Descripcion

Herbs to shrubs 1 m tall; branches glandular-pubescent, pubescent to glabrescent. Stipular prickles slightly curved at apex, 2–3 × 1.5 mm. Leaves 3- to 7-foliolate; petioles pubescent to glabrescent, armed with slender to stout straight short prickles, 3.5–13 cm; leaflets elliptic to widely elliptic, elliptic-lanceolate, 5.2–14.5 × 2.3–5.7 cm, basally attenuate to cuneate, apically acuminate to long-acuminate, petiolules pubescent, armed, 4–7 mm, margin sinuose-ciliate to serrulate-ciliate, surface essentially glabrous or rarely with scattered, short, pointed, eglandular hairs on both sides, midrib and secondary veins glabrous, with prickles. Inflorescence of corymbiform racemes, terminal, = 30 cm long; floral bracts petiolate, petioles puberulent, 2–8 mm, blade ovate, 12–30 × 5–17 mm, basally rounded, apically acuminate, margin serrulate-ciliate, glabrous. Flowers with pedicels 10–20 mm, glabrescent; sepals linear-triangular to lanceolate, 1.5–2 × 0.5–1 mm, acute to acuminate, margin ciliate, glabrescent abaxially; petals oblanceolate, 3–4 × 1.5 mm, basally contracted into a claw, claw 0.5–1 mm, apically obtuse, white to deep pink, glabrescent to glabrous; nectary disciform, conspicuous fleshy, persistent in fruit; filaments 10–16 mm, purple; anthers 2–3 mm; ovary cylindric, 3–5 mm, puberulent; style 1 mm; stigma markedly capitate, subsessile. Fruits on a gynophore 5–15 mm, cylindric, slightly torulose, 4.7–8 cm × 3–5 mm, pubescent to glabrous. Seeds suborbicular, 1.5–2.2 × 1 mm, seemingly smooth, longitudinally striate and finely transversely ridged, cleft covered by a thin and opaque membrane.

Distribucion y Habitat

Tarenaya parviflora is widespread in the Neotropics, from Mexico and Central America (in Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama) to South America (in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela) (Fig. 10A). It occurs in swamps or flooded areas, along riversides and riverbanks, terra firme and várzea forests, borders of woods, in banana and cocoa plantations, open fields, on rocks, and on roadsides, from sea level up to 20 to 800 m.

Ejemplares de referencia

Colector N° Colect. Especie Departamento Provincia Imagen
  • Ahumada, O.
  • 2997 San Martín Corrientes
  • Aliscioni, S. S.
  • 726 Santo Tomé Corrientes
  • Berro, M. B.
  • 3352 -
  • Burkart, A.
  • 29327 Federación Entre Ríos
  • Descole, H. R.
  • 3209 Iguazú Misiones
  • Dusén, P. K. H.
  • 14034 Morretes Paraná
  • Faggi, A. M.
  • -1 CTES217644 Paso de los Libres Corrientes
  • Fiebrig, K. A. G.
  • 5776 Alto Paraná
  • Guillén, R.
  • 159 San Pedro Misiones
  • Hauman, L. L.
  • -1 3 Guaraní Misiones
  • Hauman, L. L.
  • -1 50 San Ignacio Misiones
  • Krapovickas, A.
  • 23976 Ituzaingó Corrientes
  • Meyer, T.
  • 11759 San Ignacio Misiones
  • Schinini, A.
  • 16944 General Alvear Corrientes
  • Schinini, A.
  • 19949 Santo Tomé Corrientes
  • Schulz, A. G.
  • 7090 San Javier Misiones
  • Zardini, E. M.
  • 11104 Guairá
  • Zuloaga, F. O.
  • 2146 Iguazú Misiones
  • Zuloaga, F. O.
  • 8140 Cainguás Misiones

    Nombre Vulgar y Usos

    Tipo y Observaciones

    Material Tipo: Basónimo: Cleome parviflora Kunth
    Observaciones: Phenology.- Tarenaya parviflora flowers and fruits throughout the year. Vernacular names.- It is known in Brazil as musambér (B. W. Nelson 777) and mussambê (G. Pedrelli & S. T. Meyer s.n.), in Colombia as platanito (W. A. Córdoba 418), in Costa Rica as espuela del caballero (R. W. Holm & H. H. Iltis 636), and in Peru as uña de gato (C. H. Dodson 2824). Uses.- Tea made from the roots of Tarenaya parviflora is used for convulsive coughs, and that made with the flowers is used to heal diseases in chickens (B. W. Nelson 777). Discussion.- Tarenaya parviflora can be recognized by its glandular-pubescent or pubescent to glabrescent indumentum, armed petioles, 3- to 7-foliolate leaves with midrib and secondary veins with prickles, sinuose-ciliate to serrulate-ciliate margin of leaflets; sepals 1.5–2 mm long, oblanceolate, white to deep pink petals, fleshy disciform nectary persistent in fruit, filaments 10–16 mm long and cylindric, and slightly torulose capsules on a short gynophore, 5–15 mm long. Tarenaya parviflora is commonly confused with T. longipes since both have similar floral features and size, and a fleshy disciform nectary persistent in fruit. However, T. parviflora is an erect herb or shrub (vs. scandent shrub or treelet), with ovate floral bracts (vs. filiform), shorter capsules, 4.7–8 cm long, and gynophores 5–15 mm long (vs. capsules 15–30 cm long and gynophores 13–30 cm long).