Bauhinia angelae (Leguminosae: Cercidoideae): An overlooked new species from drylands of Northeastern Brazil

The Brazilian Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests and Woodlands represents an important evolutionary unit, widely recognized as a species center of diversification and endemism. The northeastern Brazilian Caatinga is the largest and most diverse SDTFW nucleus, exhibiting a important center of diversification in which the family Leguminosae exhibits the large number in genera and species richness and endemism, in which the genus Bauhinia stands out in species richness. Bauhinia angelae, a new species of shurbs or treelets is described, illustrated, and aspects related to its distribution, conservation status and relationships with morphologically similar species are discussed. Bauhinia angelae is characterized by the presences of triangular stipules, leaflets 3–10 × 2–7 cm, flower buds 2.5–6.5 cm long with the apex capitate and twisted lobes, oblong petals with undulate margins and mature fruits longer than 10 cm long. This new species is distributed in the Brazilian Caatinga between the states of Bahia and Minas Gerais. Additionally, a key to specie included in Bauhinia sect. Pauletia ser. Aculeatae is presented.