Peltogyne purpurea Pittier, J.

22. Peltogyne purpurea Pittier, J. Washington Acad. Sci. 5: 471. 1915. Holotype:— PANAMA. Punta Patiño, sudeste de Darién, 27 abril 1914, H. F. Pittier 6610 US716675, (Holotype: US; Isotype: US (US 716676 )). Fig 27. Tree, 25–41 m tall, bark smooth, grayish, branches lenticellate, stipules early deciduous. Leaflets elliptic to obovate, falcate, 4–5.3 × 2.5–2.8 cm, base attenuate, apex acuminate, glabrous, wax absent on both surfaces, concolorous, petiole 13–20 mm long, petiolule 3–4 mm long, blade not decurrent, pulvinus not dilated, primary vein inconspicuous adaxially and conspicuous abaxially, secondary veins conspicuous abaxially, glands absent. Inflorescence a panicle, terminal, subterminal, laxiflorous, rachis pubescent, 6–12 cm long, inserted in a non-aphyllous branch. Pedicel 1 mm long, bracteoles caducous (sometimes up to the intermediate stage) hypanthium absent. Bud 2–5 × 4 mm, sepals orbicular, outer side pubescent, inner side glabrous, glands absent, petals elliptic, sessile, glabrous, glands present. Stamens of equal size, filaments 5–7 mm long. Ovary subtriangular, pubescent, 2–3 mm long, style with terminal insertion, 4–5 mm long. Fruit a legume, dehiscent, triangular, without a protuberance, compressed, 3 × 1.5 cm, stipitate, nectary disc not persistent, glabrous, glands absent, veins absent, not winged. Phenology —Collected in flower between August and September and in fruit in September. Distribution and habitat— Peltogyne purpurea is a Caribbean species restricted to Panama and Colombia, mainly near wetlands (Fig 1). Taxonomic comments— Peltogyne purpurea has a subtriangular fruit with a straight line in the carpel cleft, sepals with a glabrous inner surface, equally sized filaments, and a pubescent ovary. This species is sometimes confused with P. mexicana due to their overlapped distribution. However, P. mexicana has a slightly rounded fruit in the carpel cleft region, pubescent sepals in the inner side, stamens with filaments of different sizes and a glabrous ovary. P. purpurea resembles P. gracilipes due to the shape of the leaflets, but P. purpurea can be distinguished by its attenuate base of the leaflets, non-decurrent blades and the non-dilated pulvinus. In P. gracilipes, the base of the leaflet is oblique, the blade is elongated and the pulvinus is dilated. In addition, P. gracilipes is restricted to the vicinity of Maracá Island in Roraima. P. purpurea can also be confused with P. subsessilis due to the similarities in the leaflets. However, P. subsessilis has discolorous leaflets and inflated-compressed fruits while P. purpurea has concolorous leaflets and compressed subtriangular fruits. Etimology—purpureus = purple, a color between red and blue, referring to the color of the wood. Specimens examined — PANAMA. Del Valle, Darien, Chepigana, A. Ducke 275 (INPA!); COSTA RICA. Puntarenas, Vicinity Esquinas station near Rio Esquinas, 17 August 1950, P. H. Allen 5608 (INPA!); COLOMBIA. Magdalena, Tucurinea, R. Romero-Castañeda 637 (INPA!). Vernacular names —Cananeo, Morado.