Monographs Details:
Authority:
Berg, Cornelius C. & Franco Rosselli, Pilar. 2005. Cecropia. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 94: 1--230. (Published by NYBG Press)
Berg, Cornelius C. & Franco Rosselli, Pilar. 2005. Cecropia. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 94: 1--230. (Published by NYBG Press)
Family:
Urticaceae
Urticaceae
Description:
Species Description - Tree, to 15 m tall. Leafy twigs 1.5-3 cm thick, green, glabrous, sparsely puberulous (sometimes only on the stipular scars) or densely hirtellous to subhirsute to subvillous or to hispidulous; internodes partly filled with brown pith. Lamina subcoriaceous to coriaceous, sometimes ± plicate, ca. 25 × 25 cm to 50 × 50 cm (to 70 × 70 cm), the segments 8-10, the free parts of the upper ones ovate to elliptic to oblong, the incisions down to 4/10-7/10; apices rounded to subacute; upper surface smooth and (sub)glabrous or ± scabrous and hispidulous to (densely) puberulous to hirtellous, often also with sparse to dense arachnoid indumentum; lower surface glabrous, with rather dense brown pluricellular trichomes or hirtellous to subhirsute on the veins, with arachnoid indumentum in the areoles and on smaller veins, at least initially often extending to the main veins; lateral veins in the free part of the midsegment 10-16 pairs, marginally loop-connected, usually branched; petiole 10-35 (-45) cm long, glabrous or hirsute to hirtellous or to subvillous, often only at the base, often also with sparse to dense arachnoid indumentum; trichilia absent, occasionally present, but then usually poorly developed; stipules 7-20 cm long, green, glabrous or sparsely to densely (sub)hirsute to (sub)strigose, often also with arachnoid indumentum outside, sparsely to rather densely (sub)sericeous (or subglabrous) inside. Staminate inflorescences solitary or in pairs, the peduncle erect and the spikes erect to pendulous (?); peduncle 4-10(-13) cm long, glabrous or hirtellous to subhirsute, often also with arachnoid indumentum; spathe 4-8(-10) cm long, green or grayish green, glabrous or hirtellous to subhirsute to strigose, often also with arachnoid indumentum outside, glabrous inside; spikes ca. 10-20, 1.5-6(-9.5) × 0.2-0.3 cm, with stipes 0.3-1.5 cm long and glabrous or hairy; rachis hairy. Staminate flowers: perianth tubular, ca. 1-1.2 mm long, glabrous, the apex convex to almost plane; filaments flat; anthers ca. 0.5 mm long, appendiculate, detached and reattached to the margins of the aperture by the appendages at anthesis. Pistillate inflorescences often solitary, erect; peduncle 2-8(-11) cm long, glabrous or hirtellous to subhirsute, often also with arachnoid indumentum; spathe 3-8 cm long, the color and indumentum as in the staminate inflorescence; spikes 4-6, 1.5-6 × ca. 0.5 cm, to 13 × 1.3 cm in fruit, sessile or stipes to 0.4 cm long, glabrous or hairy. Pistillate flowers: perianth ca. 1.5-2 mm long, with arachnoid indumentum below the apex or extending to near the aperture outside, absent inside, the apex slightly convex to plane, muriculate to minutely puberulous or smooth; style short; stigma ligulate to subpeltate to peltate. Fruit ellipsoid to oblongoid, ca. 1.5-2.5 mm long, tuberculate, dark brown.
