Simira erythroxylon (Willd.) Bremek.
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Authority
Maguire, Bassett. 1972. The botany of the Guayana Highland--part IX. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 23: 1-832.
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Family
Rubiaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Distribution and Ecology - Distribution. Coastal Cordillera of north-central Venezuela and Andes of Merida, Venezuela. Distrito Federal: Caruao, Pittier 11933. Miranda: quebrada in trophilous forest, between Carenera and Chirimena, 4-5 km N of Carenera, alt 10-50 m, 22 Nov 1969, Steyermark & Bunting 102319. Aragua: Parque Nacional, below Rancho Grande towards Maracay, 9 Dec 1943, Steyermark 54919 Merida: alrededores de Mucubajá, alt 3450 m, 12 Jun 1967, Trujillo 8464.
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Discussion
Sickingia erythroxylon Willd., Ges. Naturf. Fr. Neue Schr. 3: 446. 1801.
Type. Waldigen Gebirgen der Provinz Caracas, Venezuela, Bredemeyer.
The Trujillo 8464 collection from Estado Merida is the only collection known outside of the Coastal Cordillera. The corollas are 5.5-6 mm long and the hypanthium 4 mm long, thus measuring somewhat smaller than in material from the Coastal Cordillera. The external surface of the corolla tube of the Merida specimens shows perhaps somewhat more uniformity of puberulence as contrasted with the specimens from the Coastal Cordillera, in which the pubescence appears as vertical lines of strigose or appressed hairs mainly on the lower portion of the tube. However, these differences appear to be too minute to warrant any separation at this time. The leaf shape and pubescence appears identical in both the material from Merida and that from the Coastal Cordillera.