Monographs Details:
Authority:
Elias, Thomas S. 1976. A monograph of the genus Hamelia (Rubiaceae). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 26: 81-144.
Elias, Thomas S. 1976. A monograph of the genus Hamelia (Rubiaceae). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 26: 81-144.
Family:
Rubiaceae
Rubiaceae
Description:
Species Description - Shrubs or small trees to 6 m tall; bark thin, gray; branches terete, glabrous, branchlets subangulate to tetragonal, glabrous, ±swollen at the nodes, inconspicuously lenticellate. Leaves opposite, rarely ternate above; petioles terete, glabrous, 1.2-5.5 cm long; lamina broadly ovate to ovate-elliptic, acuminate to long acuminate at apex, attenuate at base (7.5-) 13-26 X 3.8-11.2 cm, chartaceous to subcoriaceous, glabrous or occasionally puberulent beneath, raphides inconspicuous beneath, lateral veins 11-16 pairs, weakly arcuate 20° to 40°, conspicuous beneath, anastomosing; stipules triangular, glabrescent, caducous, 4-7 mm long, 1-2 mm broad at base. Inflorescences compound dichasia, often appearing cymose, many-fascicled, terminal, (60-) 100-200-flowered; peduncles terete, 1.6-3 cm long, glabrous to minutely puberulent; floral axes 2-5.5 cm long, ascending, often strongly so, each axis 9-20-flowered; bracts ovate, 0.5-0.8 mm long, puberulent, early caducous. Flowers secund, 12-15 mm long, sessile; floral tube campanulate, 2-3 mm long, minutely puberulent, raphides absent, calyx lobes transversely ovate, 0.3-0.6 mm long, puberulent, persisting in fruit; corolla tubular, yellow, glabrous, 10-12 mm long, tube 1.5-2 mm broad, lobes ovate, 1-1.5 mm broad at base, acute at apex, erect; stamens included, filaments 2-3 mm long, anthers 6-8 mm long, the connective forming at the apex an ovate appendage ca. 1 mm long; gynoecium 9-11 mm long, stigma often swollen, oblong, style cylindrical, ovary 5-locular. Berries cylindrical to ellipsoid, 6-10 mm long, conspicuously rostrate by the ovarian disc, green ultimately black (?); seeds ± regular, lustrous, finely foveolate, 0.4-0.5 mm in diameter.
Species Description - Shrubs or small trees to 6 m tall; bark thin, gray; branches terete, glabrous, branchlets subangulate to tetragonal, glabrous, ±swollen at the nodes, inconspicuously lenticellate. Leaves opposite, rarely ternate above; petioles terete, glabrous, 1.2-5.5 cm long; lamina broadly ovate to ovate-elliptic, acuminate to long acuminate at apex, attenuate at base (7.5-) 13-26 X 3.8-11.2 cm, chartaceous to subcoriaceous, glabrous or occasionally puberulent beneath, raphides inconspicuous beneath, lateral veins 11-16 pairs, weakly arcuate 20° to 40°, conspicuous beneath, anastomosing; stipules triangular, glabrescent, caducous, 4-7 mm long, 1-2 mm broad at base. Inflorescences compound dichasia, often appearing cymose, many-fascicled, terminal, (60-) 100-200-flowered; peduncles terete, 1.6-3 cm long, glabrous to minutely puberulent; floral axes 2-5.5 cm long, ascending, often strongly so, each axis 9-20-flowered; bracts ovate, 0.5-0.8 mm long, puberulent, early caducous. Flowers secund, 12-15 mm long, sessile; floral tube campanulate, 2-3 mm long, minutely puberulent, raphides absent, calyx lobes transversely ovate, 0.3-0.6 mm long, puberulent, persisting in fruit; corolla tubular, yellow, glabrous, 10-12 mm long, tube 1.5-2 mm broad, lobes ovate, 1-1.5 mm broad at base, acute at apex, erect; stamens included, filaments 2-3 mm long, anthers 6-8 mm long, the connective forming at the apex an ovate appendage ca. 1 mm long; gynoecium 9-11 mm long, stigma often swollen, oblong, style cylindrical, ovary 5-locular. Berries cylindrical to ellipsoid, 6-10 mm long, conspicuously rostrate by the ovarian disc, green ultimately black (?); seeds ± regular, lustrous, finely foveolate, 0.4-0.5 mm in diameter.
Discussion:
1. Hamelia magnifolia Wernham, Jour. Bot. London 49: 210. 1911. Type. Costa Rica. Puntarenas: bank of Rib Corozal, near Santo Domingo de Golfo Dulce, Pittier 10091 (lectotype, B M ; isolectotypes, F frag! G H ! US!). Readily identifiable by the small, tubular, yellow flowers which are always borne in large, compound dichasia, Hamelia magnifolia differs from most species of Hamelia in having very large mature leaves. Hamelia barbata, H. longipes, H. chrysantha, and H. magnifolia form a closely related group. These species are the only ones of sect. Hamelia with tubular corollas that are yellow at anthesis. Of the four species H. magnifolia with its large many-branched and many-flowered inflorescences is considered to be the least speciahzed. A reduction in complexity and in number of flowers per inflorescence occurs in Hamelia longipes and is even more pronounced in H. barbata.
1. Hamelia magnifolia Wernham, Jour. Bot. London 49: 210. 1911. Type. Costa Rica. Puntarenas: bank of Rib Corozal, near Santo Domingo de Golfo Dulce, Pittier 10091 (lectotype, B M ; isolectotypes, F frag! G H ! US!). Readily identifiable by the small, tubular, yellow flowers which are always borne in large, compound dichasia, Hamelia magnifolia differs from most species of Hamelia in having very large mature leaves. Hamelia barbata, H. longipes, H. chrysantha, and H. magnifolia form a closely related group. These species are the only ones of sect. Hamelia with tubular corollas that are yellow at anthesis. Of the four species H. magnifolia with its large many-branched and many-flowered inflorescences is considered to be the least speciahzed. A reduction in complexity and in number of flowers per inflorescence occurs in Hamelia longipes and is even more pronounced in H. barbata.
Distribution:
Costa Rica South America| Panama Central America|
Costa Rica South America| Panama Central America|