Two new species of Pachira (Bombacoideae, Malvaceae) and typification of Pachira patinoi

Abstract We aimed to describe two new species endemic to Brazil - one from sandy habitats in northeastern Brazil (Pachira inaequalivalvis), mainly characterized by fruits with unequal valves, and the other from Amazonian rainforest (P. deflexifolia, having the downward-oriented leaflets) - and provide complete morphological descriptions, illustrations, comments, conservation status, and distribution maps. We also designate a lectotype and an epitype for Pachira patinoi.

In phylogenetic studies, species of Pachira emerged in two different clades (Carvalho-Sobrinho et al. 2016): an Amazonian Clade, with species found in Amazonian Rainforest (campina, campinarana, igapó, and terra firme vegetation types) and an Extra-Amazonian Clade, which includes species from Brazil's Atlantic rainforest, caatinga, and cerrado (savannah, grassland, and shrubland) biomes.This second clade emerged within a clade formed by species of Eriotheca (Duarte et al. 2011), highlighting the need of further morphological and phylogenetical investigations.
Against this background, while revising the Amazonian Pachira Clade we found one new species from Amazonian Rainforest (in Amazonas state) and another from sandy coastal regions (dunas) from the states of Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, and Rio Grande do Norte, all within the Atlantic Rainforest region.
We obtained morphological data by measurements with stereomicroscopes and calipers.The maps of geographical distribution were made using Qgis 3.20 software (Qgis Development Team 2022) and label data from herbarium specimens.The illustration was made drawing the type specimen with Indian ink.
We assigned conservation status following the IUCN (2022) criteria, using the GeoCat tools (Bachman et al. 2011)  Figs.1-2; 7 This new species is distinguished from its congeners by its coriaceous, deflexed, linear to oblong leaflets, with revolute margins and mucronulate apices; by its subtubular calyces with apiculate apices; and by its small, obovate fruits with ferruginous indument.
Pachira deflexifolia occurs only in the State of Amazonas, Brazil (Fig. 7), in campina, terra firme and igapó vegetation types.
The species flowers in February, and in June to September.Fruits in August and September.

Pachira inaequalivalvis
Pachira inaequalivalvis is endemic to northeastern Brazil, occurring in the states of Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará and Rio Grande do Norte (Fig. 7), in sandy soils (frequently associated with sandy dunes).
The species flowers in March and April.Fruits in March, August, and December.
This species is distinct because of its fruit shape and unequal fruit valves.

Pachira patinoi
The designation of an epitype also is necessary (ICN, Art.9.9) because the protologue lacks information about the flowers, which Fernández-Alonso (1998b) described subsequently, and because the flowers (mainly the calyx and staminal tube shape) are essential to identify Pachira patinoi.Therefore, we choose the specimen A. Gentry et al. 34917 (COL 251514) as the epitype (Fig. 6) because it occurs in the same region where the type was collected (Nariño, Colombia) and agrees with the protologue.to Lucia Marins (librarian at the Instituto de Pesquisas Ambientais: Jardim Botânico de São Paulo), for sending the protologues; to all of the herbaria consulted or visited; and to the two anonymous reviewers who contributed with critical comments.