Rourea glabra Kunth var. glabra

  • Authority

    Forero, Enrique. 1976. A revision of the American species of Rourea subgenus Rourea (Conaraceae). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 26 (1): 1-119.

  • Family

    Connaraceae

  • Scientific Name

    Rourea glabra Kunth var. glabra

  • Description

    Variety Description - Scandent shrub or woody vine; branchlets terete, glabrous or pubescent, lenticellate. Leaves imparipinnate, 1-3-jugate; petiole 1.5-5 cm long, glabrous; rachis 1-12 cm long, glabrous. Leaflets 2.5-9.5 cm long, 1-4.5 cm broad, elliptic or oblong, glabrous above and below, subcoriaceous or rigid-chartaceous, the apex short- to long-acuminate, the base cuneate or attenuate; petiolule 0.2-0.5 cm long; venation reticulate, prominulous above and below; lateral veins 5-7 pairs. Inflorescence paniculate, axillary, pseudoterminal or terminal, the rachilla 3-7 cm long, glabrous; bracts 0.1 cm long or less. Pedicels articulate, slender, 0.25-0.6 cm long above articulation, glabrous; sepals 0.2-0.3 cm long, 0.1-0.2 cm broad, ovate, glabrous without, velutinous within, the margin ciliate, the apex barbate; petals 0.3-0.5 cm long, 0.2-0.3 cm broad, obovate, glabrous, free; stamens 10, five short ca. 0.2-0.25 cm long, five long ca. 0.3-0.4 cm long, the tube 0.3-0.5 mm long; anthers globose, subcordate; ovary villous, ca. 0.1 cm long; style pubescent at base, ca. 0.05-0.15 cm long; stigma two-lobed. Fruit 1-1.5 cm long, 0.5-0.7 cm wide, oblong, more or less arcuate or straight, glabrous; calyx in fruit ca. 0.5 cm long, glabrous. Seed 1-1.2 cm long, 0.6 cm wide; arilloid 0.4 cm long; testa under arilloid smooth.

  • Discussion

    Connarus glaber DC., Prodr. 2: 85. 1825; Mem. Soc. Hist. Nat. Paris 2: 385. 1826. Robergia glabra (H.B.K.) Spreng., Syst. 4(2): 188. 1827. Rourea oblongifolia Hook. & Arnott, Bot. Beech. Voy. 283. 1838. Presumed holotype examined (K). Mexico, Guerrero, Acapulco, Beechey s.n. fr. w/o date. Connarus oblongifolius (Hook. & Arnott) Mart, ex Baker in Martius, Fl. Brasil. 14(2): 182. 1871, pro parte, nomen nudum in syn. Santalodes glabrum (H.B.K.) O. Kuntze, Rev. Gen. 1: 155. 1891. Rourea cubensis Urban, Symb. Antill. 5: 356. 1908. Holotype (GOET). Cuba, w/o locality, C. Wright 2408 (pro parte) fl. fr. 1865. Isotypes examined (G, GH, K, NY, P, S, US, W). Rourea sympetala Urban, Symb. Antill. 5: 357. 1908. Holotype (B?, lost): Cuba, w/o locality, C. Wright 2408 (pro parte) fl. 1865. Isotype examined (US). Holotype not seen (P). Microfiche of holotype examined (NY): Venezuela, Río Orinoco, Caicara. Humboldt s.n. fl. fr. w/o date. Local names. “Chilillo” (Yucatán, Campeche, Hidalgo and Jalisco, Mexico); “Bejuco de agua” (Chiapas and Escuintla, Mexico); “Remulatero” (Vera Cruz, Mexico); “Bejuco de Juan Caliente” (Mexico); “Canjura” (El Salvador); “Mata negro” (Oriente, Cuba); “Bejuco prieto” (Pinar del Río, Cuba); “Bejuco baracoa” (Santa Clara, Cuba); “Granada de Monte” (Colombia). Rourea glabra is the most widespread representative of the genus in the American tropics. This taxon shows great morphological variability as a result of its wide geographical distribution and ecological amplitude. Table V shows the characters distinguishing the three varieties accepted in this study. Rourea glabra var glabra shows a discontinuous pattern of distribution in South America, occurring in Colombia and Venezuela, apparently absent from Amazonia and the Planalto of Brazil, and then reappearing in Rio de Janeiro and surrounding areas. Whether this discontinuity is an actual fact or only the result of incomplete collecting in the area, it is hard to say. Some recent collections from the state of Amazonas have been tentatively ascribed to R. glabra var glabra. They lack, however, some definite glabra characters (such as the prominulous venation). Regrettably, these collections are of poor quality. As stated elsewhere, it is usually necessary to have either perfect flowers or mature fruits, or both, to identify accurately species of Rourea. The type specimen of Rourea glabra H.B.K. has not been seen. However, a microfiche has been examined at the Library of the New York Botanical Garden. Equally important in elucidating the actual limits of the taxon has been a topotype collection (Williams 13285) from the type locality at Caicara, Río Orinoco, Venezuela.

  • Distribution

    Distribution. From both coasts of Mexico just below the Tropic of Cancer to southern Mexico and Central America. In the West Indies in Cuba and Trinidad, and in South America from Colombia and Venezuela to southern Brazil in the area of Rio de Janeiro. Some recent collections from the Amazon Basin in the areas of Manaus and the Rio Madeira are provisionally assigned to R. glabra var glabra. This variety occurs in a wide variety of habitats, including primary and secondary forests, edge of mangro

    Mexico North America| Central America| Cuba South America| Trinidad and Tobago South America| Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Brazil South America|