Desmodium cuneatum Hook. & Arn., Bot. Misc.
Creators: name: Lima, Laura Cristina Pires
name: Queiroz, Luciano Paganucci De
name: Tozzi, Ana Maria Goulart De Azevedo
name: Lewis, Gwilym Peter
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Fabales
Fabaceae
Desmodium
Desmodium cuneatum

description: 9. Desmodium cuneatum Hook. & Arn., Bot. Misc. 3: 195. 1833. Meibomia cuneata (Hook. & Arn.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 197. 1891. Lectotype (designated here):— URUGUAY. J. Baird s.n. (lectotype specimen D, K!, isolectotypes specimens A, B, C, K!). Remaining syntype: Uruguay. J. Tweedie s.n. (E!). Fig. 11.   
 Desmodium brevipes Vogel, Linnaea 12: 100. 1838. Meibomia brevipes (Vogel) Kuntze, Revis. Gen Pl. 1: 197. 1891. Lectotype (designated here):— URUGUAY. "in Montevideo " F. Sellow s.n. (holotype B†, lectotype K!, isolectotypes B!, E!, K00329!, LE!).   
Erect, branched shrub or subshrub, 0.5–2.5 m tall, with a xylopodium; stems not virgate, not slender, cylindrical, striate, densely velutinous, glaucous; internodes 0.9–2.4 cm long. Stipules 8–13 × 1–1.5 mm, narrowly triangular, not auriculate, not amplexicaul, inserted perpendicularly at the base of the leaf petiole, free from each other, apex caudate, margin straight, densely velutinous, veins inconspicuous, caducous. Leaves trifoliolate; petiole 1–3 mm long, cylindrical, sulcate, densely velutinous; rachis ca. 1 mm long; stipels 1–1.2 mm long, subulate, margin straight, densely velutinous on the outer surface, persistent; leaflets discolorous, chartaceous, venation brochidodromous, primary and secondary veins prominent, tertiary veins flush with the abaxial surface, indumentum densely velutinous on the primary and secondary veins, tomentose on the tertiary veins on the abaxial surface, adaxial surface puberulous, uncinate hairs covering both surfaces, terminal leaflet 2.3–3.8(–4.7) × 0.7–1 cm, oblanceolate or elliptic, base cuneate, apex subacute, obtuse or slightly retuse, mucronate, lateral leaflets 1.2–2.2 × 0.5–0.7 cm, obovate or the same shape as the terminal leaflet. Inflorescence a terminal or axillary  
 DESMODIUM (LEGUMINOSAE, PAPILIONOIDEAE) IN BRAZIL   
 Phytotaxa 169 (1) © 2014 Magnolia Press • 37 pseudoraceme; the main axis longer than the adjacent leaves, 5.5–16.4 cm long, densely velutinous, 2 flowers per node; primary bract 3–4 mm long, narrowly triangular, margin straight, velutinous on the on the outer surface, caducous, veins inconspicuous on the on the outer surface; secondary bract ca. 1 mm long, linear, margin straight, velutinous on the on the outer surface, caducous, veins inconspicuous on the on the outer surface; pedicel 2–4 mm long, sparsely or densely velutinous. Flowers 6–8 mm long; calyx bilabiate, tube campanulate, 1.5–2 mm long, tomentose on the outer surface; upper lip bifid the 2 teeth joined for ca. ¾ of their length, apex acute, ca. 0.1 mm long; lower lip trifid, lateral tooth lanceolate, 1.5–2 mm long, central tooth lanceolate, 2–2.5 mm long; corolla lilac, standard 6–7 × 4–5 mm, obovate, apex retuse, not maculate, claw ca. 0.1 mm long; wing petals 5–7.5 × 2–2.5 mm, oblong, apex obtuse, without callosities, claw 1–1.5 mm long; keel petals 6–8 × 2–4 mm, narrowly obovate, apex acute, without callosities, claw 3–4 mm long; androecium monadelphous, 6–8 mm long, vexillary stamen partially fused with the other from the base 2–3 mm long; ovary 2–4 mm long, velutinous, stipe 1–1.5 mm long, glabrescent. Loment 1.5–2.4 cm long, stipe 1–2 mm long, velutinous, isthmus central or subcentral, both margins sinuate; articles uniform 3–5, 5–6 × 4–5 mm, obovate-depressed or suborbicular, not tortuous, indehiscent, membranaceous, veins insconspicuous, densely velutinous and sparsely puberulous-uncinate. Seed 2–3 × 1–2 mm, orbicular, hilum basal.   
