Digomphia laurifolia Benth.
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Authority
Maguire, Bassett & Wurdack, John J. 1957. The Botany of the Guiana Highland -- Part II. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 9 (3): 235-392.
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Family
Bignoniaceae
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Scientific Name
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Discussion
I have by now seen 22 gatherings of this species, from British Guiana (Rorairna and Upper Mazaruni River districts) and Venezuela (tepuis and cerros in Estado Bolivar and Territorio de Amazonas, often locally common), in habitats varying from altitudes of 125 m (Cerro Yapacana, Terr. Amazonas, Venezuela) to 2500 m (summit of Carrao-tepui). There is a good deal of variation in the size and shape of the leaves, sometimes even on the same gathering, in the development of the inflorescence and its indumentum (the pedicels and calyx are usually glabrous, but may be more or less copiously sprinkled with gland-tipped trichomes), and in the size of the calyx and corolla, but I see no reason for distinguishing more than a single species in the material. This is a small shrub with simple leaves and lavender-colored flowers, growing to a height of 15 ft, but usually much smaller and often less than 3 ft high. For further notes on this species, and a description of the capsule and seeds, see my contribution to Dr. Steyermark's "Contributions."