Xiphidium caeruleum Aubl.

  • Authority

    Maas, P. J. M. & Maas-van de Kamer, H. 1993. Haemodoraceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 61: 1-44. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Haemodoraceae

  • Scientific Name

    Xiphidium caeruleum Aubl.

  • Type

    Type. French Guiana. Near Macouria and Kourou ( Courou ), Aublet s.n. (not seen). Since no herbarium material of the Aublet collection seems to have been preserved, t. 11 of Aublet s Hist. pl. Guiane is designated here as lectotype.

  • Synonyms

    Ixia xiphidium Loefl., Xiphidium floribundum Sw., Xiphidium albidum Lam., Xiphidium album Willd., Xiphidium rubrum D.Don, Xiphidium fockeanum Miq., Xiphidium giganteum Lindl., Xiphidium floribundum var. albiflorum Hook., Xiphidium floribundum var. caeruleum (Aubl.) Hook.

  • Description

    Species Description - Herbs 15-200 cm tall, rhizomes horizontally creeping, inside white to brownish red, 4-20 cm long, to 10 mm in diam., roots fibrous; stolons 5-55 cm long, rooting at the nodes, each node with a membranous, brownish, ovate bract, basally sheathing, apex acuminate, 8-10(-22) mm long. Leaves scattered to mainly radical, somewhat succulent, 20-65 cm long, (1-)1.5-6(-6.5) cm wide, mostly exceeding the inflorescence, glabrous. Inflorescence a thyrse, 2-44 cm long and 2-15 cm wide, the cincinni 5-25-flowered, simple, sometimes once branched; sometimes young plants sprouting from the axil of the cataphylls and/or primary bracts. Indument of inflorescence: cataphylls, rachis, bracts, pedicels, and ovary sparsely to densely villose, hairs white, 0.3-2.0 mm long, tepals and fruit almost glabrous. Number of cataphylls 2-6, 0.5-14 cm long, 0.2-1.2 cm wide. Primary bracts narrowly triangular, 0.1-3.0 cm long. Floral bracts narrowly triangular, 0. l-0.2(-0.6) cm long. Pedicels 2-10 mm long. Buds pale yellow to orange. Flowers white to yellowish white, bluish inside, sometimes with a yellow nectar guide on the three adaxial tepals. Tepals narrowly ovate-elliptic to ovate-elliptic, the three adaxial ones basally connate, outer ones 4-11(-13) mm long, 1-4 mm wide, inner ones 5-13 mm long, 2-6 mm wide. Stamens with white to pale green filaments and bright yellow to orange anthers, abaxial stamen 4-11 mm long, the two adaxial ones 3-6 mm long, dehiscence starting apically. Ovary green, subglobose. Style white to pale green, 3-5(-9) mm long. Capsule green when young, maturing shiny orange, red, and finally black, (subglobose, 5-10 mm in diam. Seeds 8 black, subglobose, tuberculate, 0.5-1 mm in diam. Chromosome number 2n=38.

  • Discussion

    The species was named by Aublet for its blue inner tepals (“petala . . . interiora .... caerulea”).In Panama Xiphidium caeruleum is considered to be a remedy against stomach-ache (Duke 8214); the same species is used for skin ulcerations and also for ericepela (erisipelas = skin infection) (Stern et al. 246). In Colombia (Putumayo) the stems are used as soap (Schultes 3568). In Guyana the plant is used to cure the worm infection that gives a curved foot (Hardy 245). In Surinam the plant is a remedy (= bina) against torn foot soles (= ebesere) (Ostendorf, 1962). Xiphidium caeruleum is also cultivated in several Neotropical countries.

    The use of either “oe” or “ae” in the epitheton has been a matter of dispute. In our opinion there are two types of “a” used in Aublet’s book (1775): “a” in italics and “a” in normal letter type. The species descriptions are printed in the normal letter type. Here the difference between “oe” and “ae” is obvious, see, e.g., the description of Qualea caerulea at page 7 (petala ... intus sub-caeruleum) and at page 689 Ticorea foetida (odorum foetidum). In the index of Histoire des plantes de la guiane frangoise the epitheta are printed in italics using either “oe” (in Passiflora foetida and Ticorea foetida), or some sign looking like “&” (made up of two more or less superposed letters?) representing “ae” (in Unica &stuans, Trigonia l&vis, Melastoma l&vigata). The name of the species in the heading of the descriptions is also printed in italics. In this letter type one can see no difference between “ae” and “oe” because the letters are placed close together, causing much confusion (see, e.g., page 7: Qualea caerulea and page 689: Ticorea foetida). The &-sign standing for “ae” is also often used here (page 390: Trigonia l&vis).

    In our opinion, the correct spelling of the species treated here has to be Xiphidium caeruleum, because:

    -“caeruleum” is derived from the classical latin word “caelum” meaning sky. -the description on page 33 reads clearly “petala ... interiora... caerulea”. -“caeruleum” is consistently spelled with “ae” throughout the text printed in normal letter type. -in the index the epitheton is printed with the &-sign meaning “ae”. -the name of the species at page 33 is printed in italics where “ae” and “oe” look identical, providing no evidence as to the correct spelling.

    Xiphidium caeruleum is treated here as one large variable species. There are, among others, several specimens from Putumayo, Colombia characterized by larger flowers (11-13 mm long) with longer style (6-8 mm long), and larger floral bracts (4-6 mm long) occurring from 300-3000 m altitude. It concerns the following specimens:

    Specimens examined. COLOMBIA. Putumayo: near Mocoa, Schultes & Smith 2015 (GH); road from Sibundoy to Mocoa, Luteyn et al. 5062 (F, NY), Schultes & Cabrera 18823 (GH, U, US). Vaupés: confluence of Río Macaya and Río Ajayu, Puerto Hevea, Schultes 5654 (GH).

    Duke and Elias suggested on the label of their collection 13747 from Cerro Pirre, Darien, PANAMA (750-1350 m altitude) that this plant is a polyploid derivative of the lowland X. caeruleum. Dressier, too, collected material from Bocas del Toro and El Cope in Panama (700-800 m) that in his opinion represented a different form with definite zygomorphic flowers, an orange nectar guide, and enantiosstyly. However, in our opinion, all these forms do not merit taxonomic rank.

  • Common Names

    palmar del norte, handlily, palmito, cola de paloma, espadilla, lis, Jabón, manito, man(o) de dios, peine, cola de gallo, cole galla, salvililla, tabillilla, mountain grass, tigerplant, yarui balli, ebesere-bina, salalang, coumarti feuilli, glaivane bleue, koupi koupi, capim de semente

  • Distribution

    Throughout the Neotropics; in shady wet places in several kinds of forest, but also in drier habitats, and even in sunny places in savannas (see Distribution and Ecology); from sea level to 1500 m alt.

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