Faramea anisocalyx var. pulchella (Benth. & Hook.f. ex Müll.Arg.) Steyerm.

  • Authority

    Maguire, Bassett. 1967. The botany of the Guayana Highland--Part VII. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 17: 1-439.

  • Family

    Rubiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Faramea anisocalyx var. pulchella (Benth. & Hook.f. ex Müll.Arg.) Steyerm.

  • Description

    Distribution and Ecology - Known only from Amazonas, Brazil.

  • Discussion

    Faramea pulchella Mull-Arg., Flora 58 : 475, 1875

    Type. Prope Panure ad Rio Uaupes, Brazil, Sept 1S52, R. Spruce 2570. Spruce notes that the bracts and all parts of the flowers are pure white.

    The variations within Faramea anisocalijx of white to blue petaloid bracts, white to blue corollas, ovate-oblong to linear-lanceolate corolla-lobes, narrow to broad corolla-tubes, pronounced toothing of the calyx-margin to obsolete denticu-lation, are referred in this treatment to typical F. amsocalyx, on the one hand, and var schwackei on the other hand. The variation referred to var pulchella is similar to var schwackei f schwackei, but differs in the fewer-flowered peduncles, more slender corolla-tube, narrower corolla-lobes, and less plainly-nerved lateral nerves of the leaf-blades.

    Only future field observations can demonstrate the constancy or intergradabil-ity of these taxa so far as the delimiting characters of number of flowers, size of corolla-tube and lobes, calyx-toothing, and coloring of petaloid bracts are concerned. The photo of the type collection of F. amsocalyx (Poeppig 2030 from Peru) from the Delessert and Berlin herbaria show 8-9 flowers in bud stage on pedicels about 2.5-4 mm long; the calyces show some elongated teeth on the specimen from the Delessert Herbarium, but they are not apparent on the one from the Berlin Herbarium; the floral bracts on the specimen from the Berlin Herbarium are very showy, broadly ovate to suborbicular-ovate, and 28-32 mm long by 16-30 mm broad, whereas on the specimen from the Delessert Herbarium the bracts appear to be smaller and narrower and about 23 mm long by 5-9 mm broad; on the specimen from the Delessert Herbarium the lateral nerves of the leaves appear prominent and subhorizontal with about 8 on each side, whereas on the Berlin Herbarium photo they appear about 4 on each side on shorter leaf-blades.

    It might be argued that Faramea corymbosa Aubl. is merely a form of F. anisocalijx without petaloid bracts. In view of the paucity of herbarium material, there is nothing to indicate that such is the situation. Actually, there appear to be other differences to separate the two taxa in such characters as toothing of the calyx, relative length of calyx and hypanthium, shape, length, and width of corolla-lobes, and width of corolla-tube. Until more evidence can be brought forward to indicate otherwise, F. corymbosa and F. amsocalyx must be considered as separate, although admittedly closely related, taxa.

  • Distribution

    Known only from Amazonas, Brazil.

    Brazil South America|