Tabebuia subtilis Sprague & Sandwith

  • Authority

    Maguire, Bassett & Wurdack, John J. 1957. The Botany of the Guiana Highland -- Part II. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 9 (3): 235-392.

  • Family

    Bignoniaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Tabebuia subtilis Sprague & Sandwith

  • Description

    Distribution and Ecology - VENEZUELA: Bolivar: tree 15 m high, Rib Ikabaru, tributary of Rib Caroni, 420 m, fl. Oct. 1946, F. Cardona 1728; tree ca. 8 m high, edge of burnt savanna, west side of Uaipan, Uaipan-tepui, 1400 m, fl. Jan. 1948, K. D. Phelps & C. B. Hitchcock 355 and (without field-notes) 445; tree 40 ft. high, corolla yellow, on Rio Abacapa, from mouth to 1/4 mile upstream, northwestern part of Abacapa-tepui, Chimanta Massif, 415 m, fl. fr. March 1953, J. A. Steyermark 74710.

  • Discussion

    The first records for Venezuela of a species hitherto known (var. subtilis) from riverbanks below the Pakaraima Range in British Guiana and (var. schultesiana Sandw. Bot. Mus. Leafl. 17(3):96) from Amazonian Colombia. The collections from the higher altitude,, on Uaipan-tepui3 seem to me to be a habitat from or variety with more leathery leaflets which tend to be rounded at the apex with an evanescent cusp or acumen. In the same way, as I have written elsewhere, T. roraimae Oliv. and T dura (Bur. & K. Schum) Sprague & Sandw. are probably montane habitat forms or varieties of T. insignis (Miq.) Sandw.

    T. subtilis seems to be closely allied to T. guayacan (Seem.) Hemsl., T. rufescens Johnst. and T. obscura (Bur. & K. Schum.) Sandw., differing from all of these in the longer hairs along the anterior inner side of the corolla tube, and in the conspicuous and longer bracts of the inflorescence.

  • Distribution

    VENEZUELA: Bolivar: tree 15 m high, Rib Ikabaru, tributary of Rib Caroni, 420 m, fl. Oct. 1946, F. Cardona 1728; tree ca. 8 m high, edge of burnt savanna, west side of Uaipan, Uaipan-tepui, 1400 m, fl. Jan. 1948, K. D. Phelps & C. B. Hitchcock 355 and (without field-notes) 445; tree 40 ft. high, corolla yellow, on Rio Abacapa, from mouth to 1/4 mile upstream, northwestern part of Abacapa-tepui, Chimanta Massif, 415 m, fl. fr. March 1953, J. A. Steyermark 74710.

    Venezuela South America|