Stegolepis perligulata Maguire
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Authority
Maguire, Bassett. 1965. The Botany of the Guayana Highland. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 12 (3): 1-285.
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Family
Rapateaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type. Frequent on escarpment of La Escalera at alt. 850 m, Río Uiri-yuk, Río Cuyuni, Estado Bolivar, Venezuela, 20 A u g 1962, Bassett Maguire, Julian A. Steyermark cO Celia K. Maguire 46915 (holotype N Y , isotypes VEN, US, K, GH, BRAS, F).
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Description
Latin Diagnosis - Herbae perennes ad 1.5 m altae; vaginis exterioribus marcescentibus, firme papyraceis, vaginis interioribus lanceolatis firme papyraceis, ca. 25 cm longis, ea. 3 cm latis, venis prominulis, auriculis ligulatis 3.0-6.0 cm longis, oblongo-lanceolatis, obtusis submembranaceis, ad 1.5 cm latis; laminis lineari-lanceolatis, conspicue punctatis, ad 12 dm longis, 1.4-1.8 cm latis, aeutis, costa plus prominenta, ad basim 2.5-3.0 mm lata, ca. 6-venis, venis prominulis, vulgo 3 mm apartis; pedunculis vulgo 6-7, acute trigonis, laevis, sulcatis, 4-6 dm longis, 0.7-1.2 mm erassis, unispicatis; spieulis bracteolis inclusis subtendentibus, 26-30 mm longis, fusiformibus, 3-4 mm diam; bracteis 2, appositis, anguste lanceolatis aeutis, exterioribus 26-30 mm longis, ca. 3 mm latis, interioribus 20-25 mm longis, ca. 4 mm latis; bracteolis 6-8, anguste lanceolatis, plus-minusve hyalinis, 3-5-nervis, exterioribus 19-21 mm longis, interioribus ca. 10 mm longis; sepalis 3, 16-18 mm longis, 2.5 mm connatis; laminis lanceolatis, subinduratis, 14-15 mm longis, obscure 5-nervis; petalis 3, late obovatis, unguibus 3 mm connatis; staminibus 6, filamentis ca. 6 mm longis, planis, 1-nervis, 3 mm unguibus petalis adnatis; antheris 4-locularibus, lanceolatis, valde rugulosis, obtusis, lobo posteriore producto; ovario 3-loculare, loculis pluri-ovulatis; capsulis elliptico-oblongis 8-9 mm longis, pluri-seminatis; seminibus prismaticis, pyramidalibus vel compressis, striatis, 1.0-1.5 mm longis, testa plus-minusve carnosa hyalina.
Distribution and Ecology - Distribution. Represented only by the several individual plants of the type collection.
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Discussion
Stegolepis perligulata seems clearly to be the eastern analogue of S. glectsoniana collected on Cerro Duida. The habits and habitats of the two species are similar; the two narrowly lanceolate subtending cephalar bracts are to this time found nowhere else in the genus. But in detail these analogous species are sharply distinct, viz., the heads of the smaller flowered S. gleasoniana are 1-5-flowered, while in S. perligulata strictly 1-flowered; the former is eligulate, the latter with conspicuously large ligulate auricles which become as much as 6 cm long.