no pomar, 4.III.1993, fl., R.N. Oliveira 443 ( CAP, VIES) . Conceição da Barra , Rebio do Córrego Grande, Mata de Tabuleiro, 11.II.2013, fl., M.B. Costa 29 ( SAMES, VIES) . Domingos Martins , BR-262 sentido MG, floresta ciliar, após ponte do Rio Jucu, 11.I.2001, fl., O.J. Pereira 6729 ( VIES) . Itapemirim , Estrada para MarataÍzes, mata de restinga perturbada, perto do lixão, a ca. 3 km N de MarataÍzes, 22.II.1995, fl. and fr., J.R.Pirani 3585 (K, MBM, NY, SPF) . Linhares , Reserva Natural Vale, Estrada 154 km, lado esquerdo da contra-mão, vindo para o escritório, 5.VIII.1979, fl., D.A. Folli 76 ( CVRD, INPA, NY, RBR) . Rio Bananal , Alto Bananal, 1.VIII.2007, fr., R.R. Vervloet 3084 ( MBML) ; propriedade de Jonas Graci , 25.IV.2007, fl., V. Demuner 3829 ( MBML) . Sooretama , Reserva Natural Vale, 2.II.2013, fl., M.G. Caxambu 4533 ( HCF) .

Hirtella insignis is characterized by the conspicuously lenticellate branches, oblong to oblong-elliptic glabrous leaves, with subcordate base, short petiole (2–4 mm long) and a terminal corymbose panicle inflorescence. An easily recognizable feature is the stipitate gland at the apex of the bracts and bracteoles, however this was not observed in all the analyzed exsiccatae. Collected with flowers January to May and August, and fruits in February, August and November.

Hirtella insignis occurs in Alagoas, Bahia and EspÍrito Santo ( Asprino 2023). In the latter, it is recorded in Restinga, Ombrophilous forest and Mata de Tabuleiro, in Águia Branca, Aracruz, Conceição da Barra, Domingos Martins, Itapemirim, Linhares, Rio Bananal and Sooretama municipalities. This species was assessed as Near Threatened (NT) for Brazil, and Data Deficient (DD) for the state of EspÍrito Santo ( Fernandez & Moraes 2019; Fraga et al. 2019). However, the conservation status of H.

insignis for the state should be re-evaluated as we found specimens from municipalities where the species had not been previously reported. This additional data suggests that the species is not currently threatened. Hirtella insignis occurs in different municipalities and is present in some protected areas (e.g., Floresta Nacional de Goytacazes, Reserva Biológica de Comboios, Reserva Biológica do Córrego Grande, Reserva Natural Vale).