Vismia minutiflora Ewan
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Authority
Ewan, Joseph A. 1962. Synopsis of the South American species of Vismia (Guttiferae). Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 35: 293-377. pls. 1-5.
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Family
Clusiaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type in the U.S. National Herbarium, No. 1,795,145, collected at San José del Guaviare, Río Guaviare, Intendencia of Meta, Colombia, in savana, alt. 240 meters, Nov. 11, 1939, by José Cuatrecasas (No. 7658); isotypes in the herbaria of the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, and the New York Botanical Garden. Paratypes: PERU: Río Azara, Upper Río Marcapata, east of Urcos, 1050 m., Sandeman 3730 (K); Moro, 1200-1500 m., Jan. 1866, Pearce (K); "Perou," Gay 939 (P).
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Description
Latin Diagnosis - Arbor parva vel frutex 2.5 m. altus, ramis superioribus gracilibus, fissuratis, griseo-brunneis, raches atque ramis rufo-tomentulosis, inferioribus glabrescentibus; foliis superioribus non reductis, laminis omnibus submembranaceis, ovato-lanceolatis, 7-9 (13) cm. longis, acuminatis vel cuspidatis, ad basim breviter acutis vel subrotundatis, amphiglabris, infra atro-punctatis, supra venis impressis; petiolis brevibus, 2-4 mm. longis; paniculis compactis et brevi-ramosis; sepalis minimis, 1.5-2 mm. longis, flavibus, partibus centralibus atro-pubescentibus; petalis breviter oblongis, albis, atro-vittatis, intus sparse comosis; staminibus ad anthesin exsertis; fructibus ignotis.
Description - Small tree or shrub 2.5 m. high or more, the trunk slender, the branchlets clothed with thin gray-brown bark splitting into narrow shreds, rufous-tomentulose with fine branched hairs on young wood and rachis of the panicle, glabrescent below; leaves little if at all reduced at the inflorescence and exceeding it, thin, amphiglabrous except at the extreme base beneath where weakly stellate-pubescent, finely black gland-dotted beneath and impressed-venose above, ovate-lanceolate, 7-9 (or 13) cm. long, acuminate to cuspidate, shortly acute or barely rounded at the base, the petioles slender, short, 2-4 mm. long; flowers short-pedicellate, the panicle compactly and shortly branched; calyx very small, 1.5-2 mm. long, yellowish with a narrow central black pubescent ridge, spherical in bud; petals short-oblong, white, vittate with impressed black glands, rather lightly comose within; stamens exceeding the corolla at anthesis; fruit unknown.
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Discussion
The affinities of Vismia minutifiora are with the section Vismia and not with the section Trianthera, to which Vismia micrantha belongs, as might well be expected upon the basis of the small flowers, although the combination of characters shown in Vismia minutifiora are not closely approached by other species of the section Vismia. The leaves recall Vismia cayennensis but are thinner and more herbaceous. The short-pedunculate panicle suggests a species of Sambucus, an impression further borne out by the small flowers crowded into small cymules. Individually, the flowers are rather showy for their white petals which far exceed the exceptionally small calyx. A Peruvian collection, Klug 2344 (A, US), from the mouth of the Río Zubineta, near Florida, Río Putumayo, Department of Loreto, has much larger leaves, 12-14 cm. long, and a more compound diffuse panicle-quite unlike the Colombian type collection from the Río Guaviare. In points of flower structure this Peruvian collection is in agreement, but the curious callosities on the sepals and the unusual twisting of the long petals suggests a diseased plant. Aside from the short-petiolate leaves, Klug 2344 resembles the type collection of Vismia parviflora in several particulars.