Psychotria berteriana subsp. venezuelica Steyerm.
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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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Type
Type. Selvas nubladas de Rancho Grande, Parque Nacional, Estado Aragua, Venezuela, alt 1200 m, 28 May 1937, H. Pittier 14010 (holotype VEN).
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Description
Latin Diagnosis - A subsp berteriana et subsp luxurians foliorum costa media nervis lateralibusque subtus pilosulis pilis patentibus magis manifestis praeditis recedit; rhachidi et axibus inflorescentiae pilosulis pilis patentibus conspicuis praeditis; hypanthio plus minusve puberulenti; calycis lobis non-glanduliferis; corolla plerumque 4-4.2 mm longa; inflorescentiae axibus principalibus 12-16, ramulis ultimis fertilibus plerumque (12-) 15-20 mm longis, floribus et fructibus magis dispersis.
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Discussion
There is considerable variation in the South American material as to pubescence of the lower midrib and lateral nerves of the leaf blades and of the inflorescence, as well as size of inflorescence and length of axes, pubescence of hypanthium and calyx margin, the subsp venezuelica showing more conspicuous pubescence in the inflorescence with short, spreading hairs evident. Also in subsp venezuelica the short spreading pubescence is evident on the lower midrib and lateral nerves of the blades, whereas in other parts of South America and in the southeastern Venezuelan Guayana the pubescence of the inflorescence and lower leaf nerves and midrib is much shorter and of an appressed type. In the material from northern Venezuela calycine squamellae are apparently absent from the sinuses of the calyx lobes, whereas in other South American specimens they are present. The appressed type of pubescence is found in material of P. luxurians from Bolivia, described as a species with a large panicle, but not separable from specimens occurring in the southeastern Venezuelan Guayana and elsewhere in South America, as indicated in the specimens cited above.
Some collections of Psychotria berteriana have been confused with Palicourea petiolaris H.B.K., which it resembles superficially. From Palicourea petiolaris it may at once be separated by the presence of three bractlets subtending the base of each flower or fruit, these not present in Palicourea petiolaris.