Tabebuia nodosa (Griseb.) Griseb.

  • Authority

    Gentry, Alwyn H. 1992. Bignoniaceae--part II (Tribe Tecomeae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 25: 1-370. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Bignoniaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Tabebuia nodosa (Griseb.) Griseb.

  • Type

    Type. Argentina. Santiago del Estero: Las Aguilas, Dec 1871 (fl), Lorentz 38 (holotype, GOET; isotype, CORD (fide Fabris)).

  • Synonyms

    Tecoma nodosa Griseb., Tabebuia nodosa var. parviflora Griseb., Bignonia morongii Britton, Gelseminum nodosum (Griseb.) Kuntze

  • Description

    Species Description - Usually small rather rachitically branched tree 3-8(-15) m tall, the branchlets terete, the nodes of older branchlets with variously developed short-shoots, more or less glabrescently lepidote. Leaves simple, oblanceolate to oblong-oblanceolate, the apex obtuse to rounded or rarely emarginate, the base cuneate, 0.5-6 cm long, 0.2-1.8 cm wide, entire, chartaceous to subcoriaceous, densely lepidote below, more or less glabrescently lepidote above, otherwise glabrous; petiole 2-5 mm long, lepidote, sometimes not well differentiated from leaf base. Inflorescence a single flower or cluster of 2-3 flowers at apex of short-shoot, the pedicels 3-6 mm long, lepidote, with pair of linear bracteoles near middle. Flowers with the calyx campanulate, 5-dentate, 4-9 mm long, 2-6 mm wide, strongly grayish lepidote, also lepidote inside; corolla lemon yellow, tubular-campanulate, 2-3(-5) cm long, 0.6-1 (-1.5) cm wide at mouth of tube, the tube 1.5-2.5 cm long, the lobes ca. 0.5(-1.5) cm long, the tube sparsely scattered lepidote outside, the lobes with minute lepidote glands inside, the margins lanose-ciliate, sometimes also with some trichomes scattered on exterior and/or interior surface, the floor and throat puberulous with erect trichomes ca. 0.2 mm long, very inconspicuously short-glandular pubescent at stamen insertion; stamens didynamous, the anthers divaricate, 2 mm long, the connective somewhat thickened; pistil ca. 1.5 cm long, the stigma spathulate, the ovary linear, 4 mm long, ca. 0.7-1 mm wide, glabrous except for scattered inconspicuous lepidote scales; disk annular-pulvinate, 1 mm long, 2 mm wide. Fruit a linear-oblong capsule, subterete, 4-15 cm long, 0.6-0.8 cm wide, the valves coriaceous, glabrous except for a few inconspicuous lepidote scales; seeds thin, bialate, 0.5-0.7 cm long, 1.5-2 cm wide, the hyaline-membranaceous wings sharply demarcated from brownish seed body.

  • Discussion

    Completely isolated in the genus, it is the only yellow-flowered Tabebuia species with simple leaves. As already noted by Fabris (1965), large and small flowers can be found on the same plant and lack taxonomic value even at the varietal level. There is a strong belief among campesinos that the flowering of this species predicts the coming of a rain. Aurelio Schinini (pers. comm.) assures me that this is not idle speculation and that he has personally observed this phenomenon.

  • Common Names

    labao, lavao, palo cruz, uinaj, Martin Gil, toroguatay, palo sinverguenza, guinah, pajagua eslabon

  • Distribution

    A very characteristic element of the chaco region from southwestern Brazil and Bolivia to Cordoba, Argentina; 30-1000 m elevation.

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