Psychotria alba Ruiz & Pav.

  • Authority

    Maguire, Bassett. 1972. The botany of the Guayana Highland--part IX. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 23: 1-832.

  • Family

    Rubiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Psychotria alba Ruiz & Pav.

  • Description

    Distribution and Ecology - Distribution. Andes of Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, and doubtfully in Suriname.

  • Discussion

    Mapouria alba (R. & P.) M.-Arg., Flora 59: 458. 1876.

    Uragoga alba (R. & P.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. 1: 299. 189.

    Type. Posuso, Muña, and Chinchao, Huánuco, Peru, Ruiz & Pavon.

    A specimen from Suriname (Lindeman 5390 from Capoerica Ridge near Km 3, Perica River) is doubtfully placed here. Specimens from Venezuela identified as P. alba (such as Pittier 8913 from Edo. Carabobo) prove to be P. horizontalis with sessile flowers and conspicuously lobed calyx, or are assigned to other species. Psychotria alba is recognizable by the following characters: (1) four-angled branches of the inflorescence with opposite sides glabrous and with densely hirtello-pilosulous lines of pubescence, (2) flowers all pedicellate in trichotomous cymules, (3) glabrous calyx and hypanthium with shallowly raised margin bearing subacute to subobtuse projections or nearly truncate-margined, (4) glabrous exterior of corolla, (5) flowers in rather dense clusters, and (6) faintly nerved leaves. This taxon has been generally confused and misidentified in herbaria. Smith & Downs (Jour. Wash. Acad. 48: 284. 1958) do not regard this species as separable from P. carthaginensis Jacq.

  • Distribution

    Distribution. Andes of Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, and doubtfully in Suriname. Representative specimens examined.

    Peru South America| Bolivia South America| Colombia South America| Suriname South America|