de Carvalho-Sobrinho, Jefferson G., de Queiroz, Luciano P., and Dorr, Laurence J. 2013. "Does Pseudobombax have prickles? Assessing the enigmatic species Pseudobombaxendecaphyllum (Malvaceae: Bombacoideae)." Taxon, 62, (4) 814–818. https://doi.org/10.12705/624.30.
In order to better understand the taxonomy of the enigmatic Pseudobombax endecaphyllum (Vell.) A. Robyns (Malv aceae: Bombacoideae), the only species in this genus thought to have aculeate branches, we reexamined the protologues of B. endecaphyllum and Pachira decaphylla A. St.-Hil. & Naudin, the latter a name long considered to be a synonym of the former, and discovered a great deal of taxonomic confusion. We conclude that B. endecaphyllum does not belong in Pseudobombax, Pachira decaphylla was based on a mixture of elements from two plant families, and the relationship between B. endecaphyllum and Pachira decaphylla is specious. It becomes evident that B. endecaphyllum is the earliest name available for Pachira stenopetala Casar. and the new combination Pachira endecaphylla (Vell.) Carv.-Sobr. is effected. An epitype is designated for B. endecaphyllum and a lectotype is designated for Pachira decaphylla, which becomes a synonym of Pseudobombax grandiflorum var. majus A. Robyns. Most importantly, we now consider that all species of Pseudobombax are unarmed.
