Spathelia ulei (Engl. ex Harms) R.S.Cowan & Brizicky
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Authority
Cowan, Richard S. & Brizicky, George K. 1960. Taxonomic relationships of Diomma Engler ex Harms. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 10 (2): 58-64.
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Family
Rutaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Tree 6-10 m tall, the tip of the stem puberulous and minutely stellate pubescent but glabrescent. Leaves 20-28-foliolate, the leaflets with glandular punctae restricted to the margins, the petioles somewhat canaliculate basally but otherwise terete, 17 cm long, puberulous, the rachis 45-60 cm long, terete, puberulous, the leaflets subopposite to alternate, glabrous, or puberulous on the upper surface of the costa, the petiolules 4-6 mm long, puberulous, the blades of the lower leaflets smaller, ca. 5-6.5 mm long, 2.5-3 cm wide, oval to oval-oblong, the blades of the upper leaflets larger and oblong or lanceolate-oblong, 14—17 cm long, 3.5-4 cm wide, the base of all the leaflets slightly to very markedly inequilateral, the lower side acute and the upper rounded-obtuse, the apex abruptly acute to acuminate with the tip blunt, the venation plane to impressed on the upper leaflet surfaces, plane to salient beneath. Inflorescence 10-15 cm long, the axis puberulous, the bracts minute, the pedicels 4—5.5 mm long (10-12 mm in the original description), puberulous. Sepals oval, obtuse, entire to emarginate, 3 mm long, 2 mm wide, glabrous except ciliolate; petals elliptic, 5-6 mm long, 4 mm wide, glabrous to sparingly ciliolate. Filaments (in pistillate flowers) 3.5—1 mm long, ligulate, linear or subulate or with the basal half somewhat expanded laterally, sparingly villose basally on the inner surface. Gynoecium glabrous, the stigma bifid, each half capitate, the style about 0.3-0.5 mm long, columnar, the ovary oblong-ovate to broadly ovate, ca. 2.5-4 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, the base broad and with 4 (5?) bulbous sparsely pubescent nectaries. Fruit broadly ovate, acuminate, 2.5-3 cm long, 2-3 cm broad.
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Discussion
Fig. 1, b-d.
Diomma ulei Engler ex Harms, Nat. Pflanzenfam. ed. 2. 19a: 460. 1931.
Like most of the other species of this alliance in Guayana, N. ulci is poorly known, but it is perhaps most nearly related to N. frutictma. The latter differs in the shape of its fruit, in the length of its pedicels, and in the distribution of the glandular punctae in the leaflets.
In the fragment envelope of the Geneva specimen of the typo collection there is a young fruit which is quite different in form from those described bv Harms and from the one complete, mature one in that envelope. The atypical fruit is probably from another plant and in fact is similar to the fruits of S. fruticosa.
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Distribution
VENEZUELA: Bolivar: Mt. Roraima, between Rondon Camp and base of escarpment, alt. 2040-2255 m, 30 Sep 1944, Steijermarl: 58982 (F, NY) ; Ptari-tepui, alt. 1800-1900 m, 2 Nov 1944, Steyermark 59798 (F) ; base of Mt. Roraima, Vie 8646 (G, K, type collection of Diomma ulei Engler i>x Harms).
Venezuela South America|