Mucuna verdcourtii Wiriad., 2016

Wiriadinata, H., Ohashi, H. & Adema, F., 2016, Notes on Malesian Fabaceae (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae) 16. The genus Mucuna, Blumea 61 (2), pp. 90-124 : 119

47. Mucuna verdcourtii Wiriad. , sp. nov. — Fig. 8

Twigs brown tomentose. Leaflets broadly ovate to orbicular, 8–16 by 5–13 cm, above thinly tomentose or sericeous, below brown tomentose, nerves 5–6 per side.Inflorescences pseudoracemes,up to 42 cm long.Pods 25–28 by 3–5 cm. — Type: NGF 4896 (Womersley) (holo L), Papua New Guinea, E Highlands Prov., A1 valley near Nondugl .

Liana. Twigs terete, 3–6 mm diam, brown tomentose. Stipules caducous. Petioles 5.5–15.5 cm long, ± grooved above, brown tomentose; rachis mostly as the petiole 2–5 cm long; pulvinus 8–10 mm long. Stipellae acicular, 7 by 0.3 mm, ± hirsute. Leaflets: terminal, broadly obovate to orbicular, 8–15.5 by 5.6– 13 cm, index 1.2–1.6, base truncate to cuneate, apex acuminate, acumen 2–8 mm long, above thinly tomentose or sericeous, below brown tomentose, ± shiny, midrib and nerves slightly raised above, nerves 5–6 per side, 17–30 mm apart, anastomosing near the margin; lateral mostly as the terminal, obliquely ovate, 8–16 by 5–12 cm; pulvinus 5–10 mm long. Inflorescences axillary, pseudoracemes, up to 42 cm long, peduncle up to 30 cm long, brown tomentose. Bracts to the brachyblasts obovate, 50 by 25 mm, inside thinly sericeous, outside sericeous. Brachyblasts c. 3 mm long. Bracts to the flowers narrowly ovate, 35 by 9 mm, inside thinly sericeous, outside sericeous. Flowers not known. Pods flattened, broadly strap-shaped, 25–28 by 3–5 cm, upper wing 8–15 mm wide, lower wing 5–15 mm wide, lamellae oblique, 11–12 mm high, valves villous and puberulous with abundant irritating hairs. Seeds undeveloped.

Distribution — Malesia: Papua New Guinea: Madang,E Highlands Prov.

Note — Verdcourt (1979) described the species (B) without giving it a name. According to him M. ‘B’ (= M. verdcourtii ) is rather similar to M. albertsii or M. stanleyi , but very different in the very large bracts and pods. The specimen ANU 909 (Walker) mentioned by Verdcourt belongs to M. aimun . According to Womersley on the label of NGF 4696 the flowers are reported to be red. This is, according to Verdcourt, a mis- take due to confusion with other species. The longest hairs of M. verdcourtii are 1.3– 3 mm long.

Figures

Fig. 8 Mucuna verdcourtii Wiriad. a. Part of twig with a leaf and an inflorescence (reconstructed); b. detail of leaflet lower surface; c. detail of leaflet upper surface; d. calyx opened, from outside; e. standard; f. wing petal; g. keel petal; h. stamens, sheath opened; i. ovary and style; j. infructescence; k. basal part of pod; l. detail of pod indumentum; m. seed (all: NGF 4896 (Womersley). — Drawing Margaret Tebbs.