Rinorea sprucei (Eichler) Kuntze

Authority

Hekking, W. H. A. 1988. violaceae Part l—Rinorea and Rinoreocarpus. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 46: i-ii, 1-208. (Published by NYBG Press)

Family

Violaceae

Scientific Name

Rinorea sprucei (Eichler) Kuntze

Type

Type. Brazil. Amazonas: Between Manaus and Barcellos, Nov 1851 (fl), Spruce 1834 (lectotypus novus, K [herb. Benthamianum, added in handwriting on label: gapó above Cabe(u)rquena (=Cabuquena), rocky shore of Rio Negro]); isotypes [in combination with Spruce 1947, paratype] BM, CGE, F, G, HH, K [herb. Hookerianum], LE, M, OXF, P).

Synonyms

Alsodeia sprucei Eichler, Rinorea exappendiculata Melch.

Description

Species Description - Treelet 2-10 m tall. Branchlets ferruginous puberulous to strigulose when young, glabrescent when older. Leaves apparently opposite; petioles (1-)4-18 mm long, golden to ferruginous strigulose on both sides, glabrescent; stipules deciduous, narrowly elliptic or deltoid, subacute, 2-4 x 0.2-1 mm, herbaceous, ferruginous strigulose, ciliolate; lamina narrowly (ob)ovate to elliptic, gradually acuminate, 5.5-27.5 x 1.5-9 cm, papery, glabrous above, appressed whitish, golden or ferruginous pilosulous beneath; costa pilosulous above near the base, strigulose beneath near the base; domatia wanting; lateral veins 9-15 pairs (acumen excluded); tertiary venation scalariform; base rounded to cuneate, margin entire to slightly subcrenate; acumen 1-6 cm long; apex acute, mucronulate. Inflorescences axillary, lateral and subterminal, solitary, narrowly thyrsoid, (6-)8.5-19.5 x 1-1.5 cm; central axis ferruginous to golden strigulose to hispidulous; cymules 1-7 flowered; common peduncle 0.25-3.25 mm long, ferruginous strigillose to hispidulous; ‘pedicels’ 1-5 mm long, articulate near the middle, ferruginous to golden strigillose or hispidulous; bracts and bractlets ovate, herbaceous, golden to ferruginous strigillose to hispidulous, margin ciliolate, apex subacute; bracts 1-1.25 x 0.75-1 mm; bractlets 0.5-0.75 x ca. 0.5 mm. Flower buds tolpoid, obtuse. Flowers drooping, greenish when young, creamy-white when flowering. Sepals subequal, ovate, 1-1.75 x 0.75-1 mm, herbaceous, outside densely, inside sparsely golden strigillose along the median part just above the base, glabrous near the margin, ciliolate along the margin, apex obtuse. Petals narrowly ovate, 3-3.5 x 1-1.5 mm, herbaceous, golden strig(ill)ose outside along the costa, densely golden strigillose inside, sometimes ciliolate along the margin, apex rounded. Stamens 2.25-3 mm long, filaments nearly completely fused to a tube; apical part free 0.1-0.3 x 0.2-0.3 mm; filamental tube 0.25-5 mm high, sinuate, pilosulous to ciliate along the margin; dorsal glands completely fused with the filamental tube; anthers ellipsoid, 0.5-1 x 0.5-0.75 mm, glabrous, apex of thecae obtuse, occasionally appendaged by one or two setae, up to 1 mm long; connective outside deltoid, obtuse, 2-2.5 x 0.5-1 mm, minutely golden strigillose to glabrous; connective scales lateral as well as apical, narrowly ovate, 2-2.5 x 0.51 mm, scarious, ferruginous, glabrous, margin subentire, sometimes erose, apex obtuse. Ovary subglobose 0.75-1 x 0.6-0.8 mm, glabrous, occasionally provided with 1-2 pilose hairs; ovules two per placenta. Style filiform to subclavate, erect, 2.25-3.25 mm long, exceeding the stamens by 0-0.25 mm, completely glabrous; stigma pulvinate, deflexed towards the anterior petal. Capsule often asymmetric, ovate, acuminate, subtended by subpersistent floral parts, coriaceous, pale green when fresh, glabrous (or only hispidulous at the apex), veined; valves three, subequal to unequal, the larger one 0.6-0.7 x 0.3-0.4cm, the two smaller ones 0.5-0.7 x Q.2-0.3 cm. Seeds two per valve, globose, ca. 3 mm in diam., glabrous, shining.

Discussion

Rinorea sprucei differs from R. racemosa and R. vaupesana by: (1) its leaves long tapering to the apex; (2) its petals 2-3 x as long as the sepals (versus 1-1.5 x); (3) its stamens longer than 2 mm; (4) its longer connective scales, 3-4 x as long as the thecae (versus 2-3 x as long as the thecae in the other species); and (5) its smaller seeds, less than 3.5 mm. Rinorea sprucei differs also from R. vaupesana by: (1) its number of ovules (two per placenta, versus one per placenta); and (2) ovary and capsule glabrous (versus distinctly pilosulous).

Distribution

Rinorea sprucei is found in NW Amazonia of Brazil, E Colombia and S Venezuela along the rivers Rio Negro, Casiquiare, Upper Orinoco and Vaupes from 125 to 250 m. Its area of distribution includes two forest refugia: Imerí and Ventuari. It occurs in the understory of primary or secondary tropical rain forests and in scrubs (Bosques enanos’). Inhabits also uninundated areas along rivers, streams and creeks, in quartzy or sandy soil.

Colombia South America| Amazonas Colombia South America| Vaupés Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Ceará Brazil South America|