Name
Mariosousa centralis (Britton & Rose) Seigler & Ebinger
Synonymy and types
Acacia centralis (Britton & Rose) Lundell, Contr. Univ. Michigan Herb. 4:7. 1940. - Senegalia centralis Britton & Rose, N. Amer. Fl. 23:113. 1928. - TYPE: El Salvador, near San Salvador, 1923, S.Calderon 1774 (holotype: NY!, isotypes: BM!, F!).
Formal description
Tree to 25 m tall. Bark dark grayish brown, vertically fissured, rough and scaling. Twigs light brown to greenish brown, not flexuous, mostly glabrous. Short shoots absent. Leaves alternate, 70-180 mm long. Stipules herbaceous, light brown, narrowly linear, to 4.5 x 0.6 mm wide near the base, glabrous, persistent. Petiole adaxially shallowly grooved, 18-46 mm long, glabrous to lightly puberulent; petiole gland solitary, located on the middle part of the petiole, sessile, usually circular, 1.0-2.6 mm across, saucer-shaped to cup-shaped, glabrous. Rachis adaxially grooved, 40-150 mm long, glabrous to puberulent, a sessile, saucer-shaped to doughnut-shaped gland, 0.6-1.3 mm across, between the pinnae of the upper 1 to 2 pinna pairs. Pinnae (7)11 to 24 pairs per leaf, 30-70 mm long, 3-9 mm between pinna pairs. Petiolules 0.8-1.5 mm long. Leaflets 40 to 60 pairs per pinna, opposite, 0.5-1.2 mm between leaflets, linear, 3.0-5.5 x 0.6-1.1 mm, glabrous except for usually some long hairs at the base beneath, lateral veins obvious, a midvein and 1 to 2 smaller veins from the base, base oblique, margins ciliate, apex narrowly acute to acuminate. Inflorescence a loosely flowered cylindrical spike 60-140 mm long, 1 to 3 from the leaf axil, or in terminal racemose clusters. Peduncle 4-10 x 0.5-1.0 mm, glabrous to lightly puberulent. Involucre absent. Floral bracts linear, to 1 mm long, pubescent, early deciduous. Flowers sessile, creamy-white; calyx 5-lobed, 0.7-1.3 mm long, lightly appressed pubescent; corolla 5-lobed, 1.8-2.5 mm long, lightly appressed pubescent; stamen filaments 4.5-6.5 mm long, distinct; ovary glabrous, on a stipe to 0.3 mm long. Legumes light brown, straight, flattened, not constricted between the seeds, oblong, 100-160 x 16-28 mm, cartilaginois, transversely striate, glabrous, eglandular, dehiscent along both sutures; stipe to 20 mm long; apex broadly acute to obtuse and usually apiculate. Seeds uniseriate, no pulp, dark reddish-brown, nearly circular, strongly flattened, 6-9 mm across, smooth; pleurogram U-shaped, 1.5-3.0 mm across. Flowers: April-August, and sporadically throughout the year when moisture is available. Chromosome number: Not determined.
Distribution
Lowland forests, and moist disturbed sites below 1300 m in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and the states of Chiapas, Jalisco, Oaxaca, and Sinaloa, Mexico.
Additional info
A tall tree, sometimes entering the canopy of moist lowland forests, Mariosousa centralis is also a common component of disturbed habitats at lower elevation through most of Central America. Most collections are from roadsides, disturbed pastures, and gallery forests. In addition to its close morphologically similarity to M. acatlensis discussed above, M. centralis is also sympatric with five other species of the genus in southern Mexico. Of these, it is easily separated from M. compacta and M. mammifera, as these species have fewer pinna pairs on a leaf (less than 7) and fewer leaflets per pinna (less than 36). The erect hairs of M. sericea, the larger leaflets of M. usumacintensis, and the exfoliating bark of M. salazari can be used to distinguish these species from M. centralis.
The authors have encountered numerous specimens of M. centralis annotated Albizia niopoides (Bentham) Burkart. Flowering material of these two taxa is easily separated by the filament-tube and fewer stamens in Albizia. Fruiting material and sterile specimens also can be separated, as in M. centralis, the leaflets are less than 5.5 mm long and have an acuminate apex, whereas in Albizia niopoides, the leaflets are longer, mostly more than 5.5 mm long, and the apex is broadly acute to obtuse.
Flowering time
April-August.
