Cinchona fruticosa L.Andersson

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Rubiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Cinchona fruticosa L.Andersson

  • Description

    Latin Diagnosis - Frutex ca. 1.5 m altus ramis juvenibus ± dense hirtellis. Stipulae 0.8-1 cm longae; petiolus ± puber-ulus vel hirtellus, 1-1.6 cm longus; lamina in sicco chartacea, ovata ad elliptica, longitudine vulgo 2plo latitudine, ad basin ± late cuneata, ad apicem obtusa, 5.6-9 X 2—4.6 cm, adaxiali pagina impolita ad subnitida, glabra, vel costa et venis parce hirtellis, abaxiali pagina in totam superficiem hirtella, domatia desunt. Calyx ca. 3.2 mm longus lobis ca. 1.7 mm longis; corollae tubus ca. 8 mm longus, intus glaber, lobi ca. 3.3 mm longi; ovarium dense pubescens. Capsula ± fusiformis ad subglobosa, 6-14 X 3-5 mm, endocarpio tenui chartaceo. Semina 3.6-4.4 X 1.3-1.5 mm ala inclusa, ala margine fimbriati.

    Species Description - Shrub, ca. 1.5 m tall. Young branches rather densely and coarsely hirtellous. Stipules 0.8-1 X 0.3-0.5 cm, ± tongue-shaped, hirtellous; petioles 1-1.6 cm long, puberulous or hirtellous; leaf blade chartaceous when dry, 5.6-9 X 2-4.6 cm, ovate to elliptic (length:width ratio 1.7-2.9), obtuse at apex, ± broadly cuneate at base, secondary veins 6-9 pairs, ± level above, prominent beneath, tertiary veins ± distinct, slightly impressed above, prominulous beneath, adaxial surface matte to subnitid, glabrous, or slightly hirtellous on midrib and secondary veins, abaxial surface rather sparsely to rather densely hirtellous throughout, without domatia. Calyx ca. 3.2 mm long with the rather narrowly triangular lobes ca. 1.7 mm, sparsely puberulous outside, glabrous inside or sparsely puberulous in tube, without colleters or with solitary ones at sinuses; corolla pink, tube ca. 8 mm, glabrous inside, lobes ca. 3.3 mm; stamens attached ca. 3.6 mm (ca. 40% of tube length) above base of corolla tube in long-styled flowers (short-styled ones not seen), filaments ca. 0.9 mm long, anthers ca. 3.2 X 0.7 mm; style ca. 8.3 mm in long-styled flowers, stigma branches ca. 1.1 mm, ovary ca. 2.4 X 1.7 mm, densely villosulous outside, disk glabrous. Capsules 6-14 X 3-5 mm, acropetally dehiscent, endocarp ± chartaceous, ca. 0.15 mm thick. Seeds irregularly oblong, 3.6-4.4 X l.3-1.5 mm, wing margin ± fimbriate, at least in basiscopic part.

    Distribution and Ecology - Distribution and habitat. Known only from two collections, both from a narrowly restricted area in the Amazonas department, N Peru (Fig. 14F), at altitudes between 2200 and 3350 m. The habitat of the type collection was described as open rocky wet glades in wet cloud forest, dominated by Puya.

  • Discussion

    Type. Peru. Amazonas: Prov. Bongará, Laguna Pomacocha, ridge NE of lake, 05°50’S, 77°52’W, 2450-3350 m, 7 Feb 1985, B. Stein & C. Todzia 2120 (holotype, NY; isotype, MO). With its ± matte, coriaceous leaf blades without domatia and its calyx with rather long, narrowly triangular lobes, C. fruticosa resembles C. nitida, which seems also to be a rather low-growing species restricted to higher altitudes. It differs from C. nitida in having ovate to elliptic (vs. obovate) leaf blades, which are conspicuously hirtellous throughout beneath (vs. puberulous mainly on midrib and secondary veins), in having a smaller corolla (tube ca. 8 mm vs. 14-15 mm long), smaller capsules (6-14 mm vs. 12-23 mm long), and smaller seeds (3.6-4.4 mm vs. 6.1-7.9 mm long).