Renealmia matogrossensis Maas

  • Authority

    Maas, Paulus J. M. 1977. Renealmia (Zingiberaceae--Zingiberoideae), Costoideae (Additions) (Zingiberaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 18: 1-218. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Zingiberaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Renealmia matogrossensis Maas

  • Type

    TYPE. Philcox & Fereira 4192 (holotype, U; iso type, K), wet gallery forest near Base Camp (12°49° S, 51° 46 W), 270 km N of Xavantina, Mato Grosso, Brazil.

  • Description

    Description - Plants 0.60-1.10 m tall. Rhizomes 5-9 mm thick. Sheaths striate or very slightly reticulate, 5-8 mm wide, to 10 mm at the base of the plant, rather densely covered with simple and furcate prickles (less than 0.1 mm long). Ligule ca 1 mm long, hairy like the sheaths. Petiole absent. Lamina narrowly elliptic, shortly acuminate at the apex (acumen 5-10 mm long), cuneate at the base, 11-25 cm long, 2.5-7 cm wide, on both sides sparsely covered with simple, prickle-like hairs (less than 0.01 mm long). Scape 5-15 cm tall, up to 4 mm thick, beset with sheaths up to 2-4 cm long and 0.3-1 cm wide. Inflorescence a congested, basal thyrse 3.5-9 cm long and 2-3.5 cm wide, with 3-5-flowered cincinni Indument of inflorescence: sheaths, rhachis, bracts, peduncles, bracteoles, pedicels, and calyx sparsely to densely covered with simple (and furcate) hairs (0.1-0.2 mm long); calyx, ovary, and capsule sparsely to densely covered with mainly furcate hairs (less than 0.1 mm long), corolla glabrous. Bracts green with red margins, rather persistent, narrowly triangular-elliptic to triangular-elliptic, 7-19 mm long, 4-8 mm wide. Peduncles 2-3 mm long. Bracteole 7-10 mm long. Pedicels 2-7 mm long. Calyx tubular, 3-6 mm long, 3-4 mm wide, the lobes shallowly triangular to deflate, 1-2 mm long, 2-3 mm wide. Corolla creamy-yellow to white, 7 mm long, the tube 4 mm long, the lobes ca 3 mm long, 2 mm wide. Labellum 5-6 mm long and wide when spread out, hairy opposite the anther, limb 2.5-3 mm long, 4-5 mm wide, lateral lobes rounded, 2.5-3 mm long, 1.5-2.5 mm wide, middle lobe bilobulate, the lobules ovate, 1-1.5 mm long, ca 1 mm wide, basal claw ca 3 mm long, 1-2 mm wide, lateral staminodes 0.5 mm long. Anther 2-2.5 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, glabrous. Style 5-6 mm long. Nectarial glands partly surrounding the style base, 1-1.5 mm long. Ovary globose to ellipsoid. Capsule reddish, globose, 5-8 mm in diameter, its wall 0.1-0.2 mm thick when dry, 2-10-seeded, seeds 2.5 X 3 mm.

  • Discussion

    This species, recently collected seven (!) times at the same locality, is a relative of R. monosperma; the differences between the two species are summarized below: [TABLE] R. matogrossensis R. monosperma

    Height 0.6-1.1 m 0.2-0.5(-0.7) m

    Size of lamina 11-25 X 2.5-7 cm (7-)9-ll(-17) X

    (0.7-)-1.5-3.5 cm

    Thyrse 3.5-9 X 2-3.5 cm 2-5(-9) X (0.5-)l-2(-3) cm

    Number of flowers per cincinnus 3-5 1-3

    Rhachis indument most hairs simple hairs furcate or simple.

  • Distribution

    Mato Grosso, Brazil; in dry or wet forest.

    Brazil South America| Mato Grosso Brazil South America|