Soridium spruceanum Miers

  • Authority

    Maas, Paulus J. M. & Rübsamen, T. 1986. Triuridaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 40: 1-55. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Triuridaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Soridium spruceanum Miers

  • Type

    Type. Brazil. Pará: Caripi, Aug 1841, Spruce 170 (holotype, BM; isotypes, B, BM, E, Fl, G, NY, OXF, W).

  • Synonyms

    Sciaphila spruceana (Miers) Giesen, Sciaphila brevipes S.F.Blake

  • Description

    Species Description - Stems white, 8-30 cm high, to 1 mm diam. Rhizomes long-creeping, 0.5-1.2 mm diam. Roots up to 10 cm long, 0.5-0.6 mm diam., densely covered with white, patent hairs (0.5-1.5 mm long). Leaves 4-10, narrowly triangular, 2-4 mm long, base slightly saccate, apex acute, sometimes acuminate. Inflorescence a raceme 3.5-12 cm long, 0.5-1 cm wide, flowers 10-50. Bracts narrowly triangular, 2-3.5 mm long, densely covered with brownish stripes and points, somewhat saccate at the base. Pedicels horizontally patent, about equalling the bracts, 1-4 mm long. Flowers cream-colored, fragrant (Raynal-Roques 19788), the lower 37 pistillate, the upper 7-43 staminate. Staminate flowers 3-4.5 mm diam., with a connate basal part of ca. 0.4 mm long. Tepals four, broadly ovate-deltate, 1-veined, horizontally patent, 1.3-1.5 mm long, 1.0-1.3 mm wide, inner side and margins slightly papillate, margins revolute (in older flowers). Stamens 2(-3), filaments very short, 0.1-0.2 mm long, 0.4 mm thick, anthers 2-locular, 0.6-0.7 x 0.4 mm. Pistillate flowers 4-5.5 mm diam., with a connate basal part of ca. 0.5 mm long. Tepals four, broadly ovate-deltate, 1-veined, horizontally patent, slightly reflexed in fruit, 1.7-2 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, inner side and margins slightly papillate. Ovaries 25-40, broadly obovoid, 0.4-0.5 mm long, strongly papillate throughout. Style ca. 0.2 mm long, glabrous; stigmatic part 0.1-0.2 mm long, densely penicillate-papillate, not exceeding the ovary. Achenes obovoid, 1.3-1.5 x 0.8-1 mm, densely papillate throughout, wall to 0.2 mm thick. Seeds globose to obovoid, 0.7-1.0 x 0.5-0.7 mm, dark brown with a ventral pale brown line and a pale brown rounded tip.

  • Discussion

    Although this genus superficially resembles Sciaphila, it is quite distinct by its 2-locular stamens and its indehiscent, rather thick-walled fruit in which the testa of the seeds lacks any spongy tissue.

    Spruce 2932 p.p. from San Carlos de Río Negro in Venezuela was, according to Spruce, growing on ants’ nests (“in nidis formicarum”).

    According to Raynal-Roques (nr. 19788) the flowers are scented only at night (“fleurs sans parfum le matin, elles sont odorantes le soir”).

  • Distribution

    Central America, Venezuela, Suriname, French Guiana, and Brazil; in forests; at low elevations, 0-150 m; flowering all year, but particularly between October and January.

    Guatemala Central America| Belize Central America| Venezuela South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Suriname South America| French Guiana South America| Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Mato Grosso Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America|