Trophis racemosa (L.) Urb.

Authority

Berg, Cornelius C. 2001. Moreae, Artocarpeae, and (Moraceae): With introductions to the family and and with additions and corrections to Flora Neotropica Monograph 7. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 83: 1-346. (Published by NYBG Press)

Family

Moraceae

Scientific Name

Trophis racemosa (L.) Urb.

Type

Type. LINN 1165.1.

Synonyms

Trophis americana L., Trophis ramon Schltdl. & Cham., Trophis americana var. meridionalis Bureau, Sahagunia urophylla Donn.Sm., Sorocea colombiana Standl., Pseudolmedia karstenii Pittier, Bucephalon racemosum L., Trophis racemosa subsp. meridionalis (Bureau) W.C.Burger, Clarisia urophylla (Donn.Sm.) Lanj.

Description

Species Description - Shrub or tree, to 20 m tall. Leafy twigs 1-4 mm thick, puberulous. Lamina elliptic to lanceolate, (3-)5-20 × (1.5-)2-9 cm, mostly broadest above the middle, (almost) equilateral, chartaceous to subcoriaceous; apex acuminate; base acute to obtuse to rounded to emarginate, occasionally attenuate; margin entire or dentate, sometimes sinuate, occasionally lobate; upper surface scabrous to scabridulous or smooth, sparsely puberulous on (the lower part of) the midrib; lower surface sparsely puberulous on the main veins, sometimes scabridulous; venation slightly prominent to almost plane above, prominent beneath; lateral veins 4-9 pairs; tertiary venation reticulate; petiole 0.3-1(-1.5) cm long, 1-2 mm thick, puberulous; stipules ovate to triangular, 0.1-0.3 cm long, sparsely puberulous to glabrous, subpersistent or caducous. Staminate inflorescences spicate, 0.5-10 cm long, including the 0.1-1 cm long, minutely puberulous to short-velutinous peduncle; flowers ± crowded, sessile; perianth ca. 2 mm long, 4-parted, short-velutinous to puberulous especially along the margins; filaments ca. 2.5 mm long; anthers 0.8-1.2 × 0.8-1.2 mm; pistillode quadrangular, 2-6 mm long, puberulous. Pistillate inflorescences spicate, 0.1-1 cm long, including the short-velutinous to puberulous peduncle; spike 0.5-3.5 cm long; flowers (l-)3-8(-10), usually crowded, sessile; perianth ca. 2 mm long, 4-lobed, short-velutinous; stigmas (2-)4-5 mm long, densely puberulous. Fruiting perianth 0.8-1.2 × 0.6-0.9 cm, red at maturity, the surface smooth or longitudinally ribbed, densely puberulous to short-velutinous.

Discussion

The species is very variable, especially in the characters of the lamina (dimensions, shape, texture, margin, and indumentum) and in the length of the inflorescences. Part of the variation is connected with distribution, which opened the possibility to recognize varieties or subspecies (Bureau, 1873; Burger, 1962). Most of the collections from Central America have entire and scabrous leaves and short pistillate inflorescences (subsp. ramon (Schlechtendal & Chamiso) W. Burger). In collections from the Greater Antilles the lamina is smooth and glabrous with an entire margin; the pistillate inflorescences are often relatively long with ± distant flowers (subsp, racemosa). Most collections from South America have smooth (often rather narrow) leaves with a dentate to denticulate margin and relatively long pistillate inflorescences with distant flowers (subsp, meridionalis (Bureau) W. Burger). In Panama the Central American form gradually passes into the South American one. In northern South America (e.g., in Venezuela) one can find specimens matching the Central American form. In the northern part of the species range (Mexico, Guatemala) one can find plants with smooth leaves with a (faintly) dentate margin, reminiscent of the leaves of Trophis mexicana. In South America and Panama the species is more variable than in the other parts of the species area. Considering the total variation (in comparison with that of T. mexicana) the present author prefers not to recognize infraspecific taxa.

Common Names

ramon Colorado, yax-ox, ramon Colorado, yax-ox, Cha-cox, cherry, ramon, white ramon, masicarón, ramón, barba de tamagaz, mora, hoja tinta, ramon, ojoche macho, ojochillo Colorado, ramon de bestia, ramoon, ramon, ramon, ramoncillo, sande, lechero Colorado, marfil, charo bianco, charo amarillo, charo morado, guaimaro negro, chatchi, guaymaro macho, rumi caspiyura, pitiu, kusuknash, pituk, uchi pituk, insira

Distribution

From central Mexico to the Greater Antilles and through Central America to northern Venezuela, western Ecuador, and northern Amazonian Peru; in (margins of) wet evergreen forest or deciduous forest, in Peru (Loreto) also in seasonally inundated (tahuampa) forest; to 1700 m.

