Rhamnus sphaerosperma var. pubescens (Reissek) M.C.Johnst.

  • Authority

    Johnston, Marshall C. & Johnston, Laverne A. 1978. Rhamnus. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 20: 1-96. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Rhamnaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Rhamnus sphaerosperma var. pubescens (Reissek) M.C.Johnst.

  • Type

    Type. Sello 2089,  Brazil or  Brasilia meridionali (actually Uruguay?) (W; isotypes, BR, K).

  • Synonyms

    Ceanothus pubescens Ruiz & Pav., Colubrina pubescens Kurz, Frangula chrysophylla Reissek, Frangula polymorpha Reissek, Frangula polymorpha var. pubescens Reissek, Frangula polymorpha var. tomentosa Reissek, Rhamnus sectipetala Mart., Rhamnus pubescens (Ruiz & Pav.) Triana & Planch., Rhamnus pubescens var. chrysophylla (Reissek) Kuntze, Rhamnus pubescens var. glabrescens Kuntze, Rhamnus boliviana Rusby, Rhamnus jelskii Szyszyl., Rhamnus chrysophylla (Reissek) Weberb., Rhamnus polymorpha (Reissek) Weberb., Rhamnus polymorpha var. glabra Dusén, Rhamnus polymorpha f. sylvatica Dusén, Frangula polymorpha var. latifolia Chodat & Hassl., Rhamnus citrifolia Rusby, Rhamnus pubescens var. grandifolia Perkins, Frangula pubescens (Ruiz & Pav.) Grubov, Frangula boliviana (Rusby) Grubov, Frangula citrifolia (Rusby) Grubov, Frangula nervosa Grubov, Frangula peruviana Grubov

  • Description

    Description - Shrub or small tree (1.5-)2.0-8.0(-20.0) m tall. Pubescence of entire plant tawny or rust-colored with hairs sometimes as long as 1.0 mm. Stems with varying amounts of pubescence or becoming glabrous with age, hairs spreading. Stipules (2.0)3.0-4.0 mm long, tapering from base to apex, pubescent, reddish, quickly deciduous or somewhat persistent. Petioles (0.8-)1.0-2.0(-2.2) cm long, usually more heavily pubescent than stem. Leaf-blades membranaceous to firmly membranaceous, (2.5-)4.0-14.0 cm long, (1.7-)2.3-6.0 cm wide, elliptic, oblong-elliptic, obovate-elliptic, or ovate elliptic, 1.4-2.7(-3.1) times longer than wide, base rounded to broadly cuneate; apex with an acumen 0.3-2.0 cm long or less frequently acute; margin plane or revolute, prominently serrate or crenate, (3-)4-6(-9) teeth per cm, mucro present or detached; above glabrous or with scattered hairs, a dull dark or olive green; beneath glabrous or with somewhat fewer hairs than above, usually paler than above and occasionally slightly yellowish; veins above impressed, midrib moderately to densely beset with hairs, secondary veins less densely; veins beneath raised, usually yellowish, usually with somewhat fewer hairs than above, densest on the lateral margin of the midrib; secondary veins (6-)7-10(-12) pairs. Inflorescence an axillary cyme or dichasium (rarely sessile) with (5-) 7-12(-28) flowers; primary peduncles 0.3-2.1 cm long (in Peru, at least, short peduncles associated with higher elevations), secondary peduncles absent or (0.5-)1.0-6.0(-9.0 mm long, tertiary and quarternary peduncles occasionally also present; pedicels 2.0-5.0 mm long; flowers greenish or yellowish, floral cup (1.5-)2.0 mm long and 2.0(-2.5) mm broad; sepals deltoid, (1.25-)1.5-2.0 mm long, 1.0-1.25 wide, yellowish; all external floral parts usually more pubescent than others parts of the plant, hairs rust-colored (rarely tawny); petals ca 1.0 mm long, yellowish; ovary pubescent or rarely glabrous, stigma minutely trilobate. Fruits up to 9 per axil; primary peduncles up to 2.3 (rarely 6.5) cm long, secondary peduncles up to 7 mm long, occasionally additional compounding; pedicels 3.0-5.0(-8.0) mm long; fruits 5.0-7.0(-8.0) mm in diam, dark purplish or reddish, glabrous in Costa Rica and Panama (rarely elsewhere), glabrous or hairy in Colombia, hairy elsewhere with usually an-trorse-appressed hairs, 3-stoned.

  • Discussion

    Throughout the geographic range there is quite a lot of variability. Certain geographic patterns can sometimes be discerned, eg

    (1) Very large leaves in some Colombia collections.

    (2) Glabrous leaves in many Ecuador collections.

    (3) Collections from Paraguay are quite consistent with the “norm” for this variety.

    (4) Collections from lower elevations in Peru are more consistent with the “norm” while those from higher elevations have less pubescence and inflorescences which tend to be sessile.

    (5) The Chachapoyas collections from Peru have glabrous leaves (only the nerves are pubescent) and consistently smaller leaves with more conspicuous venation than the ‘ ‘norm. ’ ’

    (6) Collections from the southernmost states of Brazil have less pubescence and slightly more defined serration of leaf margin than those from more northern localities.

    (7) Collections from Venezuelan states between the ranges of Rhamnus sphaerosperma var pubescens and R. ulei are somewhat intermediate between these species in pubescence and length of peduncles but are otherwise more like other collections of R. sphaerosperma var pubescens.

    (8) The Panama and Costa Rica collections show slight variation from the South American material and also from each other.

    Two collections (Standley 41420 & 41709) from Costa Rica are indeterminable principally because they lack flowers and/or fruits and their vegetative characters do not clearly relate to any species occurring in Costa Rica (Rhamnus oreodendron, R. capraeifolia var grandifolia, and R. sphaerosperma var pubescens). They could be placed with R. sphaerosperma var pubescens possibly on three grounds:

    (1) The collecting localities are evidently the same as those given for Wilbur & Stone 10516 and Lankester K106, both of which we consider to be “bona fide” R. sphaerosperma var pubescens. Neither R. oreodendron nor R. capraeifolia var grandifolia was collected in these specific localities.

    (2) The altitude at which they were collected is somewhat low for any of the species in question except R. sphaerosperma var pubescens.

    (3) The local name “Duraznillo” on both collections could link in with R. sphaerosperma var pubescens (Rojas 11) but also with R. capraeifolia var grandifolia (Tonduz 11937).

    Another collection without flowers or fruits was made by Pittier (3128, US, F) near El Boquete in the Chiriqui Province of Panama. A Rhamnus sphaerosperma var pubescens (Davidson 1066) and a R. oreodendron (Davidson 984) were both collected in this area in 1938. To us, however, the specimen seems more like the former. Two Peruvian collections (Matthews s n & Woytkowski 7696), both from the department of Amazonas, are not typical and bear further study.

  • Common Names

    Arracacho, Cangica, duraznillo, yema de huevo, Mantequillo

  • Distribution

    Widely distributed from southern Central America through South America in appropriate habitat to ca 32° S latitude. In forests or on open sunny hillsides in rocky or gravelly soil with humus or in bogs, (600-)800-2700(-2900) m (mostly 1500-1700 m) alt. Flowers collected from April through December and sometimes into February, usually earlier in the northern part and later in the southern part of the range; fruits collected throughout the year.

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