Sciadotenia nitida (Riley) Krukoff & Barneby

  • Authority

    Barneby, Rupert C. & Krukoff, Boris A. 1971. Supplementary notes on American Menispermaceae. VIII. A generic survey of the American Tricilisisae and Anomospermeae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 22: 1-89.

  • Family

    Menispermaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Sciadotenia nitida (Riley) Krukoff & Barneby

  • Description

    Distribution and Ecology - PANAMA. Canal Zone: Cocoli, opposite Balboa, Riley 136 (K-holotype); Darien: Stern et al. 367 (US) (vicinity of Paya), 916 (GH, K) (Rio Chucunaque), Duke 5218 (MO) (Rio Chico). COLOMBIA. Antioquia: Quebrada Mercedes, alt ± 50 m, Oscar Haught 4934 (COL); Santander: (?) Romero-Castaneda 5016 (US) (isotype of S. ramiflora var. colombiana).

  • Discussion

    Odontocarya nitida Riley, Kew Bull. 1927: 119. 1927.

    (?)Sciadotenia ramiflora Eichler var. colombiana Moldenke, Revista Sudam. Bot. 10: 229. 1956.

    Like 5. ramiflora; petioles 2-6 cm long; leaf-blades varying from ovate-acuminate to broadly lance-elHptic, at base varying from shallowly cordate to truncately rounded, 6-14 X 3-6 cm, in texture membranous, drying dark and lustrous above, beneath paler, olivaceous, rather dull; reticulation beneath of raised veinlets forming a mesh of areoles ± 1 mm diam (but these sometimes enclosing an extremely fine, barely raised mesh); inflorescence [male] 4-8 cm long, branched at least below middle, the secondary axes several-flowered, up to 1-2 cm long; flower [male]: sepals 18, the largest ovate, 1.8-2.3 X 1.2-1.3 mm; petals 6, concave, carnosulous, grooved ventrally to accommodate the anteposed stamen, pilosulous dorsally, 0.9-1.2 mm long; androecium of 6 free filaments, the outer set somewhat smaller and shorter, the 3 larger ones cuneate in dorsal view, grooved ventrally, ± 0.6 mm long, 0.35-0.5 mm wide just below the prominulous anthers; inflorescence [female] very shortly 3-4-f lowered, the main axis less than 1 cm, the pedicels 3-4 mm long; flower [female]: sepals 21, the fifth cycle up to 2.5 mm long, 1.7 mm wide, the 6 innermost ± 2 mm long; petals 6, liguliform, up to 1.2 mm long, 0.45 mm wide; carpels 6; fruit unknown (but see discussion).

    The foregoing description was prepared from four collections from Panama, all staminate, and one pistillate from near Turbo, Antioquia, Colombia (on Gulf of Darien just east of Panama). We are unable to reach a decision as to the status of the obviously related but not identical plant from the middle Magdalena valley in Santander, Colombia, already described as S. ramiflora var. colombiana Mold. This differs, very likely without taxonomic significance, in the large size of the leaf-blades (12-22 X 5-9 cm), which are either truncately rounded or broadly flabellate at insertion of the petiole. Perhaps more important, the pistillate inflorescence (mature) is only 1-flowered, the peduncle 1.5-2.5 cm long, and the plumply ovoid-subglobose drupe (± 1.1 cm diam) is when ripe berry-like, with very thin epidermis described as red when fresh, and heavy mucilaginous pulp, white and sweet according to the collector becoming black and flaky when dry. Until fruits of Panamanian S. nitida are known at the same stage of ripeness, it will be impossible to settle the status of var. colombiana. We do not yet have any information as to the ripe fruits of Amazonian S. ramiflora.

  • Distribution

    PANAMA. Canal Zone: Cocoli, opposite Balboa, Riley 136 (K-holotype); Darien: Stern et al. 367 (US) (vicinity of Paya), 916 (GH, K) (Rio Chucunaque), Duke 5218 (MO) (Rio Chico). COLOMBIA. Antioquia: Quebrada Mercedes, alt ± 50 m, Oscar Haught 4934 (COL); Santander: (?) Romero-Castaneda 5016 (US) (isotype of S. ramiflora var. colombiana).

    Panama Central America| Colombia South America|