Coutarea hexandra var. campanilla (DC.) K.Schum.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Rubiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Coutarea hexandra var. campanilla (DC.) K.Schum.

  • Description

    Distribution and Ecology - Distribution. Northern Venezuela, also reported from Colombia. VENEZUELA. Distrito Federal: parte superior de las Colinas de Sosa, Aug 1938, Tamayo 609; Colinas del Jardin Botanico, Caracas, 12 Sep 1962, Lasser 4438. Anzoategui: entre Barcelona y Cumaná, 18 Aug 1961, Aristeguieta & Agostini 4713. Falcon: La Peña, 22 Aug 1952, Lasser & Foldats 3199. Lara: dwarf deciduous forest on slopes between Terepaima and Cabudare, alt 600 m, 5 Aug 1970, Steyermark, Delascio, G. & E. Dunsterville 103431. Trujillo: Santa Ana, alt 1700 m, 22 Sep 1922, Jahn 1160.

  • Discussion

    Coutarea Campanilla DC., Prodr. 4: 350. 1830.

    Coutarea lindeniana Baill., Adansonia 12: 300. 1879.

    Type. Caracas, Venezuela, Vargas.

    Varietal status is accorded here to the smaller-flowered Coutarea previously placed under C. Campanilla DC. and C. lindeniana Baill. According to de Candolle, the peduncles, calyces, and lower portion of the leaves in C. Campanilla are “villosis sub-hirsutis” and the flowers and fruits half smaller than those in C. hexandra (by de Candolle identified as C. speciosa Aubl.). Also the capsules are described for C. Campanilla as “minus compressa ecostata.” Among the several recent collections examined from Caracas and vicinity, none have been found with the characters of pubescence described for C. Campanilla, but the type of C. lindeniana Baill. (Linden 376 from between Caracas and Mérida) shows pubescent pedicels, and sparse pubescence on the hypanthium and calyx lobes. Both C. Campanilla DC. and C. lindeniana Baill. possess relatively small corollas as compared with C. hexandra. The villosulous peduncles and partially pubescent hypanthia and/or calyx tube of C. lindeniana are characters employed by de Candolle to distinguish his C. Campanilla, and the two taxa cannot be differentiated. Both taxa represent the reduced extremes of corolla size found in C. hexandra.

    Although the above-cited specimens of var Campanilla conform to the smaller-sized corollas, the following specimens are intermediate in corolla dimensions between C. hexandra and var Campanilla, showing corolla lengths of (3.5-)4-4.5 cm: VENEZUELA. Nueva Esparta: Cerro Guayamun, Margarita, Linares 132. Guarico: Altagracia de Orituco-Taguay (carretera hacia Carmen de Cura), Sep 1966, Aristeguieta & Agostini 6396. Carabobo: alrededores de Chirgua, Jul 1948, Standen 59; en chaparral, San Joaquin, 10 Jun 1968, Ferrari 433. Lara: dwarf deciduous forest on slopes between Terepaina and Cabudare, alt 600 m, 5 Aug 1970, Steyermark, Delascio, G. & E. Dunsterville 103431. Saer 815 from Río Guataparo, Valencia, cited under var hexandra has corollas varying from 4.5-5.4 cm long on the same branch, but falls under the minimum extremes of var hexandra. These smaller-flowered specimens usually have smaller leaf blades on the average.

    There appears to be no correlation shown between smaller-flowered specimens and the pubescence of peduncles and calyx tube or hypanthium, since Aristeguieta & Agostini 4713, Lasser 4438, Tamayo 609, Jahn 1160, and Lasser & Foldats 3199 (all cited under var Campanilla) have for the most part glabrous pedicels and hypanthia. The larger size of the corolla (7.5-8.2 cm long with lobes 18-22 mm long) of Blanco 592 would be placed under C. hexandra var speciosa (Aubl.) Schum., if that variety could be maintained. However, there is too much intergradation in size of corolla and degree of glabrity of the lower side of the leaf blades to warrant the separation of var speciosa from var hexandra. The majority of the larger-flowered specimens from Venezuela show the leaves beneath mainly glabrous except for occasional barbellate hairy tufts in the axils of the midrib and lateral nerves, with the lateral nerves sometimes sparsely pubescent. Moreover, although the pedicels and hypanthia of the Venezuelan material referred to var hexandra have mainly glabrous pedicels and hypanthia, there is variation to puberulous pedicels and hypanthia. In Pittier 7919 the nerves and midrib of the lower leaf surface are more loosely villous, and Schomburgk 526, placed under var hexandra f pubescens is regarded here as merely a more densely pubescent-leaved form.

  • Distribution

    Distribution. Northern Venezuela, also reported from Colombia.

    Venezuela South America| Colombia South America|