Banisteriopsis muricata (Cav.) Cuatrec.

  • Authority

    Gates, Bronwen. 1982. Banisteriopsis, Diplopterys (Malpighiaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 30: 1-238. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Malpighiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Banisteriopsis muricata (Cav.) Cuatrec.

  • Type

    Type. Joseph de Jussieu s.n., Peru, fr (holotype, P-JU; isotype, P).

  • Synonyms

    Banisteria muricata Cav., Heteropterys argentea Kunth, Banisteria argentea (Kunth) Spreng., Banisteria metallicolor A.Juss., Banisteria acanthocarpa A.Juss., Banisteria atrosanguinea A.Juss., Banisteria benthamiana A.Juss., Banisteria pruinosa Mart. ex A.Juss., Banisteria schomburgkiana Benth., Banisteria schlimii Turcz., Heteropterys pirayuensis Morong, Banisteria acanthocarpa var. glandulifera Nied., Banisteria argentea var. acuminata Nied., Banisteria argentea var. obtusiuscula Nied., Banisteria argentea var. transiens Nied., Banisteria metallicolor var. aurea Nied., Banisteria metallicolor var. falcata Nied., Banisteria metallicolor var. pruinosa (Mart. ex A.Juss.) Nied., Banisteria metallicolor var. sericea Nied., Banisteria metallicolor var. subrotunda Nied., Banisteria metallicolor var. subsalicina Nied., Banisteriopsis argentea (Kunth) C.B.Rob., Banisteriopsis schomburgkiana (Benth.) C.B.Rob., Banisteriopsis illustris Rusby, Banisteriopsis williamsii Rusby, Banisteria williamsii (Rusby) Nied., Banisteria illustris (Rusby) Nied., Banisteria atrosanguinea var. benthamiana (A.Juss.) J.F.Macbr., Banisteriopsis metallicolor (A.Juss.) O'Donell & Lourteig, Banisteriopsis metallicolor var. sericea (Nied.) O'Donell & Lourteig, Banisteriopsis metallicolor var. subrotunda (Nied.) O'Donell & Lourteig, Banisteria muricata var. atrosanguinea (A.Juss.) J.F.Macbr.

  • Description

    Species Description - Vining shrub or liana. Young branches flattened, appressed-white- or golden-sericeous or -velutinous, older branches terete, glabrate, the bark grey-brown to dark brown with numerous punctiform lenticels. Stipules triangular, 0.5-1.0 mm long, sericeous to glabrate. Leaves with the petiole 5-16 mm long, white- or golden-appressed-sericeous or more rarely velutinous, eglandular or with 1-2 pairs of cupulate glands 0.2-0.4 mm in diameter near the apex, the lamina (3.5-) 5.3-12.7(-16.5) cm long, (2.3-)4.8-7.5(-9.0) cm wide, smaller in the inflorescence, ovate, elliptic or rotund, cuneate to cordate at the base, acuminate to apiculate at the apex, flat at the margin, eglandular or bearing 2-4(-5) pairs of stipitate glands 0.4-0.6 mm in diameter abaxially, sparsely white- or golden-appressed-sericeous to glabrate adaxially, abaxially sparsely to densely silver- or golden-appressed-sericeous, the hairs sessile with the trabecula straight, 0.2-0.6 mm long, with the venation scalariform, prominulous to flat adaxially, prominent abaxially. Inflorescence of 4-flowered umbels in dense axillary and terminal cymes with reduced leaves, often with several branches per node, silver- or golden-appressed-sericeous or more rarely velutinous; bracts and bracteoles 0.5-1.2 mm long, broadly triangular, sericeous abaxially, glabrous adaxially, persistent; peduncle 0.5-3.0(-7.0) mm long; pedicels 3-12 mm long, 0.6-0.8 mm in diameter, 0.3-0.5 mm without the hairs, white- or golden-appressed-sericeous, rarely velutinous. Sepals ovate, acute at the apex, involute at the margin, silver- or golden-sericeous abaxially, adaxially sericeous near the margin, 1.5-3.0 mm long, 1.2-2.5 mm wide, all sepals eglandular or the 4 lateral sepals each Eglandular, the glands 1.3-2.0 mm long, 0.5-1.0 mm wide, the sepals projecting 0.6-1.0 mm beyond the glands. Petals pink, becoming paler in age, the fifth petal with the basal half yellow, the 4 lateral petals reflexed between the sepals, the claw 0.8-1.4 mm long, 0.2-0.5 mm wide, the limb 4.0-8.5 mm long, 3.5-8.0 mm wide, laciniate, orbicular, eglandular, the antero-lateral petals cochleate, the posterolateral petals plane, the posterior petal with the claw erect, 1.4-3.0 mm long, up to 1.4 mm in diameter, apically constricted, the limb 4.0-7.0 mm long, 3.5-6.0 mm wide, obovate, fimbriate with the basal fimbriae enlarged and gland-tipped. Stamens with the filaments 1.0-3.6 mm long, connate basally, those of the posterior 3 stamens flexuous and inbent between the posterior styles, the locules 0.6-1.2 mm long, glabrous, the connectives of the stamens opposite the petals and opposite the postero-lateral sepals 0.4-1.0 mm long, 0.3-0.7 mm wide, 0.10.6 mm deep, those opposite the antero-lateral petals slightly glandular, those opposite the 3 anterior sepals 0.9-2.2 mm long, 0.7-1.6 mm wide, 0.6-1.2 mm deep, glandular and enlarged, those opposite the antero-lateral sepals projecting 0.8-1.7 mm beyond the locules. Ovary 0.8-1.4 mm tall, white-sericeous, the styles slender and diverging, the anterior style 2.2-2.8 mm long, up to 0.2 mm wide, the posterior styles lyrate, 2.6-3.6 mm long, 0.15-0.20 mm wide at the apex, the stigmas capitate. Samara with the carpophore up to 1.0 mm long, 0.8-1.0 mm wide, the nut 4-14 mm tall, 4-7 mm long, rugose, tuberculate, muricate or alulate, appressed-pubescent, the wing (12-)20-34(-45) mm long, (9-) 11-16 (-20) mm wide, appressed-sericeous, the hairs sessile, the arms straight to slightly flexuous 0.15-0.30 mm long.

