Barneby, Rupert C. & Krukoff, Boris A. 1971. Supplementary notes on American Menispermaceae. VIII. A generic survey of the American Tricilisisae and Anomospermeae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 22: 1-89.
Menispermaceae
Our current concept of A. reticulatum sens. lat. is expanded to include A. dielsianum Mold, and A. nitidum Miers, which now appear no more distinct than four newly recognized subspecies hitherto included in A. reticulatum sens. str. Although the whole range of the species is now greatly amplified, the morphological diversity within it is not much greater than formerly. The discovery that dispersal patterns are positively correlated with features of leaf-reticulation and sculpture of the endocarp has thrown a new light on the internal organization of the species, which is revealed as a mosaic of geographic races. These being for the most part sharply segregated geographically, or if not so then separable by easily observed foliage characters, our key has been constructed primarily on geographic lines, although mention is made in every case of the morphological differentiae.
The collective species A. reticulatum differs, so far as we can discover, from the closely related and almost equally widespread (but less common) A. chloranthum in only two ways: in details of the staminate flower (see key), seldom available; and in the general character of the leaf-blade, more easily grasped intuitively than put into words. Generally speaking the leaf of A. reticulatum is oblong-elhptic, cuneate at base and short-acuminate at apex, rarely becoming ovate- or lance-acuminate, but commonly twice or more than twice as long as wide. That of A. chloranthum tends to be rhombic-ovate, less than twice as long as wide. The differences cannot be expressed in exact measurements, and very unfortunately the staminate flower, not yet known in A. reticulatum subsp. venezuelense or subsp. allenii, is required before the question of affinities can be settled finally. Sculpture of the drupes, both internal and external, is equally polymorphic in both species and therefore affords no diagnostic evidence above the level of subspecies.