Parasenegalia skleroxyla Seigler & Ebinger & Riggins & Terra & Miller 2017, comb. nov.

5. Parasenegalia skleroxyla (Tussac) Seigler & Ebinger, comb. nov.

Basionym: Acacia skleroxyla Tussac, Fl. Antill. 1: 146–148, tab. XXI [21]. 1808 [1808–1813]. Senegalia skleroxyla (Tussac) Seigler & Ebinger, Phytologia 91(1): 28. 2009. TYPE: Antilles. Santo Domingo (holotype, tab. XXI [21] in Tussac [1808]!). Figures 6, 7.

Tree to 20 m tall; bark gray to light brown, smooth; twigs light to dark purplish brown, not flexuous, terete, glabrous to lightly puberulent; short shoots absent; prickles absent. Leaves alternate, 60–160 mm long; stipules purplish brown, triangular, symmetrical, flattened, straight, herbaceous, 0.4–0.9 mm long, 0.3– 0.7 mm wide near the base, puberulent, tardily deciduous; petiole flat to rarely adaxially grooved, 8– 28 mm long, puberulent to rarely glabrous; petiolar gland solitary, located on the upper third of the petiole, usually just below the lowermost pinna pair, sessile, oval to orbicular, 0.7–1.8 mm across, apex flattened to depressed, glabrous; rachis flat to rarely adaxially grooved, 35–140 mm long, puberulent, an oval gland 0.4–1.3 mm across between the uppermost 1 to 7 pinna pairs, apex flattened to depressed, glabrous; pinnae (3) 5 to 16 pairs/leaf, 45–95 mm long, 5–10 mm between pinna pairs; paraphyllidia 0.1–0.3 mm long, usually absent; petiolule 0.7–2.2 mm long; leaflets 30 to 65 pairs/pinna, opposite, 0.7–1.6 mm between leaflet pairs, oblong, 4.5–9.5 X 0.9–2.1 mm, glabrous, lateral veins obvious, 1 to 3 veins from the base, base oblique, truncate on one side, margins not ciliate, apex acute to acuminate, midvein subcentral. Inflorescence a loosely 100- to 230-flowered cylindrical spike, 60–150 X 10– 15 mm, 1 to 4 from the leaf axils; peduncles 6–25 X 0.8–1.3 mm, puberulent; receptacle not enlarged, elongated; involucre absent; floral bracts spatulate, 0.3–0.7 mm long, puberulent, early deciduous. Flowers sessile, white to cream (yellowing with age); calyx 5- lobed, 0.7–1.5 mm long, puberulent; corolla 5-lobed, 1.8–2.4 mm long, usually puberulent, lobes 1/4 the length of the corolla; stamens 40 to 80; stamen filaments 4.5–7 mm long, distinct to rarely slightly fused at the base; anther glands present; ovary glabrous, sessile to subsessile, the stipe to 0.2 mm long. Legumes straight, flattened, not constricted between the seeds, oblong, 75–160 X 13–25 mm, coriaceous, transversely striated, glabrous, eglandular, tardily dehiscent along both sutures; stipe 2–7 mm long; apex broadly acute to obtuse, short beaked; seeds uniseriate, no pulp, dark brown, oval to oblong, strongly flattened, narrowly winged, 8–12 X 6–8 mm, smooth; pleurogram U-shaped to circular, covering most of the seed.

Habitat and distribution. Parasenegalia skleroxyla is known from dry desert scrub, semi-dry forest, semi-arid pine forest, thorn-scrub thickets, disturbed second-growth forests, and thickets from sea level to 800 m in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

Phenology. Parasenegalia from March through August.

Local names. Local names include candelón, corbano, and taquito (Rico Arce, 2007).

IUCN Red List category. Parasenegalia skleroxyla is assessed as Data Deficient (DD) at this time (IUCN, 2001). This is a common tree of Hispaniola, suggesting that the species is of Least Concern (LC).

Discussion. A common tree endemic to the Dominican Republic and Haiti, Parasenegalia skleroxyla is sometimes confused with P. muricata. Parasenegalia muricata, however, has larger leaflets that exceed 1 0 mm in length, and are more than 4.5 mm wide. Also, P. skleroxyla has 3 0 to 6 5 leaflets/pinna, more than any other member of the genus Parasenegalia, other than P. visco, a species from southern South America with globose inflorescences. Barneby and Zanoni (1 9 8 9) observed that the correct orthography of the specific epithet is skleroxyla, as used by Tussac (1 8 0 8), not scleroxyla.