  • Discussion

    Collected in flower and fruit in every month of the year.This species is the most widespread in the whole genus, occurring from Mexico through Central and South America to Argentina. Within this range, B. muricata exhibits much variation in size and shape of leaves, type and density of pubescence, length of peduncle and pedicel, and in the fruit, size and shape of the wing and surface of the nut. However, in the form of its flowers, B. muricata shows great constancy (see Fig. 28). After examination of all the specimens available to me I have concluded that any division of the variation within B. muricata would be at best arbitrary, and of limited usefulness. All of the characters used in the past as a basis for segregating taxa within the B. muricata complex are represented in individuals found in diverse parts of its range, and I was able to find transitional forms between previously segregated taxa, such that the variation forms a continuum. I shall, however, describe the patterns of variation, and hope that this will prove useful to individuals able to observe these plants in the field. Perhaps a more detailed knowledge of the ecology of this species will suggest a meaningful subdivision in the future.

    1. Leaf size and shape. Leaf size is a very variable character in many species in the genus; in vines, like B. muricata, small leaved specimens may represent an artifact of collection, since the large leaves on the main branches are often not collected. The leaf shape may be orbicular to ovate to lanceolate, with the apex apiculate to acuminate; there seems to be no correlation between leaf shape and geographical location, or with other characters which vary, and it would not appear to be a good basis for taxonomic segregation.

    2. Type and density of pubescence. Banisteriopsis muricata is characterised by appressed pubescence on the abaxial surface of the leaves. Individuals from Argentina, Paraguay, and southern Brazil exhibit sparse, very appressed pubescence, such that the leaves appear green but with a metallic sheen. However, this type of pubescence is also common in plants from Bolivia, Peru, Central America and Mexico, and in some of these individuals from Bolivia and Peru the pubescence is golden. Most Venezuelan specimens have sparse pubescence, but the hairs are not so closely appressed to the leaf surface, and in a very few individuals, the pubescence is subtomentose. These may have been young or regenerating individuals; seedlings which I grew had velutinous pubescence throughout. Specimens from Colombia, Guyana and northern Brazil, and also some specimens from Central America and Peru, exhibit very dense appressed pubescence, giving the leaves a white shining appearance.

    The pubescence of the inflorescences can be appressed or velutinous. The former is more common, but velutinous pubescence is found in some individuals from Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil and Bolivia; some specimens from Bolivia and Peru have golden-velutinous pubescence, and have been segregated as B. atrosanguinea or B. benthamiana in the past. Since in the same areas individuals with golden-appressed and silver-velutinous pubescence are found, I do not feel this recognition is justified. *

    3. Peduncle and pedicel length. Throughout most of its range, B. muricata has peduncles which are three to four mm long; in Argentina and Paraguay and Central America some individuals have peduncles only 0.5-1.0 mm long, and in Central America and Mexico some individuals have peduncles up to seven mm long. The pedicel also varies in length, with short-pedicelled individuals (3-7 mm long) being common in Peru. However, neither of these characters appears to be correlated with the other characters which vary such as leaf and stem pubescence.

    4. Fruit characters. Niedenzu represented most of the variation which I am including under B. muricata in two species, B. metallicolor and B. argentea, which he distinguished chiefly on differences in their fruits. The former has the nut of the samara rugose to tuberculate, whereas in the latter it is aculeate to alulate. Niedenzu recognised that without fruits it was not possible to separate the two species, and since there is considerable variation in the fruit on one individual, and in some cases, even between the two sides of the same samara (e.g., one side of the nut can be rugose, and the other side tuberculate to muricate), this seems to be an unsatisfactory character for taxonomic recognition. Specimens from the southern and eastern part of the range of B. muricata usually have fruit nuts which are rugose to tuberculate, but this fruit type is found throughout the range of the species. Similarly, individuals with large fruits and the nut with long aculeate spines, previously segregated as B. acanthocarpa, are found in Peru and also in Central America. Vegetatively, these individuals are indistinguishable from plants with rugose fruit nuts.

  • Common Names

    ayahuasca, ayahuasca negro, ayahuasca rosada, ayahuasca de los brujos, sarcello, bejuco hoja de plata, sombra de tora, bejuco de casa, pastora, ala de zompopo

  • Distribution

    A vine in tropical forest and semideciduous woodland from Chiapas, Mexico, southwards throughout South America to Argentina.

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