Cinchona parabolica Pav.

  • Authority

    Andersson, Lennart. 1998. A revision of the genus (Rubiaceae--Cinchoneae). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 80: 1-75.

  • Family

    Rubiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Cinchona parabolica Pav.

  • Description

    Species Description - Tree to 7 m tall. Young branches densely to moderately hirsute, hirtellous, or villosulous. Stipules rather densely to moderately hirtellous, 0.7-3.3 X 1.2-1.6 cm; petioles 0.8-2.7 cm long, ± densely hirtellous or villosulous; leaf blades firmly chartaceous when dry, rugose, 6.5-19 X 5-11 cm (sapling leaves to 26 X 14), ovate, elliptic, oblong or ± obovate (length:width ratio 1.3-2.1), rounded to truncate at base (sometimes subcordate in leaves within the inflorescence), rounded to obtuse or shortly and bluntly acuminate at apex, secondary veins 10-16 pairs, impressed above, strongly prominent beneath, tertiary and quarternary veins impressed above, pro-minulous beneath, adaxial surface glossy, glabrous throughout when mature, or midrib ± sparsely hirtellous, abaxial surface rather densely to (rarely) sparsely hirtellous or villosulous, domatia absent. Inflorescence axes densely hirtellous. Calyx 2.5-3.5 mm long with lobes 0.9-1.3 mm, moderately puberulous outside, sparsely puberulous inside, at least toward base, without colleters; corolla tube ca. 9 mm long, rather densely villous inside above stamen attachments, lobes ca. 4 mm long; filaments attached 3-5 mm (30-40% of tube length) above base of corolla tube, 2-4 mm long in long-styled flowers (short-styled not seen), anthers 2.9-5.5 X 0.5-1.3 mm; ovary densely puberulous or villosulous, 2.5-3.6 X 1.6-3.4 mm, style ca. 9 mm long, stigma branches ca. 2 mm; disk glabrous. Capsules 11-33 X 5-8 mm, acropetally dehiscent, endocarp rather firmly chartaceous when dry, ca. 0.3 mm thick. Seeds 3.9-10 X 1.6-2.6 mm including wing, wing margin irregularly dentate.

    Distribution and Ecology - Distribution and habitat. E slopes of the Andes from S Ecuador (Loja, Zamora-Chinchipe) to N Peru (Amazonas); at altitudes between 1800 and 2500(-3500) m (Fig. 13D).

  • Discussion

    Type. Ecuador. Loja: “ex Loxa . . . Cascarilla con hojas rugosas,” 1805, [Tafalla in] Pavón 562 (lectotype, MA, designated by Andersson, 1994: 46, photo F-29638; probable isolectotypes, F-fragment, G, K, P). Cinchona mutisii [var.] crispa Wedd., Hist. Nat. Quinquinas 69. 1849; Ann. Sci. Nat. Bot. III. 11: 270. 1849, nom. nud. Cinchona delessertiana Standl., Publ. Field Mus.. Bot. Ser., 13(6): 26. 1936. Type. Peru. Amazonas: Chachapoyas, Matthews s.n. (holotype, G; isotypes, BM. K; probable isotype, NY-without locality). Cinchona parabolica is characterized by its comparatively large, strongly rugose leaf blades, which are rounded or shortly and bluntly acuminate at the apex and conspicuously hirtellous or villosulous throughout beneath. Cinchona mutisii var. crispa was synonymized under C. pubescens by Standley (1931a). He described C. parabolica under the name C. delessertiana, apparently unaware of the name C. parabolica.