Cyphomandra stellata Bohs
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Authority
Bohs, Lynn A. 1994. Cyphomandra (Solanaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 63: 154. (Published by NYBG Press)
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Family
Solanaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type. Colombia. Putumayo: selva higrófila del Río Putumayo en Puerto Ospina, 230 m, "arbusto 3-4 m, ramas horizontales con largos racimos pendulos pauciflores, corola bianco verdosa o bianco violaceo sucio, fruto 4-5 cm diam.," 25 Nov 1940 (fl, fr), Cuatrecasas 10792 (holotype, US 1799572; isotypes, COL, F).
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Description
Species Description - Small tree 1-8 m tall. Branches glabrous to finely puberulent, occasionally moderately to densely pubescent. Leaf blades simple, unlobed, subcoriaceous, acute to short-acuminate at apex, glabrous to sparsely pubescent adaxially except for denser pubescence on main veins, glabrous to moderately pubescent abaxially, more so on veins; petioles glabrous to moderately pubescent-pilose. Trunk leaves simple, unlobed, the blade elliptic, 17-26 cm long, 10-15 cm wide, length:width ratio 1.5-2:1, the base cuneate to truncate, without basal lobes; petioles 5-7 cm long. Crown leaves 4 per sympodial unit, simple, unlobed, elliptic to ovate, 6-22 cm long, 5-16 cm wide, length:width ratio (1-) 1.5-2:1, the base cuneate or truncate to deeply cordate, often oblique, with basal lobes up to 5 cm long; petioles 1.5-5 cm long. Inflorescence occasionally unbranched or forked but usually highly branched, ca. 50-100+ -flowered, (10-)30-50+ cm long; peduncle 4-12 cm long; rachises (5-) 11-40+ cm long; pedicels 10-25 mm long, 20-30 mm long in fruit, (l-)4-10 mm apart, articulated near the base, leaving pedicellar remnants up to 1 mm long; peduncle, rachises, and pedicels glabrous to moderately puberulent, occasionally pubescent. Flower buds lanceolate, acute at apex. Calyx fleshy, glabrous to glandular-puberulent, the radius 2-3 mm, the lobes 1 mm long, 2 mm wide, truncate, apiculate. Corolla purplish- or greenish-white, membranaceous, stellate, the radius 13-20 mm, the tube 1-2 mm long, the lobes narrowly triangular, 12-18 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, glabrous to sparsely puberulent abaxially, sparsely villous adaxially, the margin densely ciliate with hairs ca. 1 mm long, the apex acute. Anther thecae yellowish, narrowly oblong to triangular, 6-7 mm long, 1 mm wide, the pores directed distally and adaxially; connective narrowly oblong to triangular, the color unknown, 6-7 mm long, 1 mm wide, abaxially slightly shorter than thecae at apex, exceeding them by up to 1 mm at base, adaxially present as a narrow swelling especially prominent at base. Ovary finely glandular-puberulent; style cylindrical, glabrous, somewhat dilated distally, 7-9 mm long, 0.5-1 mm in diam., exserted 2-3 mm beyond stamens; stigma peltiform to capitate, ca. 1 mm in diam. Fruit ellipsoidal or globose, obtuse at apex, 3-5 cm long, 3-4.5 cm in diam., finely glandular-puberulent, especially when young, the color when ripe unknown, but probably yellowish; mesocarp with stone cell aggregates; seeds 5-6 mm long, 4 mm wide, puberulent.
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Discussion
The Mayna Jivaro of Peru heat the leaves on a fire and apply them to the chest as a poultice to treat respiratory congestion, especially in children (Lewis et al. 10599). A specimen from the Peruvian Amazon (King 511) records the use of the seeds as food.
Cyphomandra stellata closely resembles C. endopogon in its narrow corolla lobes bordered by conspicuous hairs, long narrow anthers, and slender styles dilated at the apices into expanded peltiform stigmas. As in C. endopogon, the inflorescences can become elongated and often bear leaflike bracts near the base, but those of C. stellata are highly branched whereas those of C. endopogon are usually unbranched or only forked. The floral parts of C. stellata are smaller than those of C. endopogon and the flower buds are acute rather than obtuse. Both C. stellata and C. endopogon subspecies guianensis have puberulent fruits.Cyphomandra stellata is sympatric with C. endopogon subspecies endopogon in the western Amazon. Because of the morphological similarities between the two species, C. stellata was previously considered to be a variety of C. endopogon (Bohs, 1986). Cyphomandra stellata also resembles C. hartwegii in many vegetative and floral features, particularly in its acute flower buds, acute corolla lobes, and smaller floral parts. Stigma diameter in C. stellata is roughly intermediate between that of C. hartwegii and C. endopogon. Cyphomandra stellata also occurs largely in the area of overlap between the ranges of C. hartwegii and C. endopogon. The intermediacy in morphology and distribution may suggest that C. stellata is a hybrid derivative of C. hartwegii and C. endopogon established in the area of contact between the latter two species.To test this hypothesis, pollen was examined from herbarium sheets of C. stellata, C. hartwegii, and C. endopogon collected in areas where all three species co-occur in eastern Ecuador and Peru. Pollen stainability, as assessed by treatment with aniline blue/lactophenol, did not differ significantly between the three species (C. stellata: × = 88.8%, s = 9.57, n = 14; C. endopogon: × = 90.0%, s = 6.26, n = 6; C. hartwegii: × = 94.3%, s = 4.48, n = 4). These results do not support the idea of a hybrid origin of C. stellata. If it is indeed a hybrid, it has high pollen fertility. Further biosystematic studies in the field and greenhouse should be undertaken to elucidate the relationships between these three putatively related species.The epithet stellata has been chosen to reflect the star-shaped corolla of this species.Cyphomandrae endopogi proxima, a qua differt al-abastris acutis, radiis corollarum 14-20 mm longis, thecis antherarum 6-7 mm longis, fructibus subtiliter glanduloso-puberulis saltern ubi juvenibus, et inflorescentiis plerumque valde ramosis.
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Common Names
Mee oom be te ka, wa só a, nemponcan, yodil, Chupo sacha macho, Ko pi, mun nejendas, pakupkus
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Objects
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Distribution
Disturbed areas of tropical rain forest, sometimes on inundated soil, 100-1200 m in elevation, western Amazon basin of southern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, and northeastern Peru. Flowering specimens have been collected in March and August through November, with a flowering peak in August and September. Fruiting specimens have been collected in all months of the year except April, June, and July.
Colombia South America| Amazonas Colombia South America| Vaupés Colombia South America| Ecuador South America| Morona-Santiago Ecuador South America| Peru South America| Napo Ecuador South America| Pastaza Ecuador South America| Zamora-Chinchipe Ecuador South America| Amazonas Peru South America| Huánuco Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| Maynas Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| San Martín Peru South America| Putumayo Colombia South America|