Cayaponia ferruginea Gomes-Klein
-
Authority
Smith, J. D. 1907. Undescribed plants from Guatemala and other Central American republics XXIX. Bot. Gaz. (Crawfordsville). 44: 108-117.
-
Family
Cucurbitaceae
-
Scientific Name
-
Type
TYPE: BRAZIL. Amazonas: Mun. Humaitá, Rio Madeira, road Humaitá to Porto Velho, km 10, 28 Nov 1966 ([female] fl and fr), G. T. Prance, Pena et Ramos 3425(HOLOTYPE: INPA; ISOTYPES: F, GH, K, NY, R).
-
Description
Latin Diagnosis - Ab aliis speciebus generis foliis semper trifoliolatis subcoriaceis, subtus reticulatis tomentosisque, foliolis lateralibus ad basin 1-2 glandulis disciformibus praeditis, inflorescentiis et floribus dense ferrugineo-tomentosis, staminodiis subtus villosis, et fructibus ellip- soideis ferrugineo-tomentosis glabrescentibus, semini- bus duobus base subtruncatis differt.
Species Description - Monoecious vine; stems climbing, terete, herbaceous to slightly woody, grooved; internodes 4-16 cm long. Tendrils forked, glabrescent. Petioles stout, conspicuously veined, tomentose, 0.5-3 cm long; leaves trifoliolate, subcoriaceous, 6-20 X 5-23 cm, the basal sinus 1-2 X 3-5 cm; leaflets lanceolate, apex acute, margin denticulate and revolute, glabescent adaxially, tomentose and reticulate-veined abaxially, the median leaflet 10-17 X 3-9 cm; the lateral leaflets entire, asymmetric, with 1-2 discoid glands, base auriculate, 9-14 x 4-7 cm; venation actinodromous-craspedodromous. Male flowers: solitary or in groups of 2-4 in simple, lax terminal, tomentose racemes; pedicels grooved, tomentose, 2-3 mm long; bracteoles tomentose, 2-3 mm long; hypanthium tubular, tomentose, ferrugineous trichomes abaxially, papillose adaxially, 5-8 X 3-4 mm in bud; sepals ovate, erect, densely tomentose, 1-2 X 1-2 mm long in bud; petals ovate, erect, apex acute white, papillose on both surfaces, 5-8 X 4-6 mm in bud; filaments filiform, 3-4 mm long; connective narrow and glabrous; anthers glabrous, 6-7 X 3-4 mm in bud; pollen grains isopolar, radially symmetric, very large (100-200 [Im), oblate-spheroidal, subcircular, 4 (-5)-zonoporate, the pores large with a diffuse, wide annulus, operculate, the sexine intectate, homogeneous, the spines supratectal, long, apex conical short pila among spines; pistillode indistinct or lacking. Female flowers: solitary or in axillary racemes of 2-several; pedicel 2-3 mm long, tomentose; hypanthium tubular, smooth, constricted above the middle, tomentose abaxially, papillose adaxially, 8-9 X 5-6 mm in bud; sepals triangular, reduced, ferrugineous-tomentose on both surfaces, 1-1.5 x 1-1.5 mm long; petals lanceolate, erect, apex obtuse, white, papillose on both surfaces, 4-5 x 1 mm in bud; staminodes 3, simple, terete, villous abaxially at the middle; ovary ellipsoid, smooth, 8-9 X 5-6 mm in bud; style terete, glabrous, 2.5-3 x 1 mm in bud; stigmas 3, entire, club-shaped, 1 mm long. Fruits green when immature, yellow at maturity, ellipsoid, smooth, 1.5-2 X 1-1.5 cm, the ferrugineous trichomes short; Seeds 2, brown, shiny, obovate, smooth, glabrous, base subtruncate, pleurogramm lacking, 9- 12 X 7-8 mm, the mucilaginous aril.
-
Discussion
(Fig. 3)
Common name.-Fruta-de-cutia (Hoehne 3990).
Cayaponiaferruginea is similar to C. ternata (Vell.) Cogn.(from the states of Minas Gerais, Espirito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, Sdio Paulo, Parana, and Santa Catarina, Brazil), but it can be easily distinguished mainly by the prominent, discoid (vs. non-prominent) glands at the base of lateral leaflets and the ferrugineous indument (vs. tomentose, without ferrugineous indument) that covers the abaxial surfaces of flowers and young fruits. The specimen Prance et al. 3425 (the type of C. ferruginea) was identified as C. ternata (Vell.) Cogn. by Jeffrey (1971).
A detailed study of floral parts was not possible because only one specimen had flowers, mostly buds, while the other specimens had fruit.
-
Distribution
This species is known from the Amazonian forests of the states of Amazonas, Amapá, Mato Grosso, Pará and Rondônia, Brazil and departments of La Paz and Santa Cruz, Bolivia (Fig. 2).
Brazil South America| Bolivia South America|