Banisteriopsis angustifolia (A.Juss.) B.Gates

  • Authority

    Gates, Bronwen. 1982. Banisteriopsis, Diplopterys (Malpighiaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 30: 1-238. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Malpighiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Banisteriopsis angustifolia (A.Juss.) B.Gates

  • Type

    Type. Saint Hilaire, Catal. Bl, 428, Brazil, Minas Gerais, Santa Quiteria, fl (lectotype, P). Saint Hilaire Catal. B1, 1142, Brazil, Minas Gerais, Morro d Andaia, fl (syntype, P).

  • Synonyms

    Banisteria angustifolia A.Juss., Banisteria montana A.Juss., Banisteria campestris var. montana A.Juss. ex Griseb., Banisteria lanceolata Nied., Banisteria campestris var. lancifolia Nied.

  • Description

    Species Description - Subshrub or slender shrub to 1.5 m tall. Young branches terete, appressed-sericeous, older branches glabrate, dark purple-brown with numerous punctate lenticels. Stipules up to 0.4 mm long, triangular, sericeous to glabrate. Leaves divaricate, the petiole 2.0-5.0(-8.0) mm long, appressed-sericeous, eglandular, lamina (3.0-)8.0-12.5(-15.5) cm long, 0.2-1.5(-3.1) cm wide, smaller in the inflorescence, linear to narrowly elliptic (length:width = 3-30:1), obtuse to truncate at the base, acute at the apex, with the margin flat to strongly revolute, bearing a single pair of peltate glands basally on the lamina beside the costa, rarely on the basal lateral veins, adaxially sparsely appressed-sericeous, abaxially densely white-sericeo-tomentose, the vestiture of two kinds of hairs, the outermost hairs T-shaped, the trabecula straight, 1.8-2.2 mm long, the stalk 0.1-0.2 mm long, overlying a layer of T-shaped hairs, the trabecula flexuous, 0.6-1.0 mm long, the stalk 0.04-0.08 mm long, rugulose, with the primary and secondary veins impressed adaxially, prominent abaxially. Inflorescence terminal, dischasial, of 4-flowered umbels, up to twice branched, loose, appressed-sericeous; bracts and bracteoles 1.0-2.2 mm long, narrowly elliptic, the apex rounded, appressed-sericeous abaxially, glabrous adaxially, persistent; pedicels sessile, (9-) 13-20 mm long, 0.5-0.7 mm wide, 0.4-0.5 mm wide without the hairs, appressed-sericeous. Sepals appressed-sericeous abaxially, sometimes glabrate apically, adaxially minutely pubescent near the base, rounded and somewhat appressed at the apex, the 4 lateral sepals 2.5-4.0 mm long, 1.8-2.5 mm wide, projecting 2.5-3.0 mm beyond the glands, the glands red, 1.8-2.5 mm long, 0.8-1.3 mm wide, the anterior sepal 2.5-3.5 mm long, 1.8-2.2 mm wide. Petals pink, becoming paler with age, not keeled, laciniate, the 4 lateral petals reflexed between the sepals, the claw 1.0-1.5 mm long, 0.4-0.7 mm wide, the limb (6.0-)8.5-10.0 mm long, (6.5-)8.0-10.0 mm wide, orbicular, eglandular, the antero-lateral petals more concave than the postero-lateral ones, the posterior petal with the claw erect, 3.0-4.0 mm long, apically constricted, up to 1.2 mm wide, thick and fleshy, the limb (5.0-)7.5-8.0 mm long, (5.0-)7.5-9.0 mm wide, broadly obovate, reflexed, convex, with the basal laciniae enlarged and gland-tipped. Stamens with the filaments 1.8-4.0 mm long, basally connate, the locules 0.8-1.1 mm long, glabrous, the connectives yellow, those of the stamens opposite the petals 0.5-0.8 mm long, 0.3-0.6 mm wide, 0.1-0.6 mm deep, sometimes slightly glandular in the middle, those of the stamens opposite the sepals 0.8-1.6 mm long, 0.7-1.4 mm wide, 0.5-1.4 mm deep, with the middle enlarged and glandular, especially in the stamens opposite the 3 anterior sepals, those opposite the antero-lateral sepals overtopping the locules by 0.2-0.7 mm. Ovary white-sericeous, 0.8-1.3 mm tall, the styles equal, straight and parallel, 3.0-4.0 mm long, tapering apically, 0.3-0.4 mm in diameter, stigmas capitate. Fruit with carpophore up to 3.5 mm long, 0.5 mm wide, the nut 8.5-10.0 mm tall, 5.5-6.5 mm long, rugose to tuberculate, appressed-sericeous, the wing 13-22 mm long, 12-17 mm wide, appressed-sericeous, the upper margin erect to widely diverging, the lower margin meeting the nut at the base or up to halfway along its distal edge.

  • Discussion

    Collected in flower December to April, and in fruit, February to June.

    This species is very variable with regard to leaf size and shape, varying from narrowly elliptic (L:W = 3:1), to linear (L:W = 12-30:1). Individuals recognised as B. montana in the past represent one extreme of this variation (the relatively short-leaved individuals), but there appears to be a continuum of variation from individuals with very long, narrow leaves to individuals with narrowly elliptic leaves. I was unable to find any geographical basis for this variation. I found individuals with the whole range of leaf size and shape growing together on a single hillside, and I could find no correlation between leaf variability and other variable characters, such as flower size or fruit size and shape. Also, I found individuals showing variation in leaf size and shape on the same plant; Gates 335 was a shrub with very long linear leaves (L:W = 30:1), but some new shoots from the base bore much broader lanceolate leaves (L:W = 6-10:1).

    Gates 351 is unusual in its very small flower size, but this specimen was collected in northeastern Minas Gerais in 1976 during a severe drought, so that water stress may be responsible for the size variation. Two specimens from near Ouro Preto in southern Minas Gerais, Irwin 29562 and Magalhães 1219, are interesting in that their leaves abaxially show only the short-stalked, flexuous hairs found as the inner layer in typical B. angustifolia. This gives the leaves a loose silver-grey tomentose pubescence.

  • Distribution

    Common throughout the Serra do Espinhaço on rocky slopes from Bahia southward to near Belo Horizonte in Minas Gerais, alt 1000-1600 m.

    Brazil South America| Bahia Brazil South America| Minas Gerais Brazil South America|