Trigonia nivea Cambess. var. nivea

  • Authority

    Lleras, Eduardo. 1978. Trigoniaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 19: 1-73. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Trigoniaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Trigonia nivea Cambess. var. nivea

  • Type

    Type. St Hilaire 226 Brazil, fl, fr (holotype MPU).

  • Description

    Description - Leaves oblong to oblong-elliptic, densely lanate to adpressed-lanate beneath, the margins entire to revolute; petioles 4.0-8.0 mm long. Flower buds ca 5 mm long; peduncles 0.0-1.5 mm long, the bracts 4.0-5.0 mm long. Fruit 5.0-7.0 mm long; endocarp usually pubescent.

  • Discussion

    This highly variable variety includes the taxa formerly known as Trigonia candida and T. ovalifolia, as well as T. nivea f paniculata. Warming proposed T. candida based primarily on leaf characters, and a more open inflorescence. An examination and a comparison of the types of T. candida and T. nivea yield information which makes it impossible to maintain them as separate taxa. Furthermore, had Warming been able to examine more sheets of the same material that he used as a basis for T. candida, he would have found his specific characters to be variable even within the same specimen. The sheets examined by Warming have fairly open inflorescences, while material of the same collections deposited in other herbaria was almost identical to the St. Hilaire collection of T. nivea.

    This high variability is present throughout the whole species, but is especially noticeable in this variety. Although I have established 3 varieties within the species, this solution is not perfect. There is some overlap in characters between the three. On the other hand, I have retained material in var nivea that might possibly be distinct, if there were consistency in the characters.

  • Common Names

    Cipoó de Paina

  • Distribution

    Extending in a coastal and mediterranean belt from Venezuela to Santa Catarina in southern Brazil and adjacent eastern Paraguay; the habitats most frequently occupied by this variety seem to be coastal forests and mesophilic grass¬lands and forests, with some populations found in drier, more xerophytic areas.

    Brazil South America| Santa Catarina Brazil South America| Venezuela South America| Paraguay South America|