Barbieria is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. It contains a single species, Barbieria pinnata, a climber native to the tropical Americas, from southern Mexico through Central America and the Caribbean to northern South America.
It belongs to the Phaseoleae tribe of subfamily Faboideae.
Erect shrub 1âÂÂ2.5 m tall, apically a scandent liana. Leaves imparipinnate, leaflets commonly 13âÂÂ21, oblong to elliptic, 2.5âÂÂ6 cm long x 1âÂÂ2.5 cm wide, dark green with micro-uncinate pubescent above, pale with rufo appressed-pilose pubescence below. Inflorescences pseudoracemose, 4âÂÂ24 cm long; peduncle rufo-pilose. Pedicels 305 mm in flower, 5âÂÂ7 mm long in fruit. Bracts deltoid-lanceolate, subulate-acuminate, 3âÂÂ8 mm. Bracteoles lanceolate, subulate-acuminate, dark greenish-yellow becoming reddish-orange, 7-11mm long x 2âÂÂ3 mm wide. Flowers resupinate papilionaceous, red, 4.5âÂÂ6 cm long. Calyx dark-vivid red, narrow infundibular, tube 16âÂÂ22 mm long, 3âÂÂ5 mm basally expanding to 6âÂÂ8 mm wide at throat, lobes deltoid-ovate, subulate-acuminate, 8âÂÂ12 mm long; persistent in fruit. Standard petal brilliant red, paler toward spotted center, blade oblong-lanceolate, 25âÂÂ33 mm long x 14âÂÂ17 mm wide, claw 21âÂÂ24 mm long. Wing petals shorter than keel, red, flaring apically, blade elliptic-oblong 25âÂÂ33 mm long x 14âÂÂ17 mm wide, claw 21âÂÂ24 mm long. Keel petals red, blade elliptic-oblong, weakly falcate, 17âÂÂ23 mm long x 2.5âÂÂ5 mm wide. Staminal sheath white, 36âÂÂ44 mm long, free filaments 6âÂÂ8 mm; anthers white. Ovary sessile, linear, 8âÂÂ11 mm long, densely pubescent, trichomes white, ascending-asppressed, to 2 mm long; style 30âÂÂ43 mm long, flattened, bearded lengthwise, exerted beyond stamens, geniculate 5âÂÂ6 mm from distal end. Legume subsessile, linear, ecostate, valves puberulent-hirsute, strongly transversed-impressed between the seeds, spirally-twisting dehiscent. Seeds smooth, transverse oblong.], brownish-black, viscid,4-9 per pod. It flowered in March with fruits borne from April through December.
Barbieria is easily distinguishable from other members of subtribe Clitoriinae by red flowers, wing petals shorter than the keel, subulate0-acuminte bracts, bracteoles, stipules and calyx lobes, the dorsal calyx lobes free to near the base, and 15-21 leaflets.
Barbieria ranges from southwestern Mexico through Central America, the Caribbean islands, and northern South America to Bolivia and southeastern Brazil. It is present in the Amazonian, Andean, and Orinoco bioregions. In Colombia it ranges from 200 to 1140 meters elevation in the departments of Antioquia, Guaviare, Meta, and Vaupés.
Barbieria is found in moist soils in secondary growth, roadsides, riverine forests, forest edges or open areas with abundant sun, at elevations of 390âÂÂ1000 m. Plant collectors often cited that the plant was observed rarely in the area sampled.
De Candolle's (1825) Barbieria DC is a monotypic legume genus of questionable affinities, historically having been synonymized with the genus Clitoria, and placed in several tribes, including its own. White (1980) treated Barbieria as a distinct genus in the Panamanian flora. Lackey (1981) concluded it was a member of the genus Clitoria. In addition, he was the first to correctly assign the genus to tribe Phaseoleae subtribe Clitoriinae Benth., with members bearing resupinate (inverted) flowers, a unique trait amongst legumes. Mabberley (1987) and Smith and Lewis (1991) reconfirmed Barbieria as a synonym of Clitoria. Species of Clitoria fall into three distinct groups based upon morphology, but one could conclude that they represent three distinct genera. Bentham (1858) concluded that Clitoria would be rendered more natural by retaining these groups together, treating them as section. Baker (1879) elevated two sections to subgenus Clitoria and subgenus Neurocapum (Desv.) Bak. Fantz (1979) agreed with Bentham and elevated the third section to subgenus Bracteria. Fantz (1996) resegregated Barbieria from Clitoria. He provided a taxonomic key to the genera (Bracteria, Centrosema, Clitoria, Clitoriopsis, Periandra) in subtribe Clitoriinae. He provided over thirty morphological character traits segregating Bracteria and Clitoria in Table 2.