Palicourea domingensis (Jacq.) DC.
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Authority
Britton, Nathaniel L. Flora Borinqueña.
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Family
Rubiaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Differing from all immediate relatives living in Porto Rico, by flowers borne 3 together at ends of branches of the clusters, this shrub, or small tree inhabits woodlands and thickets at lower and middle elevations, in wet or moist districts, and is naturally distributed nearly throughout the West Indies, south to Guadeloupe, but is not recorded from continental tropical America; the attractive, white or pink flowers vary considerably in size. We have not learned of a Spanish popular name. For an account of the genus we refer to our description of Palicourea riparia. Palicourea domingensis (first known botanically from Santo Domingo) may form a small tree 4 or 5 meters high, but is usually shrubby and lower, all its parts smooth, the round twigs often constricted below the leaves; the small, 2-lobed stipules fall away early. The short-stalked, thin leaves vary in shape from elliptic to broadly lance-shaped or somewhat broader above the middle than below; they are from 6 to 20 centimeters long, pointed, and rather strongly veined. The flowers are borne in 3's, in loose clusters, about 8 centimeters broad, or less, at the ends of branches, the individual ones stalkless or very short-stalked; the calyx is only about 1.5 millimeters long, with sharp teeth; the corolla is white, or pink, with a slender tube from 10 to 15 millimeters long, the spreading, pointed lobes from 5 to 10 millimeters long. The globose, black, somewhat compressed, slightly fleshy fruits are 5 or 6 millimeters long, containing 2, crested nutlets.
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Discussion
Wild Cappel Madder Family Psychotria domingensis Jacquin, Enumeratio Systematica Plantarum 16.1760. Palicourea domingensis De Candolle, Prodromus 4: 529. 1830.