Siparuna sessiliflora (Kunth) A.DC.

  • Authority

    Renner, Susanne S. & Hausner, Gerlinde. 2005. Siparunaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 95: 1--247 pp. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Monimiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Siparuna sessiliflora (Kunth) A.DC.

  • Type

    Type: Colombia. Tolima: In radicibus montis Quindiuensis inter Ibagué et Questa de Tolima [foot of Mt. Quindío betw. Ibagué and Questa de Tolima], 680 hex. [1220 m], Sep 1801, Bonpland s.n. (holotype, P-HBK; isotypes, B, destroyed, F photo neg. 13531, CGE, F frag, ex P, P 2 sheets).

  • Synonyms

    Siparuna mollis (Kunth) A.DC., Citriosma radiata Poepp. ex Endl., Siparuna radiata (Poepp. & Endl.) A.DC., Citriosma mollicoma Mart. ex Tul., Siparuna mollicoma (Mart. ex Tul.) A.DC., Siparuna magnifica Perkins, Siparuna steleandra Perkins, Siparuna pittieri R.Knuth

  • Description

    Species Description - Dioecious shrub or treelet, 1.5-8 m tall and reaching a dbh of 25 cm; young branchlets flattened at the nodes, otherwise terete, more or less densely pubescent. Leaves opposite; petioles 1-8(-12) cm long; lamina drying yellowish brown, greenish brown, or brown, elliptic to lanceolate, 12-55 X 7-25 cm, the base acute, obtuse, or rounded, sometimes truncate, rarely alate and with small mite domatia, the apex acute, obtuse, or acuminate, the tip to 1.5 cm long, above pubescent with few-branched spreading hairs, sometimes slightly rough to the touch, below more softly and densely pubescent with longer tufted hairs, with 9-15 pairs of secondary veins, these almost flat above and slightly raised below, in Andean material usually hidden by the dense indumentum, the margin denticulate to serrulate, rarely subentire or doubly denticulate. Cymes frequently on leafless nodes on older wood, 0.5-1.5 cm long, more or less densely pubescent with stellate or tufted hairs, with 10-50 flowers. Fresh flowers greenish pink, gradually turning whitish yellow to orange; male flowers broadly obconical to semiglobose, 2.3-4 mm in diam. (measured including the tepal rim), the indumentum as on the cymes; tepals forming an 0.3-1.5 mm broad more or less undulate circular rim, the floral roof loosely stellate pubescent (Fig. 11G) to densely tomentose, moderately to strongly raised; stamens (4) + 1, the outer 4 fused, at anthesis protruding as a tube (Figs. 11G, 11H, 12E), the inner one usually staminodial; female flowers broadly obconical to subglobose, 2.56 mm in diam. (measured including the tepal rim), the floral roof almost flat to slightly bulging with a minute or distinct central tube sheathing the styles, the indumentum as in the male flowers; styles (15-) 20-30(-35). Fruiting receptacle globose and smooth, about 1.2-2.2 cm in diam. and crowned by the persistent tepal rim, mature pale red or purplish and with a strong lemon scent when crushed, when dried often with distinctly protruding drupelets, the fresh drupelets gray with a bright scarlet stylar aril.

  • Discussion

    In Amazonian Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, Siparuna sessiliflora is used to treat fever and headaches. The sick person is fanned or touched with a leafy twig. Alternatively, an extract of the crushed and boiled leaves is drunk to lower the fever. Hot leaves are also applied as a poultice to stiff joints to alleviate rheumatism. Other labels report that small pieces of bark are heated and applied directly to treat herpes sores or insect bites.

    Siparuna sessiliflora is the only species in the genus in which the filaments of the outer four stamens fuse to form a tube that surrounds a fifth minute and often sterile stamen in the center (Figs. 11G, 11H, 12H). The tepals in S. sessiliflora are reduced to a rim that encircles the floral cup. In the Flora of Ecuador (Renner and Hausner, 1997) we used the name S. radiata (Poeppig & Endl.) A. DC. for what we now consider to be a lowland morph of S. sessiliflora. The lowland morph (e.g., Fig. 43, a plant from 220 m alt.) has shorter hairs and smaller flowers than collections from higher altitudes (e.g., Fig. 44, a plant from 1000 m alt.). Material from Venezuela is exactly intermediate in pubescence between Colombian Andean material and material from the Amazonian lowlands. In flower size it is similar to lowland material. Given the unique staminal tube (Fig. 11G-H) of all these collections, there can be little doubt that hair length varies with altitude as it does in other species of Siparuna and that the material represents a single widespread species.

    The protologue describes Siparuna radiata as monoecious, but this is in error. All collections we have seen were either male or female. The pollination of S. sessiliflora was studied by Feil (1992, under the name S. magnifica).

    Siparuna sessiliflora sometimes has mite domatia in the leaf bases, which then become broader than usual and slightly flared (e.g., Tinjacá 5; Schultes & Cabrera 12415, 12799).

    A possibly new species from Amazonian Peru differs from Siparuna sessiliflora in having triangular and adaxially glabrous tepals, a glabrous floral roof, and free stamens. In all other aspects, the material is indistinguishable from S. sessiliflora. Further collections are needed to fully evaluate this entity. (In the List of Exsiccatae, we have identified specimens of this possibly new species as “S. sessiliflora or sp. nov.”)

  • Common Names

    chundui, limoncillo de monte, igiguate, jatyeroai, kaayula, kajaujila, uamao, chundui, huaira pichina panga, jatun mal aire panga, guara panga, monte de oso, isula caspi, isula micuna, kuasik, mejegkash, tsuna japimagbáu, tsuna hapimagbau, tsuna jopibagbáu

  • Distribution

    Siparuna sessiliflora occurs in Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil; often on sandy loam in old clearings or at otherwise disturbed sites; at elevations of 50 to 1700 m.

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