Dorstenia choconiana S.Watson

  • 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

    Dorstenia choconiana S.Watson

  • Type

    Type. Guatemala. Alta Verapaz: "Black River," branch of Río Chocon, 20 Mar 1885, Watson 296 (holotype, GH).

  • Synonyms

    Dorstenia choconiana S.Watson, Dorstenia cordato-acuminata Cufod.

  • Description

    Species Description - Herb, to ca. 50 cm tall; stem 2-5 mm thick, sparsely to rather densely puberulous to hirtellous with straight and uncinate, often ± retrorse hairs or subglabrous; internodes 1-5 cm long. Leaves in spirals; lamina oblong to elliptic, to subovate or subobovate, sometimes to lanceolate, entire or pinnatilobed to -parted, 5-26 × 2.5-8.5 cm, or if the lamina pinnatifid to -parted, then to 17.5 cm broad, chartaceous; apex subacute to acuminate; base ± distinctly attenuate or rounded to subcordate and decurrent along the petiole with ± narrow wings; margin subentire to repand to lobate; upper surface (sub)glabrous, smooth; lower surface puberulous to hirtellous or substrigulose with ± retrorse straight to uncinate hairs, more densely on the main veins, smooth to scabridulous; 5-10(-12) pairs of lateral veins, (faintly) loop-connected; tertiary venation scalariform to reticulate; petiole 1.5-5 cm long, sparsely to rather densely puberulous to hirtellous like the stem; stipules (narrowly) triangular to 1.2 cm long, to 3.5 mm broad, puberulous to glabrous. Inflorescences on minute short-shoots with reduced stipules, green or the margin of the receptacle purple-brown; peduncle 1-5 cm long, gradually passing into the ± broadly turbinate receptacle; receptacle centrally attached, (sub)orbicular in outline, (0.5-)1-3.5 cm diam., the outside with minute conical and longer retrorse uncinate hairs, the margin entire, the fringe 0.5-3.5 mm broad, with sparse minute swollen hairs; bracts in ca. 3 rows, on and below the margin and on the fringe, (broadly) ovate to semiorbicular, to 1.5 mm long, appressed, sparsely puberulous; staminate flowers among the pistillate ones; tepals 2; stamens 2; filaments longer than the perianth; stigmas equal or unequal in length, 0.3-0.8 mm long. Endocarp body ca. 2.5 × 2 mm, slightly tuberculate.

  • Discussion

    Specimens with entire and with pinnately lobed to parted leaves can be found throughout the range of the species, even in the same population.

    Two collections from Panama (Coclé: El Copé, Caribbean side of divide, 4 Feb 1983, Hamilton et al. 2753 (BG), and Colón: 9 km W of Llano Grande, S of Cascajal, 11 Oct 1978, Hammel et al 5058 (MO,PMA, U)) are in most features similar to Dorstenia choconiana, but the receptacle is discoid and ± irregularly lobed, as in D. panamensis. It is not clear whether these collections represent a distinct taxon or can be regarded as a form of D. choconiana with unusual inflorescences. The fact that these collections occur (far) outside the main range of individuals with normal inflorescences could be an indication that they represent a distinct taxon.

  • Distribution

    From Guatemala to Panama; in moist forest, often along streams; to 1800 m.

    Guatemala Central America| Alta Verapaz Guatemala Central America| Baja Verapaz Guatemala Central America| Izabal Guatemala Central America| Honduras Central America| Atlántida Honduras Central America| Yoro Honduras Central America| Nicaragua Central America| Río San Juan Nicaragua Central America| Zelaya Nicaragua Central America| Costa Rica South 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| Chiriquí Panamá Central America|