Gymnosiphon cymosus (Benth.) Benth. & Hook.f.

  • Authority

    Maas, Paulus J. M., et al. 1986. Burmanniaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 42: 1-189. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Burmanniaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Gymnosiphon cymosus (Benth.) Benth. & Hook.f.

  • Type

    Type. Brazil. Amazonas:  In sylvis fl. Vaupés, Jan 1853, Spruce 2829 (holotype, K). It is uncertain if Spruce 2829 (B, BM, BR, C, E, F, G, GH, GOET, LE, MG, NY, OXF, P) labelled as  Prope Panuré ad Rio Vaupés (=Ipanor6), Amazonas, Brazil must be considered as isotype. Spruce 2829, Mar-May 1854 (K) from San Carlos de Río Negro, Amazonas, Venezuela, is not an isotype. A collection cited by Bentham as  mountains of Maracaybo ... Purdie could not be traced.

  • Synonyms

    Ptychomeria cymosa Benth.

  • Description

    Species Description - Herbs, 8-32 cm high. Rhizome-scales narrowly ovate to angular-ovate, 2.2-4 mm long, 1-1.2 mm wide, apex acute to acuminate. Stems purple, mostly branched. Leaves ovate, margins involute, 1.7-4 mm long, 1.2-1.8 mm wide, apex acute to truncate. Inflorescence a bifurcate cincinnus, each cincinnus 0.5-3 cm long and 4-12-flowered. Internodes of infructescence 1-3 mm long. Bracts narrowly ovate to ovate, slightly imbricate, (1-)2-3.5 mm long, 1-1.5(-1.8) mm wide, the basal ones to 4 mm long and 2.5 mm wide, apex acute, often partly broken off in herbarium material. Pedicels 2.2-4.7 mm long, up to 7 mm in fruit. Flowers purplish to white, erect, (6.5-)7.7-10.2 mm long. Floral tube 6.5-7.5 mm long. Outer tepals 3-lobed, yellowish, blue, or lilac outside, purple or deep lavender inside, 3.5-4 mm long, 4-5 mm wide; central lobe broadly to depressed ovate-triangular, 1-2 mm long and wide; outer, apical part densely tuberculate (tubercles ca. 0.2 mm long); lateral lobes ovate-triangular, 1.5-2 mm long and 1-1.5 mm wide. Inner tepals triangular-ovate, 1-1.5 mm long and 0.5-1 mm wide. Connective without appendages. Style, including branches and stigmas, 5-6 mm long, each branch 0.1-0.2 mm long, stigmas horseshoe-shaped, appendages to 5 mm long. Ovary (broadly) angular-obovoid, 0.9-2.3 x 0.9-1.1 mm. Capsule almost globose, up to 2.5 x 2.8 mm, the persistent part of the floral tube including the capsule to 7.2 mm long, the style exceeding the floral tube by 0.5 mm. Seeds 0.40.6 x 0.3-0.4 mm.

  • Discussion

    This species is characterized by often branched stems, short internodes of the infructescence, and by partly overlapping bracts.

  • Distribution

    Colombia, Venezuela, Suriname, Peru, and Amazonian Brazil; in forests, from sea level to 1100 (sometimes to 2000) m; flowering all year.

    Colombia South America| Cundinamarca Colombia South America| Vaupés Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Suriname South America| Peru South America| San Martín Peru South America| Brazil South America| Acre Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Roraima Brazil South America|