Catalpa purpurea 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

    Catalpa purpurea Griseb.

  • Type

    Type. Cuba. Oriente, Wright 3037 (holotype, GOET; isotypes, BM, G, GOET, MO, P) (at MO & P mixed with material of Tabebuia bibracteolata).

  • Synonyms

    Catalpa denticulata Urb., Macrocatalpa purpurea (Griseb.) Britton, Catalpa purpurea f. denticulata (Urb.) Paclt

  • Description

    Species Description - Small tree, the slender branchlets terete with small round lenticels, lepidote and puberulous, becoming glabrate. Leaves simple, opposite or in whorls of three, elliptic to elliptic-oblong, the apex rounded or slightly retuse or occasionally obtusely acutish, the base rounded, 1.2-12 cm long, 1-5 cm wide, chartaceous to coriaceous, lepidote above and below, otherwise glabrous above, below conspicuously pubescent with erect trichomes, these concentrated on the strongly and intricately prominent tertiary venation, strongly glandular at the base of the midvein below, the margin entire, sometimes distinctly erose-denticulate, the petioles 0.4-3.5 cm long, lepidote and puberulous. Inflorescence a lax, few-flowered, panicle, the branches lepidote and puberulous, the linear bracts to 4 mm long. Flowers with calyx 2-lobed, split to the base, the lobes broadly rounded, 6-10 mm long, ca. 6-7 mm wide, densely lepidote, with a few inconspicuous trichomes near margin; corolla purple, campanulate, 2.5-3 cm long, 1-1.5 cm across at mouth of tube, the tube 1.5-2 cm long, strongly bilabiate, the lower lobes longer than upper two, 1-1.5 cm long, generally glabrous, with tiny sessile glands on lobes, stamens two, the thecae divaricate, 2 mm long; pistil ca. 1.5 cm long, the ovary oblong, densely lepidote, ca. 3 mm long, 2 mm wide, the style shortly puberulous in lower half; disk scarcely differentiated. Fruit unknown.

  • Discussion

    Although dentate leaf margins give C. denticulata a very distinct aspect, this character is highly inconstant and Paclt (1952) has already reduced C. denticulata, both collections of which are sterile, to C. purpurea. Since some leaves of the type collection are distinctly denticulate whereas the majority have perfectly entire margins, I do not think this merits recognition, even as a form.

    This species differs from C. brevipes primarily in the larger purple flower. However, there are so few collections, especially with flowers, that it is difficult to evaluate these differences. In the absence of fertile material, the Gonâve Island collection is referred to C. purpurea rather than C. brevipes, which is vegetatively very similar (and otherwise known from Haiti, unlike C. purpurea), with some reservation.

  • Common Names

    Palo florido, roble de olor

  • Distribution

    Cuban Oriente and Gonâve Island, Haiti; on limestone; 200-350 m elevation.

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