Voyria clavata Splitg.

  • Authority

    Maas, Paulus J. M. & Ruyters, P. 1986. Voyria and Voyriella (saprophytic Gentianaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 41: 1-93. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Gentianaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Voyria clavata Splitg.

  • Type

    Type. Suriname. Saramacca River, Splitgerber s plate 1, based on Splitgerber 1061 (holotype, L, destroyed; photographs, K, U).

  • Synonyms

    Pneumonanthopsis clavata (Splitg.) Miq., Leiphaimos clavata (Splitg.) Gilg, Voyria grandiflora Gilg-Ben.

  • Description

    Species Description - Herbs, to 20 cm high. Stems simple or sometimes branched at the base, white, yellow, pink, or red, internodes usually longer than the leaves, 0.5-3 cm long. Leaves white, yellow, pink, or red, connate at the base, 7-10 mm long, 3-5 mm wide, patent, ovate, apex acute to acuminate. Bracts similar to the upper leaves but somewhat larger. Pedicels 2-5 mm long. Flowers solitary or rarely in a few-flowered cyme, 5-merous, with a faint smell of violets (Sandwith 1159). Calyx reddish purple to reddish brown, tubular to campanulate, (10-)30-40 mm long, tube (5-)20-30 mm long, lobes triangular to narrowly triangular, 5-10 mm long, 2-4 mm wide, sinuses acute to obtuse, calyx scales absent. Corolla infundibular to salverform, 70-115 mm long, tube yellow to white, 60-90 mm long, widened above the insertion of the stamens, 10-20 mm diam. at the throat, lobes white, sometimes tinged with mauve or pink, obovate to narrowly elliptic, (always ?) erect, 8-25 mm long, 5-10 mm wide, apex acute to obtuse. Stamens inserted 2040 mm below the throat, the basal parts of the filaments forming conspicuously hairy, thickened ridges inside the corolla tube, the upper free part 10-25 mm long, gradually narrowed towards the anthers, anthers 3-5 mm long, coherent, basifixed, connective mucronulate. Ovary fusiform, ca. 10 x 2 mm, sessile. Style 50-60 mm long, stigma capitate-peltate. Discoid scales five, connate with the base of the ovary. Capsule fusiform, 20-25 x 4-8 mm, probably indehiscent. Seeds urceolate to subglobose, 0.2-0.5 x 0.2-0.4 mm.

  • Discussion

    In living condition Voyria clavata must be a very spectacular species, with its infundibular to salverform corolla of 70-115 mm long, the maximum in the genus.

  • Distribution

    The Guianas and Amazonian Brazil; in forests, from sea level to 600 m; flowering all year.

    Guyana South America| Suriname South America| French Guiana South America| Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America|