Siparuna laurifolia (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 laurifolia (Kunth) A.DC.

  • Type

    Type: Colombia. Tolima: In crepidinibus umbrosis prope Ibagué, 740 hex. [1350 m], Sep 1801 (male), Bonpland s.n. (holotype, P-HBK; isotypes, B, destroyed, F photo neg. 13507, CGE, F frag, ex P, GH frag, ex B [1 leaf and some flowers], P 2 sheets).

  • Synonyms

    Siparuna pennellii Perkins, Siparuna sinuata A.C.Sm.

  • Description

    Species Description - Dioecious or rarely monoecious shrub or treelet, 1.5-8 m tall and reaching a dbh of 10 cm, often drooping over other vegetation, the bark gray and smooth, branchlets terete and with a few simple or few-branched hairs. Leaves in whorls of 3 or rarely 4, sometimes opposite, often drying shiny; petioles 1-2.5 cm long, occasionally with conspicuous stiff hairs; lamina drying light or medium brown, brittle, elliptic to lanceolate, 7-15 (-21) X 3-7(-10) cm, the base obtuse, rarely rounded or acute, occasionally with small mite domatia, the apex acuminate, the drip tip about 1 cm long, the lower surface glabrous except for a few simple or bifid hairs on the veins and midrib, with 7-9(-12) pairs of secondary veins, these slightly raised above, distinctly raised below, the margin often crenulate and revolute. Cymes typically 2-3.5 cm long, 3- to 5-branched, deciduously pubescent or glabrous, with (6-) 15-20 flowers. Fresh flowers yellow to pale orange; male floral cup obconical to subglobose, 2-3.5(-5) mm in height and diam., the tepals 4-6, obtusely triangular to rounded and to 0.9 mm long or sometimes reduced to a narrow rim 0.3-0.5 mm broad, the floral roof broadly conical and distinctly raised, glabrous; stamens 5-6(-8), containing conspicuous yellowish oil cells, sometimes large and distinctly exserted from the floral pore; female floral cup of the same size and shape, the floral roof with an acutely conical tube sheathing the styles; carpels 8-14(-30), usually only a few styles exserted from the floral pore. Fruiting receptacle globose and smooth, to 2 cm in diam., when fresh and mature red with whitish or yellow-green spots and very fragrant, the pedicels elongating during maturation and becoming up to 6.5 cm long and pendent, the 12-30 drupelets distinctly protruding in dried receptacles, the fresh drupelets gray-blue with a red stylar aril.

  • Discussion

    The juice of leaves macerated in boiling water serves as a fever-lowering medicine.

    Siparuna laurifolia is recognized by its whorls of medium-sized elliptic leaves that usually dry with recurved margins and pendent, black-drying, essentially glabrous inflorescences and infructescences. A species with which S. laurifolia might be confused is the Ecuadorian endemic S. eggersii with similar terete branchlets, long internodes, and almost tepal-less flowers, but larger obovate leaves. The two species apparently replace each other geographically. For differences between S. laurifolia and the likewise similar S. mutisii, see the discussion under that species. Although most specimens of S. laurifolia are almost glabrous, a few, such as the type of S. pennellii, have petioles and young plant parts loosely covered with thin shaggy yellow hairs.

  • Common Names

    cereme, limoncillo de monte, tinto, limoncillo

  • Distribution

    Siparuna laurifolia occurs from southernmost Panama (Darien) throughout Andean Colombia to northern Ecuador; common in disturbed sites in forest understory and along roads at elevations between 350 and 2900 m.

    Caquetá Colombia South America| Darién Panamá Central America| Antioquia Colombia South America| Boyacá Colombia South America| Caldas Colombia South America| Cauca Colombia South America| Cundinamarca Colombia South America| Huila Colombia South America| Magdalena Colombia South America| Nariño Colombia South America| Quindío Colombia South America| Risaralda Colombia South America| Santander Colombia South America| Tolima Colombia South America| Valle del Cauca Colombia South America| Carchi Ecuador South America| Esmeraldas Ecuador South America| Imbabura Ecuador South America| Napo Ecuador South America| Pichincha Ecuador South America|