 Selected specimens examined:— BRAZIL. Mato Grosso do Sul: Bonito: fazenda Baía das Garças, Cachoeira do rio Aquidaban, 12 November 2002, fl., fr., G . Hatschbach et al. 74136 (G, HBG, MBM, W). Paraná: Palmeira: BR-277, descida rio Capivara, 8 April 1984, fl., fr., G . Hatschbach 47577 (BR, HBG, HUEFS, K, MG). Rio Grande do Sul: Porto Alegre: Morro de São Pedro, Espaço da Conservação Econsciência, 11 December 2005, fl., fr., R . B. Setubal 168 (ICN); Morro São Pedro, fazenda Econsciência, espaço da Conservação, região extremo Sul de Porto Alegre, 7 December 2008, fl., fr., L . C. P. Lima et al. 446 (HUEFS); São Pedro do Sul: próximo aos fósseis, 6 December 1998, A . Trojan 79 (URG); São Vicente do Sul: ca. 2 km a Leste, beira da BR, 7 March 1990, fr., L . A. Z. Machado 568 (SMDB). Santa Catarina: Campos Novos: BR-470, Km 354, 12 January 1996, fl., C . B. Poliquesi et al. 496 (CEPEC, HBG). São Paulo: Itaberá: SP-258, entre Itararé e Itaberá, 12 February 1997, fl., fr., O . S. Ribas & L. B. S. Pereira 1788 (BHCB, FLOR, HBG, MBM).   
 Distribution and Ecology:— Subtropical South America, in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay (Izaguirre & Beyhaut 1998, Vanni 2001, Lima et al. 2010). In Brazil D. cuneatum occurs in Cerrado, Pampa and Pantanal biomes in the States of Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and São Paulo. Collected along roadsides, in grassland and stony fields.   
 Conservation Assessment:— Least Concern ( LC), not endangered (IUCN 2001).   
 Phenology:— flowering and fruiting from October to April.   
 Etymology:— from the Latin cuneatus (cuneate), in reference to the form of the leaflet base.   
 Common Name:— carrapicho-bicho-de-boi; pega-pega.   
 Taxonomic notes:— glaucous, velutinous stems, narrowly triangular stipules, short petioles (1–3 mm long), cuneate leaflets, and a membranaceous fruit facilitate recognition of D. cuneatum. The shrubby habit, densely velutinous stems, and short-petiolate leaves are similar to D. hassleri but, D. cuneatum can be distinguished by its glaucous stems (vs. not glaucous in D. hassleri), non-auriculate stipules (vs. auriculate), pseudoracemose inflorescence (vs. paniculate), and membranaceous articles with inconspicuous veins (vs. subcoriaceous with conspicuous veins).   
 Specimen D, of the Baird s.n. collection deposited in the Kherbarium, was selected as the lectotype of Desmodium cuneatum, because it is the most complete material and also agrees best with the protologue.   
 With regard to the synonym D. brevipes Vogel, the material discovered in the Berlin herbarium was received in 1936 and carried the following label information: "Auberrheinnisches Herbar des Naturhostorichen Verens für die Rheinland und Westfalen acc. 1936.” This provides evidence showing that the material originated from the Bonn herbarium (now NHV), and lacked Vogel's handwriting. The specimens analysed in K (one of two sheets) and LE include determinations in Vogelʼs handwriting, as well as the following label information: “ Desmodium brevipes Vogel, Brasilia, Sellow. ” They were received by K in 1840 and by LE in 1841. Among the specimens analysed in K, LE, and B, the first better agrees with the protologue and is designated here as the lectotype of D. brevipes.   
 38 • Phytotaxa 169 (1) © 2014 Magnolia Press   
 LIMA ET AL. DESMODIUM (LEGUMINOSAE, PAPILIONOIDEAE) IN BRAZIL   
 Phytotaxa 169 (1) © 2014 Magnolia Press • 39
description: Published as part of Lima, Laura Cristina Pires, Queiroz, Luciano Paganucci De, Tozzi, Ana Maria Goulart De Azevedo & Lewis, Gwilym Peter, 2014, A Taxonomic Revision of Desmodium (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae) in Brazil, pp. 1-119 in Phytotaxa 169 (1) on pages 37-39, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.169.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/10089817