Rhamnus serrata var. guatemalensis L.A.Johnst.

  • Authority

    Johnston, Marshall C. & Johnston, Laverne A. 1978. Rhamnus. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 20: 1-96. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Rhamnaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Rhamnus serrata var. guatemalensis L.A.Johnst.

  • Type

    Type. Steyermark 48377 (holotype A, isotype F), Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Sierra de los Cuchumatanes, vicinity of Tunima, 3400-3500 m alt, 7 Jul 1942.

  • Description

    Description - Shrubs 0.3-3.0 m tall, evergreen (leaves present in Dec and Jan collections). Bark with moderate amount of short pubescence. Branchlets (1.5-)3.0-9.0(-16.0) cm long (averaging ca 4.7 cm) with curving habit, generally not very crowded (exception, Molina 21222); internodes (0.1-)0.2-1.0(-1.5) cm long, most frequently ca 0.2-0.3 cm long. Bud scales dark rust-red in color, apex broadly obtuse and occasionally notched, hairs marginal. Stipules 2.0-3.5 mm long, pallid, thin, with scattered hairs, persistent. Petioles 1.0-2.5(-3.5) mm long with dense amounts of hairs along the ventral canal and sparser amounts of short hairs elsewhere. Leaf-blades (0.6-)1.0-4.2 cm long, (0.3-)0.4-1.2(-1.7) cm wide, the largest averaging 3.07 cm long and 1.32 cm broad, the smallest averaging 1.33 cm long and 0.51 cm wide, mostly twice as long as wide, some up to 3.3 times and rarely 3.7 times as long as wide; texture thickish; apex acute; margin revolute, bluntly serrate (teeth introrse with rare exception) or crenate and with mucros present or absent; above lustrous with moderate amount of very short almost invisible hairs or rarely glabrous, beneath about the same color as above and glabrous or very rarely with short hairs. Only one flower seen, petals uniformly colored. Pedicels in fruit 2.5-4.0 mm long and with moderate amount of very short, erect pubescence; stigma retained, fruits 2-seeded (rarely 3-seeded on an otherwise 2-seeded specimen).

  • Distribution

    Limited to the Guatemalan department of Huehuetenango at 3300-3900 m alt. Apparently flowering later than the var serrata.

    Guatemala Central America| Huehuetenango Guatemala Central America|