Dichapetalum rugosum (Vahl) Prance

  • Authority

    Prance, Ghillean T. 1972. Dichapetalaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 10: 1-84. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Dichapetalaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Dichapetalum rugosum (Vahl) Prance

  • Type

    TYPE. Herb. Vahl, s n, French Guiana, fl (holotype, C).

  • Synonyms

    Symphyllanthus rugosus Vahl, Cordia scandens Poir., Chailletia vestita Benth., Dichapetalum vestitum (Benth.) Baill., Dichapetalum vestitum var. scandens Baill., Chailletia flavicans Klotzsch, Dichapetalum flavicans Engl., Chailletia parkeri Planch. ex Triana, Dichapetalum scandens I.M.Johnst.

  • Description

    Description - Liana or shrub, the young branches tomentose to tomentellous, becoming glabrous with age. Leaves oblong to ovate-elliptic, thickly coriaceous, 6.0-32.0 cm long, 3.5-21.0 cm broad, most frequently acute but varying from rounded to acuminate at apex, subcuneate, rounded or subcordate at base, plane not bullate, or weakly bullate only above, densely hirsute beneath; midrib plane and pubescent above; primary veins 7-13 pairs, slightly impressed above; petioles 2.0-35.0 mm long, densely tomentose. Stipules lanceolate, 2.0-4.0 mm long, subpersistent or caducous, densely tomentose, the margins entire. Flowers hermaphrodite; pedicels 0.5-2.0 mm long. Inflorescences terminal, axillary or petiolar corymbose panicles, 1.5-8.0 mm long, the rachis and branches tomentose. Bracts and bracteoles triangular, 0.5-3.0 mm long, persistent, tomentose. Calyx 3.0-3.5 mm long, densely ferrugineous-tomentose on exterior, the lobes equal. Corolla of 5 equal lobes, bifid and weakly cucullate at apex, free to base, glabrous. Fertile stamens 5, alternating with and equalling corolla lobes. Disc of 5 separate bifid glands, united at base. Ovary bilocular or trilocular with 2 ovules in each loculus, lanate on exterior. Style lanate at base, glabrous above, the apex shortly trifid. Fruit unilocular or bilocular; epicarp densely velutinous tomentose; mesocarp thin; endocarp very thin, hard, bony, glabrous within.

  • Discussion

    The species here brought together in synonymy cannot be separated from one another. Baillon (Mart. Fl. Bras. 12(1): 372. 1886) divided this species into three varieties based on small differences in leaf shape and habit. These characters are not reliable and his varieties are not maintained. One of Baillon’s varieties, var cinerascens, is in fact D. latifolium.

    The type of this species is the specimen in the Vahl herbarium at Copenhagen which does not bear a collector’s name. It is probably a duplicate of a Richard collection with a Symphyllanthus manuscript name which is at Paris and Geneva. Hence: Richard sn fl (G, P) are probable isotypes.

    Collected in flower continously in Amazonia.

  • Distribution

    Primary and secondary forests on non-flooded ground, savannas, and stream margins in the Guianas and Amazonia, and west to the foothills of the Andes in Peru and Colombia.

    Venezuela South America| Barinas Venezuela South America| Suriname South America| French Guiana South America| Peru South America| San Martín Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Amapá Brazil South America| Maranhão Brazil South America|