Christiana mennegae Kubitzki
Creators: name: Coutinho, Thales Silva
name: Barbosa-Silva, Rafael G.
name: Dorr, Laurence J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Malvales
Malvaceae
Christiana
Christiana mennegae

description: 4.Christiana mennegae(Jans.-Jac. & Westra) Kubitzki, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 116 (4): 541. 1995.
Figs 1 C, D, 2
Asterophorum mennegae Jans.-Jac. & Westra, Proc. Kon. Nederl. Akad. Wetensch., C, 86 (3): 377, figs. 1–4. 1983. Type. Suriname: [Sipaliwini], ‘‘ Morro Grande’ ’ camp-forest island, 6 km W of ‘‘ Morro Grande’ ’ dome, Sipaliwini savanna area on the Brazilian frontier, 04 Nov 1968 (lf, fl, fr), F. H. F. Oldenburger, R. Norde, & J. P. Schulz ON 415 (lectotype, designated by Barbosa-Silva et al. 2021, pg. 4, 18): U [U 0006902; digital image!], isolectotypes: K [K 000381142]!, MO [MO- 036999]!, NY [00415374; digital image!], P [P 02143012]!, U [U 0006903; digital image!], VEN [VEN 409940; digital image!]).
Type.
Based on Asterophorum mennegae Jans.-Jac. & Westra.
Description.
Trees, 5–17 m tall. Leaves: petioles 1.8–5.5 cm long, leaf blades 12.3–29.5 × 5–9 cm, narrowly elliptic, lanceolate or oblanceolate, concolorous, bases rounded to obtuse, rarely subcordate, margins entire, apices acuminate to cuspidate, stellate-multiangulate and glandular trichomes above and below. Inflorescences short peduncled; flowers attached to peduncle. Capsules syncarpous, 1.2–1.8 cm long, depressed-globose, wings conspicuous.
Distribution and habitat
(Fig. 2). Found in Suriname, Peru, and Brazil (Amazonas, Mato Grosso, and Pará states) at 500–600 m elevation. This species grows in Amazonian Rainforest and areas of evergreen seasonal forest in Savanna (Barbosa-Silva et al. 2021).
Phenology.
Flowering specimens collected in January, September, and November and fruiting in January, April, July, September, and November.
Conservation status.
Least Concern (LC) (Barbosa-Silva et al. 2021).
Vernacular name.
Brazil: Tartaruguinha.
Etymology.
The specific epithet honors Dr. Alberta M. W. Mennega, plant taxonomist and wood anatomist (Jansen-Jacobs and Westra 1983).
Additional specimens examined.
Suriname. Area of Kabalebo Dam project, distr. Nickerie, 4 o- 5 o NB, 57 ° 30 ’ - 58 ° WL, 30–130 m, forest along trail to Wonotobo about ½ km W of road km 109, 24 Sep 1980 (st), J. C. Lindeman et al. 589 [= Woodsample Uw 26517] (NY). Peru. San Martín: Prov. Mariscal Cáceres; Tocache Nuevo, nor oeste del Caserío de Bambamarca, 500–600 m, 15 Nov 1972 (fr), J. Schunke V. 5516 (F [F 1780039; digital image], MO, NY, W). Brazil. Amazonas: margem de um igarapé que nasce na Serra de Aracá, 28 Jul 1977 (fr), N. A. Rosa & M. R. Cordeiro 1699 (IAN, 2 sheets [digital images], RB [digital image]). Mato Grosso: Itaúba, Resgate de Flora da UHE Colíder, lote G de supressão, 28 May 2015 (fr), J. P. Battisti s. n. (CNMT [7492; digital image], MBM [403702; digital image]). Pará: Parque Zoobotânico, 05 Nov 2019 (fl), R. G. Barbosa-Silva et al. 1424 (MG); Paragominas, ramal principal após entrada para sede, 29 Jun 2023 (fr), E. D. Cruz et al. 1629 (IAN [digital image]); Nova-Canaã dos Carajás [Canaã dos Carajás], 06 Jan 2001 (fl, fr), L. C. B. Lobato 2624 (MG); Km 141 da rodovia Belém-Brasília, 19 Fev 1960 (st), E. Oliveira 538 (IAN [digital image]); Km 167–173 da estrada Belém-Brasília, 25 Apr 1960 (fr), E. Oliveira 565 (IAN [digital image]); Sine loc., mata da Cia. Pirelli, Fazenda Uriboca, Jul 1958 (fr), J. M. Pires 7041 (IAN, 2 sheets [digital images]); Marabá, [Mun. Parauapebas], Serra dos Carajás, 29 Nov 1988 (fr), N. A. Rosa & F. C. Nascimento 5084 (K, MG [n. v.]); Parauapebas, Floresta Nacional de Carajás, imediações do Parque Zoobotânico, 06 Sep 2018 (fl, fr), D. C. Zappi et al. 4562 (MG).
Discussion.
Christiana mennegae is recognized by its short-peduncled inflorescences.
For additional details see the extensive and detailed discussion in Barbosa-Silva et al. (2021).
description: Published as part of Coutinho, Thales Silva, Barbosa-Silva, Rafael G. & Dorr, Laurence J., 2025, A synopsis of Christiana DC. (Malvaceae, Brownlowioideae), with a new species from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, pp. 33-56 in PhytoKeys 253 on pages 33-56, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.253.145350