Hedyosmum mexicanum Cordem.

  • Authority

    Todzia, Carol A. 1988. Chloranthaceae: Hedyosmum. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 48: 1-138. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Chloranthaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Hedyosmum mexicanum Cordem.

  • Type

    Type. Mexico. Veracruz: 3000 m, Jun-Oct 1840 (stam), Galeotti 6004 (holotype, G, F neg. 25074; isotypes, BR, P).

  • Synonyms

    Hedyosmum glaucum (Ruiz & Pav.) C.Cordem., Hedyosmum artocarpus Solms, Tafallaea artocarpus (Solms) Kuntze, Tafallaea mexicana (C.Cordem.) Kuntze

  • Description

    Species Description - Dioecious, aromatic shrubs or trees 3-12(-20) m tall; trunk 10-30 cm dbh, with or without prop roots; bark light brown to gray, smooth; wood white or pink, weak, with or without white latex; young stems quadrate, older stems terete, encircled by leaf scars at each node; internodes 0.8-1.6(-4) cm long; nodes swollen. Leaves lanceolate to oblanceolate, glabrous, smooth, 10-25 cm long, 2-6.5 cm wide, terminating with acuminate tips 1-1.5 cm long, cuneate to obliquely cuneate at base, margins serrate with blunt teeth 4-10 mm distant, with hydathodes often white, slightly succulent to subcoriaceous, lustrous, dark green above, light green below, drying stiffly chartaceous to subcoriaceous, dark brown above and light reddish brown beneath, with midveins impressed above, raised beneath; larger lateral veins 12-20, 5-9 mm distant, uniformly arcuate, often prominently raised beneath, with smaller intersecondary veins extending one-half to three-fourths distance to margin; free portion of petioles (0.2-)0.6-1.5(-2.3) cm long; petiolar sheaths 0.9-2.3 x 0.4-1 cm, often inflated, deciduous, each distal margin with two clawed fimbriate stipular processes 5-6 mm long; not extending above free portion of petioles. Staminate inflorescences composed of axillary or terminal spikes borne on short curved, lax, peduncles 3-20 mm long; mature spikes 3-13 x 0.6-1.3 cm, solitary or in groups of three, the center spike much longer than lateral spikes, with a thin lacerate basal annulus protruding ca. 0.5 mm from rachis; stamens crowded but becoming ca. 2 mm distant on axis; anthers 2-3.5 x ca. 1 mm; connectives forming a flat disc-like apex 0.5-1 mm broad with a minute acute apicule ca. 0.3 mm long. Pistillate inflorescences large cone-like strobili, terminal, sometimes also axillary (but then smaller), 1.7-4.5 x 1.2-3.5 cm, composed of 3070 groups of 3-5 flowers (total of 90-350 flowers) with subtending floral bracts fused both within and between clusters; subtending sterile inflorescence bracts linear, 5-10 x 1-2 mm. Pistillate flowers green, 3-4 x 1.5-2.5 mm, free in bract matrix; perianth lobes 0.5-1 mm long, acute a tip, irregularly fused; stigmas papillose, 3-5 mm long, linear to clavate in outline, entire or elaborated distally, persistent. Mature Infructescences 3-5 x 1.5-3 cm, light green to yellow to white, fleshy, sweet. Seeds 3-4 x ca. 2.5 mm, brown to black, asymmetrically trigonous, with perianth persisting only on the three ridges and apex of seed.

  • Discussion

    The fruits are edible and have a very agreeable flavor (Pittier, 1978). In western Guatemala the leaves are brewed into a beverage, which is used as a substitute for coffee (Standley & Steyermark, 1952).

    The large capitate pistillate inflorescences of H. mexicanum readily distinguish it from all other species in the genus. It is also characterized by its large succulent leaves, large fimbriate stipules, and long staminate spikes. This species is also unusual because of the wide range of size of reproductive individuals, varying from shrubs 3 m tall to large trees 20 m tall.

    Much confusion has surrounded the nomenclature of H. mexicanum, which extends from S Mexico to Panama. Solms-Laubach (1869) misapplied the name Tafalla glauca R. & P. to this species, misled by a specimen in the Boissier Herbarium with a printed label “Peruvia. Herb. Pavon.” However, the specimen seen by Solms-Laubach was not type material of T. glauca. This sheet also has a handwritten label indicating that the specimen is from Mexico and not from Peru; it is typical of H. mexicanum. By publishing the name H. glaucum, Solms-Laubach created a latter homonym with H. glaucum (R. & P.) Cor-demoy. Tafalla glauca R. & P., the type of which was collected in Peru, and H. glaucum (R. & P.) Cordemoy are synonyms of H. racemosum, an Andean species. These names do not refer to H. mexicanum which extends only as far south as Panama. Macbride (1936) perpetuated the confusion by including H. glaucum Solms-Laubach in his treatment of Hedyosmum for Flora of Peru. This plant, as noted above, does not occur in Peru.

    Distribution and Ecology: Widely ranging from Mexico through Central America to western Panama. At its northern limit in the Mexican states of Veracruz, Jalisco, and Colima, H. mexicanum occurs down to 700 m in semideciduous Liquidambar forest. Farther south in Chiapas, Guatemala, and El Salvador it occurs primarily at elevations of 1000-3200 m in moist forest and cloud forest with Quercus, Pinus, and Magnolia. In Nicaragua it is frequent in elfin forest and cloud forest at elevations of 1000-1700 m and in gallery forest at 700-950 m. At its southern limit it is found only at higher elevations between 1800 and 2500 m in cloud forest associated with Quercus and Podocarpus. This species occurs on sand, clay, or volcanic soils. Flowering and fruiting occurs throughout the year although apparently heaviest from January through May.

  • Common Names

    plantanillo, mazoro, palo de agua, te azeteca, té de monte, té maya, coter, piñuela, vara blanca, vara de agua

  • Distribution

    Mexico North America| Chiapas Mexico North America| Guerrero Mexico North America| Jalisco Mexico North America| Morelos Mexico North America| Oaxaca Mexico North America| Veracruz Mexico North America| Guatemala Central America| Alta Verapaz Guatemala Central America| Guatemala Guatemala Central America| Baja Verapaz Guatemala Central America| Chimaltenango Guatemala Central America| Huehuetenango Guatemala Central America| Izabal Guatemala Central America| Quezaltenango Guatemala Central America| Quiché Guatemala Central America| San Marcos Guatemala Central America| Sololá Guatemala Central America| Suchitepéquez Guatemala Central America| Zacapa Guatemala Central America| Honduras Central America| Comayagua Honduras Central America| Cortés Honduras Central America| Francisco Morazán Honduras Central America| Intibucá Honduras Central America| La Paz Honduras Central America| Morazán Honduras Central America| Ocotepeque Honduras Central America| Santa Bárbara Honduras Central America| El Salvador Central America| Chalatenango El Salvador Central America| Santa Ana El Salvador Central America| Nicaragua Central America| Estelí Nicaragua Central America| Jinotega Nicaragua Central America| Madriz Nicaragua Central America| Matagalpa Nicaragua Central America| Nueva Segovia Nicaragua Central America| Zelaya Nicaragua Central America| Costa Rica South America| Cartago Costa Rica Central America| Heredia Costa Rica Central America| San José Costa Rica Central America| Panama Central America| Chiriquí Panamá Central America|