Buddleja parviflora Humb., Bonpl. & Kunth

  • Authority

    Norman, E. M. 2000. Buddlejaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 81: 1-225. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Buddlejaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Buddleja parviflora Humb., Bonpl. & Kunth

  • Type

    Type. Mexico. Morelos: Near Cuernavaca, Humboldt & Bonpland 3980 (holotype, P; photo, BH; isotype, B; photos F neg. 3901, F, GH, US).

  • Synonyms

    Buddleja abbreviata Kunth, Buddleja intermedia Kunth, Buddleja microphylla Kunth, Buddleja brevifolia Willd. ex Roem. & Schult., Buddleja lanceolata Benth., Buddleja gracilis Kunth, Buddleja venusta Kunth, Buddleja obtusifolia M.Martens & Galeotti, Buddleja ligustrina Loes., Buddleja monticola Loes.

  • Description

    Species Description - Dioecious shrub or small tree 2-7(-10) m tall, trunk up to 20 cm diam. at base, with blackish exfoliating bark, young branches subquadrangular, tomentose. Leaves with petiole 0.4-1 cm, stipular lines evident, blades lanceolate, ovate, oblong-ovate or elliptic, 3-12 x 1-4.5 cm, subcoriaceous, above usually with scattered stellate and glandular hairs, below with appressed tomentum; apex acute or acuminate, base acute, obtuse, or cuneate, margin entire or serulate. Inflorescence 3-18 x 2-12 cm, paniculate, with 2-3 orders of branches, branches subtended by small leaves or elongate bracts, flowers borne in groups of 3-5 per cymule, cymules 0.5-0.7 cm diam. Calyx campanulate, tomentose outside, tube 0.5-1.5 mm long, lobes 0.5-1.5 mm long, broadly triangular. Corolla white or greenish white, campanulate, outside tomentose, inside with warty hairs in upper half of tube and lower half of lobes, tube 1-1.5 mm long, lobes ovate-oblong, 1-1.5 x 1.5 mm. Stamens subsessile, inserted 0.5 mm below sinus, anthers 0.6-0.8 mm long. Ovary 0.7-1.5 mm long, tomentulose on upper portion, style 0.5-0.7 mm long, stigma clavate, obscurely 2-lipped. Capsule short-cylindrical, 3-4 x 1.3-2 mm, tomentulose, with septicidal dehiscence for half its length, loculicidal at apex, valves acute. Seeds type 3, oblong, 1.2-1.5 x 0.2-0.3 mm, winged, seed body 0.6-0.9 mm long. 2n = 76.

  • Discussion

    Tea is made to relieve diarrhea (Chihuahua, Pennington 99). It is used against arthritis and several flavanones, eriodictyol, glycohes-peretin, and pyracanthoside have been found in B. parviflora (Arciniegas et al., 1997). Deer like to browse on it (Lozada 7, México).

    The single specimen from Guatemala may be an error in labeling, as otherwise B. parviflora is not known to occur S of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

    As pointed out earlier (Norman, 1967) some collections especially those from the western area of Mexico—i.e., Sinaloa, Sonora, Durango, Aguascalientes, and Jalisco—tend to have broader, more pubescent leaves with often more dentate margins than elsewhere. This may reflect the drier conditions and generally lower elevations found in this area of the distribution. Hybrids probably occur between B. parviflora and B. cordata and B. sessiliflora. This is discussed under B. cordata and B. sessiliflora respectively.

    Distribution and Ecology : This is a wide-ranging species found from Sonora to Oaxaca and with one collection from Guatemala. In central Mexico, it grows primarily in pine-oak forests at 2500-3500 m and in Sonora and Sinaloa it is found also in deciduous forests with Ceiba, Prosopis, and Cordia as its associates at elevations as low as 750 m. Flowering throughout the year but in March through June in the northern portion of its range.

  • Common Names

    Tepozán chico, tepozán cimarron, tepozán de cerro

  • Distribution

    Mexico North America| Aguascalientes Mexico North America| Chihuahua Mexico North America| Colima Mexico North America| Distrito Federal Mexico North America| Durango Mexico North America| Guanajuato Mexico North America| Guerrero Mexico North America| Hidalgo Mexico North America| Jalisco Mexico North America| México Mexico North America| Michoacán Mexico North America| Morelos Mexico North America| Nayarit Mexico North America| Oaxaca Mexico North America| Puebla Mexico North America| San Luis Potosí Mexico North America| Sinaloa Mexico North America| Sonora Mexico North America| Tlaxcala Mexico North America| Veracruz Mexico North America| Zacatecas Mexico North America| Guatemala Central America| Totonicapán Guatemala Central America|