Representative specimens
COSTA RICA:
Guanacaste:
- Santa Rosa National Park, road to beach, 14 Jan 1977, Boucher 703 (MO);
- Parque Nacional Palo Verde Cerro Guayacán, alt. 150 m, 25 Dec 1991, U.Chavarria 461 (MO);
- 4 miles NE of Cañas, R.Daubenmire 104 (F);
- vicinity of Cañas, 26 May 1970, R.Daubenmire 775 (F);
- about 3 miles S of Nicoya, alt. 800 ft., 25 May 1943, W.A.Dayton & W.R.Barbour 3099 (MO, US);
- Santa Rosa National Park, 25 Sep 1975, D.H.Janzen 10195 (MO);
- Santa Rosa National Park, 25 Sep 1975, D.H.Janzen 10196 (MO);
- Santa Rosa National Park, 12 Mar 1976, D.H.Janzen 10355 (MO);
- Santa Rosa National Park, 12 Mar 1976, D.H.Janzen 10356 (MO);
- Santa Rosa National Park, 12 Mar 1976, D.H.Janzen 10357 (MO);
- Santa Rosa National Park, 9 Jul 1980, D.H.Janzen 11922 (MO);
- Santa Rosa National Park, 30 km NW of Liberia, alt. 0-320 m, 9 Jul 1980, D.H.Janzen 11923 (MO);
- Santa Rosa National Park, 30 km NW of Liberia, alt. 0-320 m, 29 Aug 1982, D.H.Janzen 12221 (MO);
- Santa Rosa National Park, 30 km NW of Liberia, alt. 0-320, 5-7 Mar 1982, G.Stevens 303 (MO);
- Pueblo Viejo, entrada al Ferry del Tempisque, Nicoya, 23 Aug 1985, N.Zamora V., L.J.Poveda & Q.Jímenez 1083 (F, MO);
Puntarenas:
- San Luis village, alt. 800 m, 6 Jun 1985, W.A.Haber & E.Bello C. 1628 (MO);
EL SALVADOR:
- vicinity Comasagua, Dept. of La Libertad, alt. 4000 ft., 24 Feb1959, P.H.Allen & R.Armour 7257 (F, LL, NY, US);
GUATEMALA:
Petén:
- La Cumbre, 10 May 1975, C.L.Lundell & E.Contreras 19276 (LL);
- Santa Elena, en la orilla del camino para El Remate, 27 Apr 1971, R.T.Ortiz 1734 (F);
Solola:
- close to the Panajachel waterfall, Lago de Atitlán, 11 Apr 1991, C.E.Hughes & P.E.Wood 1478 (NY);
- Zacapa:
- Gualán, alt. 620 ft., 15 Jun 1909, C.C.Deam 6281 (A, F, GH, MO, NY, UC, US, VT);
HONDURAS:
Francisco Morazán:
- Alrededores de la Ciudad Universitaria, alt. 950 m, 15 May 1984, G.A.Torres 183 (NY);
- La Granja, along Río Choluteca near Tegucigalpa, alt. 900 m, 8 Sep 1946, L.O.Williams & A.Molina R. 10509 (LL, MO);
Olancho:
- en la Cd. de Tegucigalpa, alt. 1000 m, 4 Jun 1985, O.Téllez V. & E.M.Martínez S. 8542 (MO, WIS);
Paraiso:
- 15 kms S of El Paraiso, alt. 1300 m, 19 Oct 1966, A.Molina R.18420 (F, NY, US);
- Jamastran Valley, Hacienda Quebrada Seca, alt. 500 m, 14 Feb1967, A.Molina R. 20317 (F, GH, NY, US);
MEXICO:
Chiapas:
- a 24 km al E de Pujiltic, sobre la carretera Venustiano Carranza-Tzimol, 24 Jun 1982, E.Cabrera, A.Mendez & H.de Cabrera 2997 (MO, NY);
- Siltepec, 8 Aug 1937, E.Matuda 1584 (A, MICH, NY, US);
Jalisco:
- 5 km al SE de La Manzanilla, carretera Puerto Vallarta-Barra de Navidad, 18 Dec 1977, A.S.Magallanes 906 (F, MEXU);
- Llano Grande, 10 km al N de Ipala, camino a El Tuito, 23 Nov 1979, J.A.S.Magallanes 2113 (CAS, MO);
- desviación a Arroyo Seco, 40 km al N de Barra de Navidad, carretera a Puerto Vallarta, 19 Sep 1980, A.S.Magallanes 2666 (MEXU);
- 13 km brecha a El Agostadero, Mpio. Pihuamo, 1 Sep 1979, J.A.S.Magallanes & P.Basurto 1807 (F, MICH);
Oaxaca:
- Dist. Tehuantepec, Barra de la Cruz, 0.5 km W, por la vereda hacia Zimatán, 25 May 1999. M.Elorsa C. 2113 (MEX);
- Km 675, Panamerican hwy., between Oaxaca and Tehuantepec, alt. 2350 ft., 19 Mar 1949, M.C.Carlson 1485 (DS, F, MICH, UC);
- Pto. San Bartolo, S. Bartolo Yautepec, alt. 2500 ft., 2 Feb 1972, T.MacDougall H.230 (MICH, NY);
- Cerro Tecuani, Tehuantepec, alt. 3000 ft, 2 Apr 1972, T.MacDougall H.363 (NY, US);
- between Limón and Zapote, alt. 1000 ft., 30 Apr 1970, T.MacDougall s.n. (NY, US);
