Apteria aphylla (Nutt.) Barnhart ex Small

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Burmanniaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Apteria aphylla (Nutt.) Barnhart ex Small

  • Type

    Type. United States. Florida: Eastern part, Ware s.n. (holotype, BM).

  • Synonyms

    Lobelia aphylla Nutt., Apteria setacea Nutt., Nemitis setacea (Nutt.) Raf., Stemoptera lilacina Miers, Apteria lilacina (Miers) Miers, Apteria hymenanthera Miq., Apteria ulei Schltr., Apteria boliviana Rusby, Apteria aphylla (Nutt.) Barnhart ex Small, Apteria gentianoides Jonker

  • Description

    Species Description - Herbs, 5-28(-70) cm high. Rhizome-scales ovate-triangular, 1-2.5 mm long, 0.3-0.8 mm wide. Stems purple to (sometimes) white. Leaves purplish to white, narrowly ovate to ovate, (0.6-)1.3-5.2(-7) mm long, l-2(-2.5) mm wide, apex acute. Bracts ovate-triangular, 2-4 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide. Pedicels to 20 mm long. Flowers purple to (sometimes) white, with darker tepals, and stripes inside the throat, 6.5-21 mm long. Floral tube 4-16 mm long. Outer tepals broadly ovate-triangular to very broadly angular-ovate, 1.5-5.2 mm long, (1.6-)1.9-4(-4.6) mm wide, margins slightly involute. Inner tepals obovate-oblong, 1.2-5.2 mm long, 0.8-2.3 mm wide. Filaments 0.5-1 mm long, 0.2-0.3 mm wide, lobes of the wing 0.8-1.5 mm long, 0.6-1.2 mm wide, crescent-shaped pouch 1.8-2.4 mm long, 0.3-0.5 mm wide, stipes 0.4-0.5 mm long and ca. 0.3 mm wide, thecae 0.5-0.9 mm long. Style, including branches and stigmas, 2.4-9.8 mm long, branches with stigmas 0.6-0.8 mm long, stigmas funnel-shaped, sometimes horseshoe-shaped, 0.2-0.5 mm diam., sinus 0.2-0.3 mm deep, often stuck with clusters of pollen tubes. Ovary purple to creamy, obovoid to angular-obovoid, 1.7-4.8 mm long. Capsule creamy, broadly ellipsoid to globose, 2.6-5.2(-7) x 1.7-4(-5) mm. Seeds 0.2-0.4(-0.6) x 0.1-0.2 mm.

  • Discussion

    This species has a very wide distribution and, possibly because of that, it is highly variable. The variation is not gradual, but centers more or less around three form-types which can be circumscribed as follows:

    1. The “aphylla” type (Fig. 60b) with very small flowers, measuring up to 15 mm long.

    2. The “gentianoides” type (Fig. 60d) with more or less campanulate flowers, which are slightly larger than those of the preceding type.

    3. The “ lilacina”type (Fig. 60c) with flowers up to 21 mm long and a somewhat longer floral tube than the two preceding types.

    These form-types are not sharply distinct; they intergrade freely. The internal structure of the flowers is identical in all types. There is no clear correlation between flower-shape and distribution, although the “lilacina” type seems to be confined to the Amazonian regions of Colombia, Venezuela, and Brazil, and to SE Brazil.

    It should be remarked that the seeds in what has been recognized as A. lilacina and A. gentianoides, as far as we have seen, are a little larger than those of A. aphylla s.s., and show a tendency towards a spiralization in the reticulum of the seed coat which is totally absent in the seeds of A. aphylla s.s. Further examination of seeds from other collections should reveal the presence or absence of intergrading forms.

    Distribution and Ecology: From the southern USA and the West Indies in the north to Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, and S Brazil in the south; growing in wet forests, among fallen leaves or on decaying wood, in cushions of Lycopodium (Crüger s.n.), between mosses (Schuster 2351), sometimes in savannas; from sea level to 1800(-2200) m; flowering all year.

  • Distribution

    United States of America North America| Alabama United States of America North America| Florida United States of America North America| Georgia United States of America North America| Louisiana United States of America North America| Mississippi United States of America North America| Missouri United States of America North America| Texas United States of America North America| Mexico North America| Oaxaca Mexico North America| Puebla Mexico North America| Veracruz Mexico North America| Guatemala Central America| Belize Central America| Honduras Central America| Nicaragua Central America| Costa Rica South America| Panama Central America| Cuba South America| Jamaica South America| Haiti South America| Dominican Republic South America| Puerto Rico South America| Saint Kitts and Nevis South America| Montserrat South America| Guadeloupe South America| Dominica South America| Colombia South America| Cauca Colombia South America| Chocó Colombia South America| Meta Colombia South America| Nariño Colombia South America| Norte de Santander Colombia South America| Valle Colombia South America| Vaupés Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Apure Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Miranda Venezuela South America| Yaracuy Venezuela South America| Trinidad and Tobago South America| Guyana South America| Suriname South America| French Guiana South America| Ecuador South America| Morona-Santiago Ecuador South America| Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| Brazil South America| Acre Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Bahia Brazil South America| Goiás Brazil South America| Mato Grosso Brazil South America| Minas Gerais Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Paraná Brazil South America| Pernambuco Brazil South America| Rio de Janeiro Brazil South America| Rio Grande do Sul Brazil South America| Santa Catarina Brazil South America| São Paulo Brazil South America| Bolivia South America| La Paz Bolivia South America| Paraguay South America| Alto Paraná Paraguay South America| Amambay Paraguay South America|