Stegolepis celiae Maguire

  • Authority

    Maguire, Bassett. 1965. The Botany of the Guayana Highland. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 12 (3): 1-285.

  • Family

    Rapateaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Stegolepis celiae Maguire

  • Type

    Type. Flowers golden yellow, very fragrant, scapes 3 per leaf-axil, subtended by 3 prophylls, petals obcordate, 2.0 X 1.8 cm, frequent in low-bush slopes vicinity Cumbre Camp, alt. 1800 m, Cerro de la Neblina, Amazonas, Venezuela, 4 Jan 1954, Bassett Maguire, John J. Wurdack & George S. Bunting 37055 (holotype N Y , isotypes VEN, US, K, BRAS, F, G H). Paratypes. Cerro de la Neblina: stem base 20-30 cm wide, decumbent, inner leaf-sheaths crisp, edible, West Escarpment at alt. 2000 m, Maguire, Wurdack & Bunting 37138; rim Canon Grande at alt. 1800 m., Maguire, Wurdack d Maguire 42456.

  • Description

    Latin Diagnosis - Herbae perennes ad 1 m altae; caudicibus saepe decumbentibus, ad 1 m longis; foliis ingentibus; vaginis induratis conduplicatis anguste scarioso-marginatis, 18-25 cm longis, 7-10 cm latis, non-evidentur nervatis; auriculis rotundatis 6-10 mm altis; laminis coriaceis, late lineari-lanceolatis, 5-8 dm longis, 5-9 cm latis, apice obtnsiusculo subfalcato plus-minusve triangulare ad 14 ram lato, costa nonevidentur, venis prominulis, numerosis ca. 0.5-0.8 mm apartis; pedunculis 3-4 axillis foliorum dispositis, 6-8 dm longis, compressis, 6-8 mm latis, nervatis; prophyllis ca. 20 cm longis, conduplicatis papyraceis ca. 1.5 cm latis; spieulis (20-)30-50, 12-16 mm longis anguste lanceolatis, 3-4 mm latis; bracteolis 20-22, lanceolatis, 7-11 mm longis, 1.5-3.0 mm latis, apice acuminato, vulgo aristato; sepalis 3, lanceolatis, 11-12 mm longis ca. 3 mm latis; petalis 3, brevi-connatis, 2.2-2.5 cm longis, 1.5-1.8 cm latis, laminis late obcordatis, apiculatis, multi-venis, unguibus ca. 9-venis; staminibus 6, evidenter introrsis, filamentis planis 1-nervis, 6-7 mm longis, antheris lanceolatis, 3.5-4.5 mm longis, 4-locularibus, uniporis, loculis posterioribus apice ca. 0.6 mm productis; ovariis 3-locularibus, brevirostratis, loculis pluriovulatis; stylis subulatis 7-9 mm longis; seminibus mihi ignotis.

    Distribution and Ecology - Distribution. Common on open scrub exposures, collected only from Cerro Neblina.

  • Discussion

    Stegolepis celiae is a well defined species, having the most numerous and smallest spikelets of the section. Contrastingly, its leaves and sheaths are massive, vegetatively resembling most S. pungens of Mt. Duida. Clearly, S. pungens, S. squarrosa and S. celiae form a compact and natural unit. S. neblinensis and S. ptaritepuiensis, mutually closely related, may because of sometimes reflexed sepals be more correctly placed in the Pauciflora.