Psychotria franquevilleana Müll.Arg.
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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. In regione Rio Negro ad flumen Pacimoni in montanis, Amazonas, Venezuela, Feb 1854, Spruce 3378.
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Discussion
The label on the Spruce 3378 specimen at K reads “in sylvis ad pedem montis Imei.” This taxon is allied to P. vasivensis (M.-Arg.) Standi. It has a similar leaf shape and other characters similar to that of P. maturacensis Steyerm., described above. From the latter species it differs in the completely glabrous bracts of the involucre, barbate interior of the corolla, umbellately disposed axes of the inflorescence, and often glabrous peduncle and axes. From P. vasivensis it is distinguished by the umbellately disposed axes, glabrous bracts of the involucre, glabrous and eciliate repand-truncate calyx, and often glabrous peduncles and axes. The brownish filiform hairs located at the base of the pedicels was noted by Müller-Argoviensis (“intra flores autem ferrugineo-piligera”) and indicates one of the characters this species has in common with that of P. maturacensis, P. vasivensis, and P. tillettii, although Müller-Argoviensis placed P. franquevilleana in a section of Psychotria (Cephaelis, B. Barbiflorae) distantly separated from P. vasivensis, which he treated under Mapouria, section Eumapouria.
On the other hand, P. franquevilleana shows connection with the following group of species, which includes P. silvae, P. hyptoides, P. caerulea, P. brachiata, and related species. From P. silvae Steyermark, to which it shows the closest alliance in that group, it differs in the umbellately disposed rays, and truncate, non-ciliate, glabrous calyx margin.