Fabaceae Lindl. in a Conservation Unit in the Semi-Arid Region of Paraíba, Brazil Author Gomes, Aureliana Santos Departamento de Geografia - Universidade Federal de Campina Grande: - Campus I, Centro de Humanidades. Unidade Acadêmica de Geografia-UAG, R. Aprígio Veloso, 882, Universitário, Campina Grande, PB, 58428 - 830, Brasil. Author Rodrigues, Erimágna De Morais Author Moura, Débora Coelho Departamento de Geografia - Universidade Federal de Campina Grande: - Campus I, Centro de Humanidades. Unidade Acadêmica de Geografia-UAG, R. Aprígio Veloso, 882, Universitário, Campina Grande, PB, 58428 - 830, Brasil. Author Melo, José Iranildo Miranda De Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação - Universidade Estadual da Paraíba - UEPB, Departamento de Biologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Av. das Baraúnas 351, Campus Universitário, Bairro Universitário, Campina Grande, PB, 58429 - 500, Brasil. Author Ribeiro, Rayane De Tasso Moreira Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Departamento de Biologia, Laboratório de Taxonomia Vegetal (LATAX), Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s / n, Campus Dois Irmãos, 52.171 - 900, Recife, PE, Brasil. Author Queiroz, Rubens Teixeira De Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia- Universidade Federal da Paraíba - Campus I, Centro de Ciências Exatas e da Natureza, Jardim Universitário, Castelo Branco, João Pessoa, PB, 58051 - 900, Brasil. & Author for correspondence: rbotânico @ gmail. com text Phytotaxa 2022 2022-07-19 555 1 17 41 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.555.1.2 journal article 102841 10.11646/phytotaxa.555.1.2 2e2412c5-4709-4f24-b489-db901a316721 1179-3163 6875635 16. Erythrina velutina Willdenow (1801: 426) . ( Fig. 3g ) Trees , branches tomentose, aculeate. Nectary absent. Stipules lateral, linear. Leaves imparipinnate, 3–foliolate, leaflets opposite, ovate, venation actinodromous, translucid punctuation absent. Inflorescence pseudoraceme, axillary. Flowers pedicillate, zygomorphic, diplostemonous; calyx gamosepalous, sepals 5, corolla dialypetalous, papilionaceous, red, petals 5; androecium diadelphous, heterodinamous, anthers longitudinal; ovary superior, sessile, pauciovulate. Fruit legume, sessile, linear, cylindric, plane, margin constricted, epicarp glabrous, brown. Seeds reniform, turgid, coat red, hilum central. Examined material:— BRAZIL . Paraíba : Maturéia , Pico do Jabre , 800 m elev., 02 December 2019 , fl., Aureliana Gomes 457 ( JPB ) . Distribution and ecology:— commonly known as mulungu, it is distributed in the group of dry forests in South America. In Brazil , the species is found in the Northeast (AL, BA, CE, PB, PE, PI, RN, SE) and Southeast (MG), associated with the Caatinga and Cerrado domains (BFG 2018; Queiroz 2009). Phenology:— Registered with flowers in December. Taxonomic discussion:— Erythrina velutina can be recognized, mainly, by the arboreal habit, aculeate branches, trifoliolate leaves, inflorescence in pseudoraceme, pedicelled flowers, red corolla and by the seeds with red coat. In the study area, it was the only tree species of Papilionoideae with armed branches and red flowers and seeds.