Abuta spicata (Thunb.) Triana & Planch.
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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.
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Family
Menispermaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Distribution and Ecology - COLOMBIA. (?)Mutis2203 (US).
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Discussion
Since our recent note [Mem. N . Y. Bot. Gard. 20(2): 251 on the subject of Batschia Thunb. we have seen among unidentified Menispermaceae at the Smithsonian Institution a third specimen from the Mutis herbarium which agrees well, so far as it goes, with the protologue of the obscure B. spicata Thunb. and m a y prove to be part of the type collection. The plant has well-preserved leaves and one pistillate inflorescence, but unfortunately no complete flowers and only tumescent ovaries. However, the inflorescence is short, and the flowers are not only crowded but sessile; it has precisely the diagnostic characters originally assigned to B. spicata. The specimen was examined by Diels who labelled it tentatively as Abuta sp. too incomplete to describe. We are unable to match it with any known Abuta, and we have reservations even about assigning it to that genus. The specimen is mentioned here not in order to identify it but to put its existence into the written record. As exploration of the Magdalena valley proceeds it is likely that genuine Batschia spicata will be rediscovered. If a plant from the region can be matched with the Mutis specimen the mystery of Batschia spicata will be solved.
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Distribution
COLOMBIA. (?)Mutis2203 (US).
Colombia South America|