Species Description - Tree, to 15 m tall. Leafy twigs 1.5-3 cm thick, green, glabrous, sparsely puberulous (sometimes only on the stipular scars) or densely hirtellous to subhirsute to subvillous or to hispidulous; internodes partly filled with brown pith. Lamina subcoriaceous to coriaceous, sometimes ± plicate, ca. 25 × 25 cm to 50 × 50 cm (to 70 × 70 cm), the segments 8-10, the free parts of the upper ones ovate to elliptic to oblong, the incisions down to 4/10-7/10; apices rounded to subacute; upper surface smooth and (sub)glabrous or ± scabrous and hispidulous to (densely) puberulous to hirtellous, often also with sparse to dense arachnoid indumentum; lower surface glabrous, with rather dense brown pluricellular trichomes or hirtellous to subhirsute on the veins, with arachnoid indumentum in the areoles and on smaller veins, at least initially often extending to the main veins; lateral veins in the free part of the midsegment 10-16 pairs, marginally loop-connected, usually branched; petiole 10-35 (-45) cm long, glabrous or hirsute to hirtellous or to subvillous, often only at the base, often also with sparse to dense arachnoid indumentum; trichilia absent, occasionally present, but then usually poorly developed; stipules 7-20 cm long, green, glabrous or sparsely to densely (sub)hirsute to (sub)strigose, often also with arachnoid indumentum outside, sparsely to rather densely (sub)sericeous (or subglabrous) inside. Staminate inflorescences solitary or in pairs, the peduncle erect and the spikes erect to pendulous (?); peduncle 4-10(-13) cm long, glabrous or hirtellous to subhirsute, often also with arachnoid indumentum; spathe 4-8(-10) cm long, green or grayish green, glabrous or hirtellous to subhirsute to strigose, often also with arachnoid indumentum outside, glabrous inside; spikes ca. 10-20, 1.5-6(-9.5) × 0.2-0.3 cm, with stipes 0.3-1.5 cm long and glabrous or hairy; rachis hairy. Staminate flowers: perianth tubular, ca. 1-1.2 mm long, glabrous, the apex convex to almost plane; filaments flat; anthers ca. 0.5 mm long, appendiculate, detached and reattached to the margins of the aperture by the appendages at anthesis. Pistillate inflorescences often solitary, erect; peduncle 2-8(-11) cm long, glabrous or hirtellous to subhirsute, often also with arachnoid indumentum; spathe 3-8 cm long, the color and indumentum as in the staminate inflorescence; spikes 4-6, 1.5-6 × ca. 0.5 cm, to 13 × 1.3 cm in fruit, sessile or stipes to 0.4 cm long, glabrous or hairy. Pistillate flowers: perianth ca. 1.5-2 mm long, with arachnoid indumentum below the apex or extending to near the aperture outside, absent inside, the apex slightly convex to plane, muriculate to minutely puberulous or smooth; style short; stigma ligulate to subpeltate to peltate. Fruit ellipsoid to oblongoid, ca. 1.5-2.5 mm long, tuberculate, dark brown.
Discussion:
In the presence of ample brown pith in the internodes, the absent or poorly developed trichilia, and the smooth leafy twigs and upper surface of the lamina (in subsp. schreberiana), this species shows similarities to several Andean species. The presence of peltate stigmas and arachnoid indumentum on the apex of pistillate flowers in subsp. antillarum indicate affinities to the C. peltata-group, in particular to C. sararensis, which show parallel variation in the indumentum and features of the staminate flowers. Subjuvenile specimens of C. schreberiana can hardly or cannot be distinguished from material of C. peltata without trichilia (from Jamaica). Even if trichilia are sometimes more or less developed, then they do not contain Mullerian bodies (Rickson, 1977), or only abnormal (?) ones (Wheeler, 1942: 73). In many studies on the genus in the Caribbean, e.g., those by Janzen (1973) and Rickson (1977), this species was not regarded as distinct from C. peltata, in spite of the fact that Snethlage (1923) established several names for this species and that Wheeler (1942) noted that the Cecropia species in Puerto Rico did not belong to C. peltata. Two subspecies can be recognized. The transition of characters is gradual and intermediates occur in Hispaniola and Puerto Rico. Juvenile and subjuvenile specimens of the subspecies are quite similar. Characters of the subjuvenile state can be retained until flowering starts.
In the presence of ample brown pith in the internodes, the absent or poorly developed trichilia, and the smooth leafy twigs and upper surface of the lamina (in subsp. schreberiana), this species shows similarities to several Andean species. The presence of peltate stigmas and arachnoid indumentum on the apex of pistillate flowers in subsp. antillarum indicate affinities to the C. peltata-group, in particular to C. sararensis, which show parallel variation in the indumentum and features of the staminate flowers. Subjuvenile specimens of C. schreberiana can hardly or cannot be distinguished from material of C. peltata without trichilia (from Jamaica). Even if trichilia are sometimes more or less developed, then they do not contain Mullerian bodies (Rickson, 1977), or only abnormal (?) ones (Wheeler, 1942: 73). In many studies on the genus in the Caribbean, e.g., those by Janzen (1973) and Rickson (1977), this species was not regarded as distinct from C. peltata, in spite of the fact that Snethlage (1923) established several names for this species and that Wheeler (1942) noted that the Cecropia species in Puerto Rico did not belong to C. peltata. Two subspecies can be recognized. The transition of characters is gradual and intermediates occur in Hispaniola and Puerto Rico. Juvenile and subjuvenile specimens of the subspecies are quite similar. Characters of the subjuvenile state can be retained until flowering starts.