Seedling morphology of Rhynchosia species (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae) from Roraima, Brazil

(Seedling morphology of Rhynchosia species (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae) from Roraima, Brazil). This paper aims to describe, illustrate and compare the seedling morphology of the four species of Rhynchosia (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae) that occur in Roraima, Brazil. The studied species, R. phaseoloides (SW.) DC., R. melanocarpa Grear, R. minima (L.) DC., and R. schomburgkii Benth., possess crypto-hypogeal-reserve seedlings, eophylls at the first node that are 1-foliolate and opposite, and double and free stipules. The results show that morphological diversity found among seedlings of the studied species can be used to identify them at the specific level. Rhynchosia species are distinguishable from each other mainly by blade morphology and stipule length at the first eophyll node, as well as by the number of leaflets, shape and venation of the stipules of subsequent eophylls. This work also discusses the morphological variation found in Rhynchosia, and elucidates disparate data in the literature on seedlings of R. minima and R. phaseoloides.