Cyphomandra hartwegii (Miers) Walp.

Authority

Bohs, Lynn A. 1994. Cyphomandra (Solanaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 63: 154. (Published by NYBG Press)

Family

Solanaceae

Scientific Name

Cyphomandra hartwegii (Miers) Walp.

Description

Species Description - Small tree 2-12 m tall. Branches glabrous to densely puberulent or pubescent, sometimes also sparsely to moderately pilose. Leaf blades simple, lobed or unlobed, subcoriaceous, (acute-) acuminate at apex, glabrous to moderately pubescent-pilose adaxially, especially on veins, glabrous to densely pubescent-pilose abaxially; petioles glabrous to densely puberulent, pubescent, or pilose. Trunk leaves simple, unlobed or pinnately (2-)5-9(-1 l)-lobed; if unlobed, the blade ovate or elliptic-ovate, 20-35 cm long, 11-23 cm wide, length:width ratio ca. 1.5-2:1, the base nearly truncate to cordate with basal lobes 0.5-3 cm long; if lobed, the blade 23-50 cm long, 20-40 cm wide, divided 1/2-4/5 to midrib, the sinuses rounded, acute, the base cordate with basal lobes 0.5-3 cm long; petioles 6-30 cm long. Crown leaves 4 per sympodial unit, simple, unlobed or 2-5(-7)lobed; if unlobed, the blade ovate to elliptic, (3-)5-25(-28) cm long, (3-)5-20 cm wide, length:width ratio 1-2:1, the base truncate to cordate, often oblique, with basal lobes 0.5-3(-4) cm long; if lobed, the blade 10-22 cm long, 10-30 cm wide, divided 2/3-4/5 to midrib, the sinuses rounded, acute, the base truncate to cordate with basal lobes 0.5-3 cm long; petioles 1-10 cm long. Inflorescence unbranched or branched, 25-100+ -flowered, 560 cm long; peduncle 2-9 cm long; rachises 3-50 cm long; pedicels 15-35 mm long, 25-50 mm long in fruit, 1-6 mm apart, articulated at or near the base, leaving pedicellar remnants up to 1 mm long; peduncle, rachises, and pedicels glabrate to densely pubescent, sometimes also sparsely pilose. Flower buds lanceolate, acute at apex. Calyx fleshy, glabrous to densely pubescent, the radius 2-5(-8) mm, the lobes 1-2(-6) mm long, 2-3 mm wide, obtuse to truncate, apiculate. Corolla usually green, sometimes white or violet, subcoriaceous to fleshy, stellate, the radius 10-25 mm, the tube 1-2 mm long, the lobes narrowly triangular, 10-23 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, glabrous to densely puberulent-pubescent abaxially, glabrous to puberulent adaxially, especially toward apices, the margin tomentose, the apex acute. Anther thecae yellow or white, narrowly triangular, (3.5-)5-9 mm long, 1-2 mm wide, the pores directed distally; connective gray, yellow, blue, or purple, narrowly triangular, (3.5-)5-9 mm long, 1-2 mm wide, abaxially slightly shorter than thecae at apex, exceeding them at base by 0.5-1 mm, adaxially present or absent. Ovary glabrous; style cylindrical, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, not to slightly dilated distally, (4-)6-10 mm long, 0.2-1 mm in diam., exserted 1-3 mm beyond stamens; stigma truncate to capitate, 0.2-1 mm in diam. Fruit ellipsoidal, ovoid, or globose, obtuse at apex, 3-9 cm long, 3-6 cm in diam., glabrous, yellow or orange when mature, often with darker longitudinal stripes; mesocarp with large stone cell aggregates; seeds 4-9 mm long, 3.5-7 mm wide, rugose, sparsely to moderately pubescent.

Discussion

Cyphomandra hartwegii is a wide-ranging and variable taxon, but it can be distinguished from the other species of Cyphomandra by the following combination of characters: trunk leaves often pinnately lobed, and crown leaves unlobed, ovate, with cordate bases; inflorescences often elongated with pedicels articulating near the bases; greenish, stellate corollas with acute, narrow lobes; narrow, tapered anthers and connectives, with the connective extending below the bases of the thecae; styles not to slightly dilated distally; glabrous fruits with obtuse apices and large stone cell aggregates; and large, flattened, scarcely pubescent seeds. In floral features and seed morphology, C. hartwegii most closely resembles C. endopogon, C. oblongifolia, C. sibundoyensis, C. stellata, C. tegore, and C. tobagensis. The glabrous fruits of C. hartwegii distinguish it from C. stellata, C. tegore, and C. tobagensis. Cyphomandra sibundoyensis has purple rather than green corollas and lacks pinnately lobed trunk leaves. (Although the trunk leaves are not necessarily lobed in C. hartwegii, at least a few lobed leaves occur on almost all individuals.) Cyphomandra hartwegii, C. endopogon, and C. oblongifolia all have some lobed trunk leaves and glabrous fruits. However, C. endopogon has oblong, obtuse corolla lobes with ciliate margins and styles that are distally dilated, whereas the corolla lobes of C. hartwegii are narrowly triangular and acute with tomentose margins, and the styles are not dilated. Cyphomandra oblongifolia differs from C. hartwegii in its oblong leaves with truncate (rather than cordate) bases and its campanulate (rather than stellate) corollas. These three taxa are distinct throughout most of their range; however, intermediate forms between C. hartwegii and C. endopogon occur on the eastern slopes of the Andes (recognized as C. stellata) and intermediates between C. hartwegii and C. oblongifolia are found in Suriname. A closer examination of these taxa may show these zones of morphological overlap to be the result of hybridization. Alternatively, the three species may belong to a single, extremely variable taxon. Because of the marked floral differences between them, I have chosen to recognize these three taxa as distinct, albeit closely related, entities.

Distribution

Disturbed areas, clearings, or tree falls in tropical wet forest, rain forest, or cloud forest, 0-2500 m in elevation, Mexico, Central America, and northwestern South America. In South America, C. hartwegii is found both east and west of the Andean cordillera.

Mexico North America| Central America| Venezuela South America| Colombia South America| Ecuador South America| Peru South America| Brazil South America| Bolivia South America|