Psychotria decurrens 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. Laderas pendientes superiores, arriba de San Felipe, Sierra de Aroa, Cerro Negro, en las cabeceras afluentes del Río Cocorotico, Estado Yaracuy, Venezuela, alt 1100-1250 m, 13 Nov 1967; herb 0.5 m tall; corolla white; bracts olive green; fruit white; Julian A. Steyermark & G. Wessels-Boer 100391 (holotype VEN).
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Description
Latin Diagnosis - Planta herbacea vel fere suffrutex 0.5-1.5-metralis, caulibus superne 0.8-1 cm diam glabris; stipulis suborbicularibus rotundatis patenti-squarrosis parte libera 6 mm longa 7 mm lata cystolithis praeditis; foliis oppositis petiolatis, petiolis liberis 3-12 mm longis ceterum cum lamina decurrentibus manifeste albidis cystolithis praeditis; laminis fere ad basin petioli decurrentibus late obovatis apice late subacutis vel obtuse acutis basi longiattentuatis 22-33 × 11.5-16 cm supra juvenilibus adpresso-puberulis pilis vermiculiformibus praeditis maturitate glabris subtus costa media nervis lateralibusque sparse adpresso-puberulentibus ceterum maturitate sparse vel moderatim puberulentibus vel pilosulis juvenilibus magis puberulentibus nervis lateralibus utroque latere 13-14 adscendentibus 15-18 mm remotis subtus elevatis; inflorescentiis omninas axillaribus sessilibus vel breviter pedunculatis, pedunculo ad 1 mm longo glabrato in 2-3 ramos usque 7-8 × 1.5 mm desinenti; inflorescentiis ut videtur primum simplicibus monocephalisque subhemisphaericis 10-15 mm longis 12-35 mm latis demum ramosis, capitulis valde confertis 3-12 individuis 7-9 mm longis 8-13 mm latis ca 20-24-floris; bracteis extimis sub capitulis medio carinatis ovato-lanceolatis acutis 8.5 × 2.5-4.5 mm extus tomentosis intus-supra medium tomentosis ceterum glabris; bracteis sub axibus inflorescentiae singulis lanceolatis acuminatis 8-10 × 2-2.5 mm extus puberulis; capitulis ultimis individuis a bracteis cinctis, his extimis duobus subnaviculatis lanceolato-oblongis subacutis vel sub-obtusis 6-8 × 2.5-3 mm, intrinsecus bracteis majoribus prominentibus 10-12 lanceolatis 6-7 × 2-2.5 mm obtuse naviculatis vel subacutis apice paullo incrassatis callosis; pares florum a bracteis majoribus atque paribus bracteolarum subtentis, bracteola unica floris extrinsecus subtenta lineari-spathulata vel lineari-lanceolata obtusa vel acuta 4.2 × 0.4 mm setoso-ciliata; calyce hypanthioque 2.5-2.8 mm longo, hypanthio columnari 1 × 0.8 mm inferne glabro superne pilosulo; calyce 1.5 mm longo, tubo 0.2 mm longo, dentibus quinque elongatis fere ad basin tubi calycis fissis linearibus vel lineari-lanceolatis anguste acuminatis 1-2 × 0.1-0.2 mm inaequali-bus setuloso-ciliatis scariosis; disco tubum calycis superanti lobis calycis dimidio breviore; corolla tubulosa sub anthesi 6-7 mm longo in alabastro serotino 5 mm longo, tubo extus puberulo intus supra medium moderatim pilosulo ceterum glabro, lobis lanceolatis subacutis 1.5 × 0.6 mm; staminibus exsertis, antheris linearibus 1.2-1.3 mm longis; bacca albida ovoidea 7.5 × 5.5 mm, pyrenis facie ventrali planis 1-carinatis dorso manifeste acuteque 5-costatis.
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Discussion
Like P. standleyana Steyerm. and P. uberta Standi. & Steyerm. this species has white fruits and axillary densely flowered inflorescences, but is distinguished from them by the decurrent petioles, sessile inflorescences or nearly so, and olive green, instead of colored bracts of the inflorescence. From P. humensis Steyerm. it differs in the denser heads of flowers on shorter, less branched peduncles, acuminate calyx lobes, and broader bracts.