Hillia parasitica subsp. nobilis (Vell.) Steyerm.

  • Authority

    Maguire, Bassett. 1972. The botany of the Guayana Highland--part IX. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 23: 1-832.

  • Family

    Rubiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Hillia parasitica subsp. nobilis (Vell.) Steyerm.

  • Description

    Distribution and Ecology - Distribution. Southern Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, and possibly Peru. BRAZIL. Santa Catarina: Braco Joaquim, Luis Alves, Itajai, alt 450 m, 20 Aug 1954, Reitz & Klein 2058; Mina Velha, Garuva, San Francisco do Sul, alt 10 m, 20 Dec 1957, Reitz & Klein 5789. São Paulo: Alto da Serra, Matta da Estação Biologica, Celestino Lemos 28681. Paraná: Tacarehý, 13 Dec 1914, Dusén 16113. Rio de Janeiro: prope Rio Janeiro, Tijuco, Jan 1833, Riedel 1240. Minas Gerais: Serra do Espinhaco, Pico de Itabirito, 50 km SE of Belo Horizonte, alt 1750 m, 11 Feb 1968, Irwin, Maxwell & Wasshausen 19852. State unknown: Sello 1754. BOLIVIA. Yungas, 1890, Bang 600 (type of H. boliviana); 13-20 Apr 1892, Kuntze s n. COLOMBIA. Magdalena: Las Nubes, Santa Marta, alt 1353-1818 m, 1898-99, H. H. Smith 1654.

  • Discussion

    Saldanha nobilis Veil. Fl. Flum. 142. pi. 158, t. 3. 1825.

    Hillia brasiliensis Cham. & Schl. in Linnaea 4: 201. 1829.

    Hillia boliviana Britton, Mem. Torr. Bot. Club 3, no. 3: 43. 1893.

    Type. Region of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    As indicated in the key, the West Indian material, from which the description and type of H. parasitica originated, differs in several quantitative and qualitative characters from material described from southern Brazil as Saldanha nobilis and Hillia brasiliensis, although most authors previously included all the specimens under the one taxon, H. parasitica. With respect to the length of the corolla tube and of the bract subtending the flower the Venezuelan plants resemble those of the West Indies, but with respect to the length of the corolla lobes and shape and size of the bracteoles at the base of the ovary, the resemblance of the Venezuelan material is with the material from southern Brazil. Vellozo’s plate 158 of Saldanha nobilis shows a narrow salverform corolla tube and short, oblong, rounded calyx lobes. These characters, combined with the narrowly linear or “subulate” elongated corolla lobes, match the material of southern Brazil cited above as subsp nobilis. The corolla in H. parasitica and subsp nobilis is uniformly white or whitish.

  • Distribution

    Distribution. Southern Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, and possibly Peru.

    Brazil South America| Bolivia South America| Colombia South America| Peru South America|