Mexico North America| Campeche Mexico North America| Chiapas Mexico North America| Colima Mexico North America| Guerrero Mexico North America| Hidalgo Mexico North America| Jalisco Mexico North America| México Mexico North America| Michoacán Mexico North America| Nayarit Mexico North America| Oaxaca Mexico North America| Quintana Roo Mexico North America| San Luis Potosí Mexico North America| Sinaloa Mexico North America| Tabasco Mexico North America| Tamaulipas Mexico North America| Veracruz Mexico North America| Yucatán Mexico North America| Guatemala Central America| Alta Verapaz Guatemala Central America| Chiquimula Guatemala Central America| Escuintla Guatemala Central America| Huehuetenango Guatemala Central America| Izabal Guatemala Central America| Petén Guatemala Central America| Quezaltenango Guatemala Central America| Retalhuleu Guatemala Central America| Santa Rosa Guatemala Central America| Suchitepéquez Guatemala Central America| Zacapa Guatemala Central America| Belize Central America| Cayo Belize Central America| Toledo Belize Central America| Honduras Central America| Atlántida Honduras Central America| Comayagua Honduras Central America| Copán Honduras Central America| Cortés Honduras Central America| El Paraíso Honduras Central America| Gracias a Dios Honduras Central America| Islas de la Bahía Honduras Central America| Olancho Honduras Central America| Yoro Honduras Central America| El Salvador Central America| San Salvador El Salvador Central America| La Libertad El Salvador Central America| Sonsonate El Salvador Central America| Nicaragua Central America| Boaco Nicaragua Central America| Carazo Nicaragua Central America| Chontales Nicaragua Central America| Estelí Nicaragua Central America| Grenada South America| León Nicaragua Central America| Managua Nicaragua Central America| Masaya Nicaragua Central America| Matagalpa Nicaragua Central America| Nueva Segovia Nicaragua Central America| Rivas Nicaragua Central America| Zelaya Nicaragua Central America| Alajuela Costa Rica Central America| Cartago Costa Rica Central America| Guanacaste Costa Rica Central America| Heredia Costa Rica Central America| Limón Costa Rica Central America| Puntarenas Costa Rica Central America| San José Costa Rica Central America| Panama Central America| Bocas del Toro Panamá Central America| Chiriquí Panamá Central America| Coclé Panamá Central America| Colón Panama Central America| Darién Panamá Central America| Los Santos Panama Central America| Panamá Panama Central America| San Blás Panama Central America| Veraguas Panama Central America| Cuba South America| Camagüey Cuba South America| La Habana Cuba South America| Isla de Piños Cuba South America| Oriente Cuba South America| Piñar del Río Cuba South America| Jamaica South America| Bluefields Nicaragua Central America| Clarendon Jamaica South America| Trelawny Jamaica South America| Haiti South America| Dominican Republic South America| La Vega Dominican Republic South America| Barahona Dominican Republic South America| Santiago Dominican Republic South America| San Pedro de Macorís Dominican Republic South America| Samaná Dominican Republic South America| Puerto Rico South America| Bayamón Puerto Rico South America| Utuado Puerto Rico South America| Las Piedras Puerto Rico South America| Sabana Grande Puerto Rico South America| Colombia South America| Amazonas Colombia South America| Antioquia Colombia South America| Bolívar Colombia South America| Caquetá Colombia South America| Casanare Colombia South America| Cauca Colombia South America| Chocó Colombia South America| Cundinamarca Colombia South America| Guajira Colombia South America| Magdalena Colombia South America| Meta Colombia South America| Putumayo Colombia South America| Santander Colombia South America| Valle Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Aragua Venezuela South America| Barinas Venezuela South America| Carabobo Venezuela South America| Falcón Venezuela South America| Lara Venezuela South America| Mérida Venezuela South America| Miranda Venezuela South America| Yaracuy Venezuela South America| Zulia Venezuela South America| Ecuador South America| Guayas Ecuador South America| Manabí Ecuador South America| Napo Ecuador South America| Pastaza Ecuador South America| Pichincha Ecuador South America|