Gleasonia duidana Standl.
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Authority
Rogers, George K. 1984. Gleasonia, Henriquezia, and Platycarpum (Rubiaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 39: 1-135. (Published by NYBG Press)
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Family
Rubiaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type. Venezuela. Amazonas: Cerro Duida, summit, 5000 ft. 26 Nov-16 Dec 1928 (fl), Tate 467 (holotype, NY; isotype, F).
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Description
Species Description - Small trees or shrubs with strong tendency to form suckers. Young stems usually ribbed, sometimes striate, usually hispid or with appressed hairs (sometimes strigose), the hairs 0.2-1.5(-3) mm long. Stipular lobes 1.2-2.7(-3.2) cm long, usually basally connate, oblong to ovate or subdeltoid, gradually tapered to acute or rounded apex, adaxially glabrous (sometimes with band of hairs at margin of apex), provided at base with numerous colleters, these 0.5-2.5 x 0.2-0.5 mm, abaxially with tawny to fulvous appressed hairs or hispid (sometimes strigose), the hairs (0.5-) 1-2(-4.3) mm long, sometimes with shorter layer of appressed pubescence. Leaves to 30 x 15 cm; lamina obtuse to narrowly cuneate at base, usually with revolute margins, with 7-14 pairs of lateral nerves, adaxially glabrous or with sparse, bent, pale hairs to 2(-3) mm long, the costa sunken, abaxially glabrous or hispidulous to bearing appressed hairs to l(-2) mm long between major veins, these prominent and densely hispid or bearing appressed pale hairs to l(-3) mm long, tertiary and higher order veins prominulous to prominent; petiole (0.7-)1-4 cm long, adaxially glabrous or bearing bent hairs to 2 mm long, abaxially villous or with antrorse hairs to 1.5(-2.5) mm long. Inflorescence branched at base or with peduncle to ½ the length of inflorescence; secondary axes alternate or opposite; all axes and pedicels hispid or with variously bent hairs, these 0.5-3.0(-4.5) mm long, creamy, buff, or fulvous and often with dark bases, sometimes with distinct, shorter layer of tomentose or appressed pubescence; bracts 0.5-4.0 x 0.1-1.0 cm, narrowly lanceolate, narrowly deltoid, or linear, often apically lacerate, adaxially glabrous or with sparse, appressed to villous pubescence, abaxially with sparse, creamy to fulvous, appressed to hispid pubescence, the hairs to 1,5(-4.0) mm long, sometimes in 2 layers. Hypanthium turbinate or obconic, ca. 5 mm long, with pubescence as on axes of inflorescence but denser; calyx lobes white with red bases, often with conspicuous reticulate venation, (1.8-)2.5-6.0 x 0.3-1.5 cm, linear to spatulate, acute to rounded at apex (sometimes emarginate), externally with antrorse, buff to fulvous hairs 0.5-2.0(-4) mm long, these concentrated near base of lobe and on major veins, usually with distinct, shorter, puberulent or appressed layer, internally tomentose, sericeous, or with antrorse, creamy to buff pubescence mostly less than 0.5 mm long concentrated near base of lobe; corolla slightly zygomorphic, white to pink with red or pink veins, 2.04.8 cm long, externally densely fulvous- (sometimes white- or ferrugineous-) hispid, the hairs 0.5-2.0(-4) mm long, with shorter, puberulent to tomentose layer, internally white-tomentose to pilose; corolla lobes subequal, 0.7-2.0 x 0.6-2.6 cm, of irregular shape, broadly deltoid, oblong-ovate, or broadly obovate, acute to rounded at apex, irregularly notched at margins; filaments inserted unequally above middle of corolla tube, 4-9 mm long, pilose (especially near base); anthers 5-8 mm long; style 2.0-3.2 cm long; stigmatic lobes 2-6 mm long, curved, densely papillose. Capsule dark brown, rugose, glabrous or with yellow-brown hairs to 2 mm long. Seeds 2-many per locule, circular to oval, 5-15 mm diam., 0.5-5.0 mm thick, dark-colored (dry), sometimes creased on surface, sometimes with testa cells protruding as papillae; embryo often irregularly folded or wrinkled.
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Discussion
Distribution and Ecology: Summits and upper slopes of flat-topped mountains (tepuís) in southern Venezuela. Open rocky places seem to be preferred, but collectors mention a wide variety of habitats: savanna, woodland, cloud forest, marsh, low bush thickets, and Orillas de quebradas. I have seen this species growing in thick woodland as both a canopy and understory tree.