Specimens examined. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. Azua: 4 km S of Barrreras, 100 m, 14 July 1988, H. D. Clarke & R. Garcıá 28 (ILL, MO); 10 km en el trayecto Tabara Abajo- Barahona, 100–140 m, 30 June 1984, R. Garcıá & N. Alba 38 (MO); Sierra Martıń García, en el Poblado de Barrero, 175 m, 3 Sep. 1986, R. Garcıá & J. Pimentel 1683 (MO); Azua, 9 Mar. 1965, Bro. B. A. Lavastre 1942 (NY); 5 km S of Poblado de Barrero, 30 m, 12 Nov. 1985, J. Pimentel, R. García & G. Caminero 320 (MO); 8 km S of Azua, 29 May 2006, D. S. Seigler, J. T. Miller, C. Riggins, F. Axelrod & T. Clase 14503 (ILL); 8 km S of Azua, 29 May 2006, D. S. Seigler, J. T. Miller, C. Riggins, F. Axelrod & T. Clase 14506 (ILL); betw. Azara & Barahona, Feb. 1971, F. Votava & A. H. Liogier 56X (MO); Sierra Martıń Garcıa,´W of Barrera, 150–200 m, 14 Nov. 1984, T. Zanoni, M. Mejía, J. Pimentel & R. García 32194 (FTG). Barahona: Apr. 1910, M. Fuertes 187 (F, HBG, MO); Tubano, 19 Mar. 1922, H. von Schrenk 20 (MO); 1 km up stream from mouth of Río Baoruco, 30 m, 20 May 1981, T. Zanoni, M. Mejıá & C. Ramírez 13481 (MO). Distrito Nacional: El Número, 150 m, 27 Apr. 1974, A. H. Liogier & P. Liogier 21615 (F, MO, NY). Independencia: 4 km NW of La Descubierta, 1250 ft., 15 Oct. 1981, M. Mejıá & J. Pimentel B. 17267 (FTG, MO); 2 km S Duvergé on rd. to Puerto Escondido, 40 m, 17 Aug. 1983, T. Zanoni & J. Pimentel 26472 (FTG, MO, NY); 4.7 km S Puerto Escondido, on the rd. to Caseta, 765 m, 20 Mar. 1985, T. Zanoni, M. Mejía, J. Pimentel & R. García 34044 (MO); 4–5 km S Puerto Escondido, on rd. to Aceitillar, 700–800 m, 10 May 1985, T. Zanoni, M. Mejıa,´J. Pimentel & R. Garcıá 34670 (MO). La Altagracía: en la entrada al pueblo de Bayahibe, 10–15 m, 12 June 1994, R. Garcıa,´F. Jiménez & A. Veloz 5594 (F); Bayahibe, 10–30 m, 15 May 1987, T. Zanoni, J. Pimentel, R. Garcıá & J. Salazar 39331 (FLAS, MO). La Romana: Isla Catalina, 0–10 m, 18 Dec. 1987, T. Zanoni, M. Mejía, R. García & B. Santana 37340 (NY). Monte Cristi: Duran, 390 m, 11 Aug. 1930, E. J. Valeur 462 (F, MO, NY). Pedernales: Loma El Guano, 200 m, 12 Apr. 1985, A. Gentry & M. Mejía 50757 (MO); 5 km NW of Oviedo on rte. 44, 29 May 2006, D. S. Seigler, J. T. Miller, C. Riggins, F. Axelrod & T. Clase 14511 (ILL); 22 km E of Pedernales on rte. 44, 1 June 2006, D. S. Seigler, J. T. Miller, C. Riggins, F. Axelrod & T. Clase 14514 (ILL); Cabo Rojo, 10 m, 28 July 1990, S. A. Thompson, J. E. Rawlins & C. Young 7573 (CM); Cabo Rojo, Feb. 1971, F. Votava & A. H. Liogier 57X (MO); un poco al S del puerto de Cabo Rojo, 25 m, 18 Sep. 1981, T. Zanoni & M. Mejía 16755 (MO); Loma El Guano, 200 m, 25 July 1983, T.Zanoni & J. Pimentel 26344 (FTG, MO); Los Quemados de Basilio, 200 m, 17 Oct. 1989, T. Zanoni, J. Pimentel & A. Cabral 43658 (MO). Peravia: Las Calderas, en Las Dunas, 0–5 m, 8 Feb. 1987, R. Garcıa,´J. Pimentel & E. García 1929 (MO); San José de Ocoa, El Manaclar, 700 m, 13 July 1978, M. Mejıá 347 (MO); Cabeza de Toro, 9 km N of Baní, 800 ft., 6 May 1981, M. Mejía, C. Ramıréz & S. Pelaez 13254 (F, FTG, MO). Santiago: El Castillo, Rincón Largo, 200 m, 28 July 1968, J. J. Jiménez 5515 (NY); en la orilla del Rıó Guanajuma, 225 m, 24 Apr. 1991, T. Zanoni & J. Hager 45102 (MO). San Juan: Candelón, 1938, J. G. Scarff 4 (F); López, Candelón, 8 May 1887, von Eggers 1832 (BM, HBG). HAITI. Artibonite: vic. of Gros Morne, 235 m, 19 Feb. 1926, E. C. Leonard 10002 (CM). Nord-Ouest: Port-de-Paix, 29 June 1925, E. L. Ekman 4432 (F, MO); Mole Rd., vic. of Jean- Rabel, 27 Jan.–9 Feb. 1929, E. C. Leonard & G. M. Leonard 12617 (MO); 10 km E of Baie de Henne, 40 m, 10 June 1985, T. Zanoni, M. Mejía & R. Garcıá 35085 (NY). Ouest: hills N of Glore, 600 m, 22 July 1924, E. L. Ekman 1057 (DAV, MO); Ile La Gonave, Pointe-à-Raguettes, 10 Aug. 1927, E. L. Ekman 8867 (DAV); Gonave Island, near Saline Madame Doisy Pointe-à-Raquette, 10 Aug. 1927, J. Eyerdam 144 (F). Sud-Est: vic. of La Vallée, Tortue Island, 28 Dec. 1928–9 Jan. 1929, E. C. Leonard & G. N. Leonard 11281 (NY).