Roupala fiebrigii Perkins
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Authority
Prance, Ghillean T., et al. 2007. Proteaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 100: 1-218. (Published by NYBG Press)
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Family
Proteaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type. Bolivia. Tarija: Cuesta Vieja bei Yesera ostl., 3000 m, 1903-1904 (fl), Fiebrig 2649 (holotype, B).
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Synonyms
Orites fiebrigii (Perkins) Diels ex Sleumer
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Description
Species Description - Shrub. Young stems densely ferruginous-velutinous, glabrescent; older stems dark brown, glabrous or patchy glaucous, with small vertical or horizontal fissures; leaf scars crescent or triangular shaped, widely separated on main stems. Lenticels absent or very small and inconspicuous, orange, powdery inside fissures, sometimes few, to 0.5 mm, orbicular, prominent, and quite conspicuous. Leaves concentrated on short shoots, appressed to stem or spreading, drying pale brown to greenish or black, thickly coriaceous; young leaves very densely appressed, pale ferruginous short-tomentose on both surfaces of lamina, the adult leaves essentially glabrous above, grayish and densely short-tomentose or velutinous beneath, the indumentum persistent or lost in patches. Petiole well defined, 0.4-1.1 cm long, 1.5-2 mm broad at midlength, 1/7.3-1/12.4 the length of the lamina, semiterete, appressed-puberulent, the indumentum patchy. Lamina 5.5-7 × 1.6-2.8 cm, lanceolate to narrowly obovate to oblong or ovate; base symmetrical, obtuse to acute briefly narrowing; apex obtuse to rounded, less frequently acute, the midvein protruding as minute mucro; margin entire, not revolute, thickened and raised beneath; venation eucamptodromous to cladodromous, sometimes reticulodromous, the secondary veins leaving the midrib at an angle of 45° or less, midrib and secondary veins prominent and conspicuous on both sides of lamina, occasionally conspicuously, sunken above, the venation occasionally reticulate or almost so beneath, the midvein reaching the apex; lateral veins 2-4 pairs. Inflorescence axillary, less commonly terminal, unbranched, ca. 7.8 cm × 1-1.3 cm, densely appressed yellowish to grayish puberulent to short-tomentose; peduncle essentially absent. Common bracts 3-5 mm long, rapidly caducous, broadly ovate, the apex long-mucronate, almost caudate, membranous, glabrous to glabrescent, the margin ciliate, the apex glabrescent to rufous appressed-puberulent. Flower-pair axis absent. Pedicels 0.5-1 mm long, the indumentum dense, yellowish to beige, short-tomentose. Buds 6-7 mm long, 0.8-1 mm broad at midlength, glabrous or with a few hairs towards the apex. Flowers 6.5-7 mm long; filaments completely adnate to tepals, adnate ca. 4.5 mm from base of tepals; anthers ca. 1.75-2 mm long; nectary lobes 0.2 mm long, well separated or juxtaposed at the base; ovary hairs extending 1-1.25 mm from base of ovary, covering entire ovary evenly, the indumentum dense, yellowish, short-tomentose, hairs spreading. Fruit pedicels 1 mm long. Fruit 0.8-1.2 × 0.5-0.6 mm, slightly constricted for 1 mm toward base, the beak 2-3 mm at apex with persistent style, with short, gray, appressed indumentum persisting to maturity.
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Discussion
Roupala fiebrigii was transferred to the genus Orites by Sleumer, following Diels’ suggestion on the type specimen. This was possibly due to the large common bracts and the note on the type specimen by Diels, which says "ovula amphitropa." Amphitropous ovules are found in Orites, while those in Roupala are orthotropous. This species is not an Orites, because the tepals are free to the base with the anthers recurving backwards with the tepals (vs. tepals only partly free, and the anthers remaining erect). The pollen presentation in these specimens is also more specialized than in O. myrtoidea where the style appears lopped off. In this species the style is clavate and is a terminal slit.
Diagnostic characters. This species is very distinct and unusual within the genus. It is characterized by its thickly coriaceous oblong leaves, which are concentrated on short shoots and are densely gray-velutinous or gray-tomentose beneath. The inflorescence is also densely velutinous yet the perianth is almost glabrous. It has very large common bracts (3-5 mm) which is very unusual for this genus but which are, however, quickly caducous, so not easily seen. Also diagnostic are the flowers supported by a very short, densely indumented pedicel, which contrasts conspicuously with the almost glabrous perianth.
Field characters. Unknown.
Phenology. Flowering Sep-Feb; fruiting in Apr.
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Common Names
Coca-coca
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Distribution
Andean species restricted to the Departments of Tarija, Chuquisaca, Potosí, and Cochabamba in Bolivia. Found growing in maquis and Polylepis forest at high altitudes between 2100 and 3100 m.
Chuquisaca Bolivia South America| Cochabamba Bolivia South America| Potosí Bolivia South America|