Palicourea demissa var. chimo f. pubens 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. Dwarf forest entre Michelena y Boca del Monte, oeste de Zumbador, Estado Tachira, Venezuela, alt 2000-2400 m, 28 Aug 1966, Julian A. Steyermark & Marvin Rabe 96816 (holotype VEN).
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Description
Latin Diagnosis - A var chimo pedunculo rhachidi ramis inflorescentiaeque plus minusve pilosis recedit.
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Discussion
Palicourea chimo and P. demissa are conspecific, both of them showing the characteristic conspicuous calyx lobes and large corollas. The two may be considered as varieties based on the relative size of the inflorescence and proportionate length of the lowest axes with respect to the length of the inflorescence together with the relative length of the pedicels. Variation is found in the calyx lobes from glabrous to long-ciliate, and in glabrity and pubescence of peduncle, rachis, and branches of inflorescence. Venezuelan specimens from Estado Tachira (Steyermark 57194 and Steyermark & Dunsterville 98323), at one time assigned to P. anacardifolia (H. & B.) Standl., pertain to typical P. demissa. Palicourea abbreviata Rusby from the region of Santa Marta, Colombia, is very similar to P. demissa, and may eventually prove to be conspecific. It differs in the shorter, more crowded flowers which are sessile or shortly pedicellate and with shorter calyx lobes.