Burmannia bicolor Mart.

  • Authority

    Maas, Paulus J. M., et al. 1986. Burmanniaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 42: 1-189. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Burmanniaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Burmannia bicolor Mart.

  • Type

    Type. Brazil. Minas Gerais: Location unknown, Martius 1196 p.p. (holotype, M; isotypes, B, CA, Fl, G, K, L, M, U).

  • Synonyms

    Tripterella bicolor (Mart.) Schult. & Schult.f., Burmannia brachyphylla Willd. ex Schult. & Schult.f., Burmannia quadriflora Willd. ex Schult. & Schult.f., Burmannia brachystachya Miq., Burmannia bicolor var. subcoelestis Malme, Burmannia bicolor var. quadriflora (Willd. ex Schult. & Schult.f.) Malme ex Schult. & Schult.f.

  • Description

    Species Description - Herbs, 4-42 cm high. Stems green, sometimes the upper part purple, mostly unbranched. Leaves green, narrowly triangular-ovate to subulate, 2-19 mm long, 0.4-2.8(-4) mm wide, apex acuminate, basal ones rosulate. Inflorescence a bifurcate cincinnus, 2-6(-8)-flowered, each cincinnus 5-26 mm long, or the plant having a solitary, terminal flower only. Bracts narrowly ovate-elliptic, 1.5-5.5 (-6.2) mm long, 0.4-1.6 mm wide, apex acute to acuminate. Pedicels 0.5-2.5 (-3.5) mm long. Flowers tubular, purplish blue to white with yellow tepals, (4-)7-16(-19) mm long. Outer tepals broadly ovate-triangular, 1.1-1,7(-3) mm long, 0.9-1,7(-2.1) mm wide, margins sometimes involute. Inner tepals narrowly triangular to narrowly elliptic, sometimes ovate to elliptic, 0.5-1.4(-l.7) mm long, 0.1-0.5 mm wide, margins sometimes involute. Floral tube 2.6-6.8 mm long, 0.9-2.7 mm diam. Wings running from the top of the floral tube down to below the ovary, semielliptic, 6.1-11.5(-13.5) mm long, (0.2-)1.6-4.3(-5.5) mm wide. Stamens yellow, connective bearing apically two, and basally one appendage. Style 3-6.8 mm long, branches 0.8-1.3 mm long, upper lip of stigma divided into two parts. Ovary broadly obovoid to obconical, rarely narrower, 1.6-5.6 x 1-3.2 mm. Capsule purple, obovoid to obconical, sometimes narrower, 2.4-5.6 x 1.5-3 mm, dehiscent by transverse slits. Seeds 0.2-0.7 x 0.1-0.2 mm.

  • Discussion

    Burmannia bicolor is one of the most striking species in the genus by its contrasting blue-purple wings and yellow tepals; its distribution is rather unusual, namely the larger part of tropical South America and Western Cuba and Pinar del Rio, but not on any of the other West Indian islands.

  • Distribution

    Cuba and tropical South America except for the Andean parts; mostly on wet, sandy savannas or in swamps, and in gallery forests; mostly at low elevations, but up to 1500 m; flowering all year.

    Cuba South America| Colombia South America| Boyacá Colombia South America| Meta Colombia South America| Vaupés Colombia South America| Vichada Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Guyana South America| Suriname South America| French Guiana South America| Brazil South America| Amapá Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Bahia Brazil South America| Distrito Federal Brazil South America| Goiás Brazil South America| Maranhão Brazil South America| Mato Grosso Brazil South America| Minas Gerais Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Rio de Janeiro Brazil South America| Roraima Brazil South America| São Paulo Brazil South America|