- carretera a Tehuantepec a la salida de la desviacion a la Presa Benito Juarez, 12 Jul 1976, A.S.Magallanes, R.Ramos & E.S.Magallanes 218 (CAS, LL, MEX);
- Hierba Santa, 12 km al O de Tehuantepec, 22 Apr 1987, C.Marínez R. 903 (MO);
Sinaloa:
- San Marcos, 1923, J.G.Ortega 5216 (US);
- Mauto, Los Tepemesquites, 1925, J.G.Ortega 5717 (GH, US);
NICARAGUA:
Carazo:
- Diriamba, alt. 500 m, 2 Nov 1979, B.Bermudez 11 (MO);
León:
- Volcán Momotombo, near Punta El Diablo, 16 Jun 1976, D.Neill 480 (MO, NY);
- Camino E de Planta Geotermica Momotombo, alt. 60-70 m, 28 Jun 1983, J.C.Sandino 4448 (MO);
Managua:
- Peninsula de Chiltepe, alt. 200 m, 11 Apr 1983, M.Araquistain 3484 (MO, WIS);
- Hacienda El Tamagaz, alt. 50 m, 5 May 1983, M.Araquistain 3526 (MO);
- Las Nubes, alt. 900 m, 5 May 1983, M.Araquistain 3532 (CM, GH, MO);
- Peninsula de Chiltepe, hacienda Corpus Cristi, 9 km al SE de Mateare, alt. 80 m, 18 Feb 1980, R.Araquistain & P.Moreno 1333 (MO);
- Las Nubes, el Crucero, alt. 900 m, 1 Sep 1981, M.E.García 96 (MO);
- vicinity of Managua, A.Garnier 957 (F, MICH, US);
- camino a San Isidro de Bolas, ca. 4 km al SW de Managua, alt. 300 m, 11 Aug 1984, A.Grijalva 3960 (MO);
- Managua, Punta Chiltepec, alt. 300 m, 8 Oct 1983, A.Grijalva, O.Vanegas & A.Sánchez 3105 (CM, MO);
- Esquipulas, 1 Sep 1976, J.S.Hall & S.M.Bockus 7981 (MO, NY, UC);
- km 15 de la Carretera Panamericana N, a la orilla de la carretera, 11 Feb 1983, A.Laguna 242 (MO);
- Peninsula de Chiltepe cerro al sur de la casa hacienda Tamagas, alt. 120 m, 4 Nov 1980, P.P.Moreno 4269 (MO);
- Peninsula de Chiltepe, 2.5 km antes de llegar a la hacienda el Tamagas, alt. 40-60 m, 4 Nov 1980, P.P.Moreno 4295 (MO);
- Cuatro Esquinas de Ticuantepe, camino entre Santo Domingo y Las Nubes, alt. 230 m, 7 Nov 1980, P.P.Moreno 4395 (MO);
- Peninsula de Chiltepec, Punta Chiltepe, alt. 60-100 m, 23 Jul 1982, P.P.Moreno 16917 (CM, MO);
- 3 km de Jiloa, sobre la carretera a Tamagas, alt. 40-60, 2 Jun 1981, P.Moreno & J.Henrich 8947 (MO);
- Costado SE de Laguna Jiloa, 8 Jul 1981, J.C.Sandino 907 (MO);
- near intersection of hwy. 28 and road up N shore of Peninsula de Chiltepe, alt. 40-55 m, 27 Aug 1977, W.D.Stevens 3546 (MO);
- along hwy. 8, ca. 2.4 km SW of intersection with hwy. 2, km 28, alt. 700 m, 18 Sep 1977, W.D.Stevens 3922 (MO);
- ca. 1.9 km from hwy. 2 on road along ridge of Sierra de Managua, alt. 780 m, 19 Oct 1977, W.D.Stevens 4753 (MO);
- ca 2.3 km from hwy. 12 on road along ridge of Sierra de Managua, alt. 450-550 m, 26 Nov 1977, W.D.Stevens 5321 (MO);
- ca. 5 km NNW of hwy. 12 along road on ridge of Sierra de Mateare, alt. 420 m, 28 Jan 1978, W.D.Stevens 6193 (MO);
- Peninsula Chiltepe, alt. 40-400 m, 16 Dec 1982, W.D.Stevens 21935 (MO);
- 1 km SW of Laguna Apoyeque, alt. 280-300 m, 26 Jul 1978, P.C.Vincelli 779 (MO);
- Costado S del Lago, 8 Jun 1981, M.Zeledón 82 (MO);
Masaya:
- Laguna Venecia Masatepe, 10 Jul 1982, M.Calderón, S.Calderón & L.Gutierrez 76 (MO);
- Laguna de Apoyo, alt. 60-80 m, 18 Mar 1983, P.P.Moreno 21308 (MO);
Matagalpa:
- Ermita de Esquipulas, situada a unos 20 km NE de El Tuma, alt. 500 m, 9 Oct 1982, A.Grijalva & M.V.de Grijalva 1406 (MO);
- Puertas Viegas, 1-2 km camino a San José de los Remates, alt. 420-470 m, 10 May 1982, P.P.Moreno 16235 (MO);
Nuevo Segovia:
- El Jicaro, alt. 600 m, 24 Dec 1981, P.P.Moreno 13555 (MO);
- Cerro Pelón, 5 km al NE de El Jícaro, alt. 700 m, 29 Dec 1984, P.P.Moreno 25282 (MO);
Rivas:
- Quebrada Las Cañas, near Río Escalante, alt. 10 m, 3 Aug 1978, W.D.Stevens 9681 (MO);