Polygala multiceps, Mart. ex A. W. Benn., Fl. Bras.

Bar, Jose Floriano, Mota, Michelle, Amano, Erika & Martinez, Agustina, 2021, Disentangling Polygala obovata Complex (Polygalaceae), with a Description of Three New Species for Brazil, Systematic Botany (Basel, Switzerland) 46 (4), pp. 985-997 : 985-986

POLYGALA MULTICEPS Mart. ex A.W.Benn., Fl. Bras. [Martius] 13(3): 43. 1874. “Habitat in prov. Minas Ger € aes: Martius, Pohl 586, 598.” TYPE: BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Ibia, former ‘S ~ ao Pedro de Alc^antara’, 8 Sep 1818, J.B.E. Pohl 598 (Lectotype, here designated: W[0075190]!).

Erect to decumbent herbs, to 20 cm tall. Roots lignified.

Stems slender, with a few to many arising from the base, cylindrical, green, without yellowish glands forming spots, densely puberulous, trichomes short-clavate. Leaves sub-opposite or alternate, petiole ca. 1 mm long, chartaceous, laminas (0.6–)0.9–1.4 3 (0.2–) 0.3–0.4 cm, elliptic to narrow-obovate, apex apiculate, margins slightly thicker, base acute, densely covered by small glandular trichomes. Racemes spiciform, 0.6–1.2 3 0.8–1.1 cm, reaching 1.5 cm after fruits fallen, flowers congested; peduncle short 0.2–1 cm, bracts 1 3 0.6 mm, lanceolate, apex acuminate, ciliate, with a pair of small yellowish spots at the base, bracts caducous post-anthesis and during capsule development, 2 times longer than bracteoles; bracteoles 0.6 3 0.4 mm, ovate, ciliate; pedicel 0.8–1 mm, puberulous. Flowers white, 3.5–4 mm long (counting the pedicel); outer sepals ciliate; lower outer sepal ca. 1.1 3 0.8 mm, ovate, apex slightly acuminate, with two pairs of yellow spots at the base; upper outer sepals ca. 0.9 3 0.7 mm, ovate, apex acute, free almost to the base, with 2 pairs of small yellow spots at the base; inner sepals (wings) ca. 2.7 3 1.1 mm, elliptic, apex acuminate, margins not ciliate, longer than mature fruits; lateral petals 2.1 3 1 mm, apex acute, elliptic; keel ca. 2.3 mm long, cristate, with yellow spots around the dorsal central vein, persistent on mature fruits; crest 6-lobed, central lobes deeply separated, lateral lobes united 3 = 4 of the length, style erect, terminated by an oblique cymbiform pre-stigmatic cavity, posterior extremity with a conspicuously crested appendage with abundant trichomes, stigma anterior, globose. Capsules 1.5 3 1.2 mm, ovate, nearly symmetric, with yellow spots along the central vein, style caducous in fruit; seeds 1.3 3 0.7 mm, ovate, pubescent; appendages oblong, 1/2 of the length of the seed, 0.6 3 0.2 mm. Figure 2 .

Distribution — Polygala multiceps seems to be endemic to the region of Serra da Canastra in the west of Minas Gerais state. The species is often collected in areas prone to flooding along sand banks of the river margins ( Fig. 3 ).

Notes —Although P. multiceps was treated by Bernardi (2000) as a synonym of P. obovata , the two species may be easily recognized by the differences in the shape of the apex of the lateral petals (acute in P. obovata vs. rounded in P. multiceps ), the length of the keel (three times longer in P. obovata than in P. multiceps ), and the length of the crest (same length or longer than the hood in P. obovata vs. noticeably shorter than the hood in P. multiceps ( Fig. 4 ).

Additional Specimens Examined — Brazil. — MINAS GERAIS: Delfinopolis, Estrada para Guarita , beira do Rio Santo Antonio ^, 20 16 9 52 99 S, 46 52 9 16 99 W [-20.281, -46.871], 21 Oct 2003, J. Nakajima et al. 3520 ( CEN, HUFU) ; Ibia, former ‘S ~ ao Pedro de Alc^antara’ , 8 Sep 1818, J.B.E. Pohl 598 ( BR, W) ; Nova Ponte, Fazenda Santana, Margens do Rio Araguari , 27 Nov 1986, J.R. Stehmann et al. s.n. ( BHCB) ; Nova Ponte, Margem do Rio das Velhas , 11 Jun 1940, Mendes Magalh ~ aes 239 ( BHCB, HUEFS) ; Nova Ponte, Rio Araguari, Area de inundaç ~ ao da UHE Nova Ponte , 20 Jul 1993, E. Tameir ~ ao Neto 930 ( BHCB, RB) ; Serra da Babilonia ^, MG-438 entre Ibiraci e Delfinopolis , entre a pousada Boa Esperança e a Serra Branca , 10 Feb 2012, J.F.B. Pastore et al. 3988 ( HUEFS) . — SÃO PAULO: Itu , 20 Oct 1897, A. Russell 50 ( NYBG) ; S ~ ao Paulo, Mandaqui , May 1913, Toledo 640 ( RB) ; S ~ ao Paulo, Serra da Cantareira , 26 May 1896, G. Edwall CGG3321 ( SP) .

Figures

FIG. 2. Polygala multiceps Mart. ex A.W.Benn. A. Bract and bracteoles.B. Inferior outer sepal. B'. Two superior outer sepals. C. One of the two inner sepals (wings). D. Keel. D'. Keel crest, opened. E. Androecium and lateral petals. F. Gynoecium. G. Seed. H. Leaf. Scale bar 5 1 mm. Photos by J. F. B. Pastore. (A–H. J.N. Nakajima 3520 (CEN)).

FIG. 3. Distribution map for Polygala capitolensis J.F.B.Pastore, P. jardimii J.F.B.Pastore, P. paganuccii J.F.B.Pastore, P. obovata A.St.-Hil. & Moq., and P. multiceps Mart. ex A.W.Benn.

FIG. 4. Comparison of floral morphology of Polygala capitolensis J.F.B.Pastore (L.S. Kinoshita 08–198 (UEC)), P. multiceps Mart. ex A.W.Benn (J.N. Nakajima 3520 (CTBS)), P. jardimii J.F.B.Pastore (J.F.B. Pastore & Suganuma 2138 (CTBS)), P. paganuccii Mart. ex A.W.Benn. (G. Hatschbach 56835 (CTBS)), P. obovata A.St.-Hil. & Moq. (R. Schmidt 1519 (ICN)). Scale bar 5 1 mm. Photos by J. F. B. Pastore.