Pagamea guianensis var. macrocarpa Steyerm.

  • Authority

    Maguire, Bassett. 1965. The Botany of the Guayana Highland. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 12 (3): 1-285.

  • Family

    Rubiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Pagamea guianensis var. macrocarpa Steyerm.

  • Type

    Type. Tree 15 m; wet tropical forest of Amazon basin, on Rio Caqueta, below mouth of Rio Orteguaza, Solano, 8 km SE of Tres Esquinas, Comisario de Caqueta, Colombia, at alt. 200 m, 4 Mar 1945, Elbert L. and Ruby R. Little, Jr. 9533 (holotype NY, isotype US).

  • Description

    Latin Diagnosis - A var. guianensis differt calycibus fructuum majoribus 6-7 mm latis atque fructibus 10-15 mm longis 8-10 mm latis.

  • Discussion

    The localities cited by Aublet in the original description of P. guianensis are just south of Cayenne in lowland forest. Aublet's plate shows a simple unbranched inflorescence with 2-3 tiers of few-flowered sessile clusters of flowers. Collections examined by the author from French Guiana are those of Melinon 307 (US) and Melinon 337 (NY), both from Maroni river, in the lowlands. The NY sheet shows a stipule 13-14 mm long with a glabrous tubular sheath beset with glabrous setae 3-3.5 mm long, whereas the U S sheet has the sheaths of the stipules minutely puberulent. Suriname material (arbor no. 726, Herb. no. 2610 in NY and US) matching Aublet's plate shows simple unbranched inflorescences with 3-4 sessile, fewflowered clusters with puberulent inflorescences and peduncle, leaf-blades 5.5-8.5 cm long by 1.5-2.5 cm wide, and the axils of the midrib and lateral nerves barbate on the lower leaf surface. Although the style is described in the original description as "minutely" pubescent, an examination of the holotype specimen shows that it is glabrous.