Sabinea punicea Urb.

• Authority

  Britton, Nathaniel L. Flora Borinqueña.

• Family

  Fabaceae

• Scientific Name

  Sabinea punicea Urb.

• Description

  Species Description - Endemic species, which have their nearest relatives existing in proximity, are in all probability, derivatives, the one from the other, and perhaps at a relatively recent period, whether by gradual evolutionary change, or by abrupt modification through mutation. The two Sabineas inhabiting Porto Rico, are much alike; Sabinea florida, also illustrated in this work, is widely distributed in this island and ranges eastward, through the Virgin Islands. Sabinea punicea is restricted in distribution, however, to moist parts of the western and central districts, at lower and middle elevations; the farthest eastern locality known to us is in the vicinity of Aibonito; it is frequent about Mayaguez and Maricao. Sabinea florida has lavender or pale purple flowers, with an incurved style, and the 5 posterior stamens are about one-half as long as the other 5. Sabinea punicea has pink to carmine flowers, a nearly straight style and the stamens are all nearly of the same length. For an account of the genus Sabinea we refer to our description of Sabinea florida. Sabinea punicea (purple-red) is a shrub, about 2 meters high, or lower, the young twigs hairy, or nearly smooth. Its leaves are from 5 to 10 centimeters long, similar to those of Sabinea florida; there are from 5 to 10 pairs of oblong or obovate, netted-veined, blunt or notched leaflets, from 10 to 15 millimeters long. The pink, red, or carmine flowers are clustered on slender stalks, from 1 to 2 centimeters long; the obliquely bell-shaped calyx is about 5 millimeters long; the standard petal is from 13 to 15 millimeters broad, the oblong wing-petals from 15 to 20 millimeters long, the oblong keel somewhat shorter; all 10 stamens are nearly alike in length, the style nearly straight. The pod is from 6 to 9 centimeters long and from 5 to 7 millimeters wide. Our illustration was first published in Addisonia, plate 395, June, 1927.

• Discussion

  Caracolillo Pea Family Sabinea punicea Urban, Symbolae Antillanae 1: 323. 1899.