Disciphania ernstii var. uncinulata Barneby
-
Authority
Mori, S. A. 1987. The Lecythidaceae of a lowland Neotropical Forest: La Fumée mountain, French Guiana. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 44: 1-190.
-
Family
Menispermaceae
-
Scientific Name
-
Description
Latin Diagnosis - A var. ernstii caulibus pilis tenuibus 0.1-0.2 mm longis deorsum uncinatim recurvis densiuscule pilosula statim recognita.
Variety Description - Habit of var. ernstii, but the stems, petioles, and leaf-blades thinly pilosulous with fine, uncinately curved hairs up to 0.2 mm long, the hairs on the stems retrorse, those on the leaves antrorse; petioles 4-9 cm long; leaf-blades submembranous, opaque, a little paler beneath, broadly cordate, 5.5-12 cm long, 4.5-10.5 cm wide, the narrow basal sinus 1-2.2 cm deep, the basal lobes rounded, the acumen narrowly triangular, acute, 7-13 mm long; venation as in var. ernstii; inflorescence [female] including the short peduncle ± 8 cm long, the rachis becoming abruptly zigzag, the flowers ± 9, the bracts small, deflexed; drupe 16 mm long, 13 mm wide; endocarp 15 mm long, including the wings 10-11 mm wide, the wing margins undulate, not dissolved into fimbriate spokes.
-
Discussion
Type. PERU. Loreto: in forest, 155-210 m, near Yurimaguas on lower Río Huallaga, Oct. 29, 1929, fruct., Llewelyn Williams 5235 (holotype F). Also at Puerto Arturo near Yurimaguas, Nov. 18, 1929, fr. jun., showing pleomorphic leaves of sterile shoot, Ll. Williams 5168 (F). Pending discovery of the staminate flower this certainly undescribed entity is subordinated to D. ernstii, of which it has essentially the leaf-form, even to the variably pentagonal blades of the sterile branchlets, and the drupe, only differing in the fine, uncinately incurved hairs that clothe all parts of the growing shoots. These hairs are erect at base, those of the stems then hooked backward while those or the leaves are hooked forward. The pistillate spike (known from only one complete example) appears to be fewer-flowered and shorter than usual in var. ernstii, a character that suggests the sympatric D. tessmannii, although that is completely glabrous. In leaf-size var. uncinulata is like var. ernstii, but in the broadly cordate outline (including the acumen 5.5-12 cm long, 4.5-10.5 cm wide) approaches var. glaziovii.