DARWINIANA
34(1-4): 299-348. 1996
SINOPSIS DE CAESALPINIA Y HOFFMANNSEGGIA
(LEGUMinosae-CAESALPinioideae) DE SUDAMÉRICA
EMILIO A. ULIBARRI 1
Instituto de Botánica Darwinion, Casilla de Correo 22, Labardén
200 (1642) San Isidro, Argentina.
ABSTRACT: Ulibarri, E. A. 1996. Synopsis of Caesalpinia and Hoffmannseggia
(Leguminosae-Caesalpinioideae) of South America. Darwiniana
34: 299-348.
Caesalpinia L. sensu lato, is a pantropical genus with
approximately 150 species; 40 of them occur in South America. There is
great morphological variation within Caesalpinia: it includes trees,
shrubs, and perennial herbs, some scandent, armed or not; hair-covering
is diverse; pedicels are jointed or not; flowers with imbricated and falling
sepals; legume chartaceous to woody, unarmed or echinate, frequently with
dendromorphus hairs. Its species inhabits forests and semi-deserts. Two
subgenera are currently accepted in this genus: Caesalpinia, with
species in the New and Old World, characterized by not winged fruits and
subgenus Mezoneuron (Desf.) Vidal ex Herendeen & Zarucchi, a
subgenus of Old World species with winged fruits. Caesalpinia still needs further detailed studies in
order to clarify its generic delimitation at a worldwide level.
Hoffmannseggia Cav. sensu stricto, includes nearly 20
species growing from southern United States, N of Mexico, Andean and semi-deserts
zones of Peru, Bolivia to Chile and Argentina ;13 of these species occur
in South America. This genus is probably a derived evolutionary unit from
primitive Caesalpinia like group and it is mainly defined by
herbaceous plants, sub-stemless and with gemmiferous roots, pedicels not
jointed, flowers with sepals generally valvate, persistent, and legume without
dendromorphus hairs.
1. Miembro de la Carrera del Investigador Científico
del CONICET.