Dorstenia carautae C.C.Berg

  • Authority

    Berg, Cornelius C. 2001. Moreae, Artocarpeae, and (Moraceae): With introductions to the family and and with additions and corrections to Flora Neotropica Monograph 7. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 83: 1-346. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Moraceae

  • Scientific Name

    Dorstenia carautae C.C.Berg

  • Type

    Type. Brazil. São Paulo: Eldorado, nr. Gruta da Tapagem, 22 Jan 1971, Carauta 1277 (holotype, RB; isotypes, AC, COL, E, F, GH, GUA, K, NCU, SING, SP, U, US, UT, ZA).

  • Description

    Species Description - Herb, to ca. 50 cm tall; stem partly repent to rhizomatous, 1-4 mm thick, (rather) densely puberulous to hirtellous with straight, curved, and/or uncinate hairs; internodes to 3.5 cm long. Leaves in spirals, tending to distichous; lamina oblong to elliptic, 4-16 × 2-7 cm, chartaceous to membranaceous; apex subacute to (sub)acuminate; base acute to obtuse to rounded; margin ± coarsely crenate-dentate to subentire; upper surface scabrous with minute conical hairs or glabrous; lower surface puberulous with minute straight to uncinate hairs, mainly on the veins, or to hirtellous; lateral veins 6-11 pairs, rather distinctly loop-connected; tertiary venation reticulate to partly scalariform; petiole (0.7-)l-4 cm long; puberulous with minute straight, curved, or uncinate hairs (or to hirtellous); stipules narrowly triangular to almost subulate, 0.1-0.4 cm long, coriaceous, uninervate, appressed or ± patent to deflexed, sparsely and minutely puberulous. Inflorescences green; peduncle 0.7-2 cm long, minutely puberulous; receptacle centrally attached, discoid to broadly turbinate, angular to (sub)stellate in outline, (0.7-) 1-2 cm diam., the outside minutely puberulous, the fringe distinct, ca. 1 mm broad; bracts in 2-4 rows, on the margin and on the fringe, appressed or sometimes the larger ones radiating, ovate to suborbicular, to 0.7 mm long, ciliolate; staminate flowers among the pistillate ones; tepals 2; stamens 2; filaments about as long as the perianth; stigmas (almost) equal in length, ca. 0.1-0.2 mm long. Endocarp body ca. 2 × 1.5 mm, tuberculate.

  • Discussion

    The material referred to Dorstenia carautae has been included in D. lagoensis (Carauta et al., 1978). In the present revision D. lagoensis is regarded as a synonym of D. bowmaniana with a scattered distribution in the States of Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro. Dorstenia bowmaniana differs from D. carautae in the smaller leaves and inflorescences and in features of the indumentum, such as the length of the hairs and the frequency of uncinate hairs. Dorstenia carautae and D. bowmaniana appear to be closely related, but sufficiently distinct to justify recognition at the species level.

  • Distribution

    In eastern Brazil (São Paulo to Santa Catarina); in shaded places; at low elevations.

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