Luehea macrophylla Pohl, Pl. Bras. Icon. Descr.

Gerace, Samuele, Peruzzi, Lorenzo, Baumgratz, José Fernando A. & Bovini, Massimo G., 2025, Flora of Rio de Janeiro: the genus Luehea (Malvaceae: Grewioideae), Rodriguesia (e 00512024) 76, pp. 1-13 : 8-9

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.1590/2175-7860202576007
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15527544
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/D7408F7C-1C35-2356-FCEA-354FD209FD79
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Luehea macrophylla Pohl, Pl. Bras. Icon. Descr.
status

Treatment

4. Luehea macrophylla Pohl, Pl. Bras. Icon. Descr. View in CoL 2(4): 127. tab. 186. 1833.

= Luehea platypetala A.Rich., Hist. Phys. Cuba, Pl. Vasc. 6: 212. tab. 23. 1841.

= Luehea crispa Krapov., Bol.Soc. Argent. Bot. 16(1-2): 89. 1974. Figs. 2 View Figure 2 g-h; 3d-e; 4

Shrubs to trees, 1–30 m hight. Petiole 0.5–1.2 cm long. Leaves 7.8–28 × 4.5–19.7 cm, membranaceous, elliptic, orbicular or oblong, base rounded to subcordate, adaxial surface green, glabrous, abaxial surface white, with densely trichomes arachnoid and stellate. Inflorescence with 10–15 flowers, 7–20 cm long, terminal. Flowers 5–9 cm wide; pedicel 1–3.7 cm long. Epicalyx with 8–11 bracteoles, 2–3.4 × 0.25–1.2 cm, often ovate, sometimes narrow-lanceolate, base cordate to rounded. Sepals 1.6–4.3 × 0.5–1.6 cm, lanceolate, 1/2-basal revolute. Petals 2.5–4.3 × 0.9–1.9 cm, white, ovate-elliptic, margin entire. Androecium grouped in 5 phalanges, free; staminodes 0.5–1.2 cm long; stamens 1.1–2.7 cm long. Ovary 0.5–0.9 × 0.3–0.5 cm, oblong to elliptic, angular in transversal section; style 1.3–2.6 cm long, 1/2-basal pubescent; stigma 0.3–0.4 cm wide, 0.1–0.15 cm long. Capsule (2.3–3.4)3.5–5.3 × 1–2 cm, oblong, base rounded to cuneate, apex truncate to acute, villose, valve with dorsal surface deeply sulcate, angular cross section, margin plane, not crest-like.Seeds 0.9–1.2 × 0.3–0.5 cm.

Selected examined material: Araruama, 12.VI.2002, fl. and fr., S.M. Souto & P.A.B. Sà 495 (RBR). Magé, Barão de Iriri, 16.XII.1978, fl., P. Laclette 589 (R). Rio Bonito , Estrada Braçanã, Fazenda Cachoeiras, 21.IV.1979, fl. and fr., P. Laclette 606 (R). Rio de Janeiro, Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, canteiro 37A, I.1976, fr., P.J. Fontella & G.M. Barroso ( RB00436843 ). São Fidélis , zona de amortecimento do Parque Estadual do Desengano , 20.VI.2017, fl., M. Nadruz et al. 3186 ( RB).

Luehea macrophylla is widespread from southern Mexico and Cuba to northern Perú and central and southeast Brazil ( Gerace et al. 2024). In Brazil, it occurs only in the phytogeographic domains Atlantic Forest and Cerrado. In the state of Rio de Janeiro, Luehea macrophylla occurs at elevations extending from 20 to 1,200 m along roadsides, at the edges of forests, and in riparian or gallery forests, showing preference for areas with high brightness and anthropogenic impact ( Fig. 4 View Figure 4 ); it has no record in any conservation unit. Flowering was recorded from December to June, and fruiting from April to July.

Luehea macrophylla is similar to L. speciosa Willd. , but it shows several distinctive character states, especially its fruit. The capsule is oblong, often exceeding 3.5 cm in length, and the dorsal surface valve is deeply sulcate ( Figs. 2h View Figure 2 ; 3 View Figure 3 e-d), unlike the fruit of L. speciosa , which is plane or convex ( Fig. 2 View Figure 2 n-p). Other special features of this species are ovary angular in transversal section and bracteoles of the epicalyx, often broadly ovate with base cordate. Luehea macrophylla was confused with L. rufescens A.St.-Hil. and L. grandiflora Mart. , but Gerace et al. (2024) re-established its use after identifying key characters to distinguish these species.