Panopsis

  • Authority

    Prance, Ghillean T., et al. 2007. Proteaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 100: 1-218. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Proteaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Panopsis

  • Type

    Type. Panopsis sessilifolia (Richard) Sandwith. The name Panopsis is derived from Greek, pan (all) and opsis (appearance or aspect of) signifying the way in which the petals are recurved in every way.

  • Synonyms

    Andriapetalum, Panopsis sessilifolia (Rich.) Rich., Andriapetalum rubescens Pohl

  • Description

    Genus Description - Shrubs, or trees, to 25 m tall (40 m in P mucronata). Young branches smooth, longitudinally ridged, usually pubescent when young, becoming glabrous and lenticellate; lenticels (rarely absent) small to large, often expanding to open up fissures, circular to fusiform, granular to nongranular, plane to raised, buff to pale orange-brown or red-brown, rarely with distinctly thickened and smooth rim (P. sulcata and P. macrocarpa). Axillary buds, either small and usually solitary with dense pubescence, or large and solitary to as many as four, closely juxtaposed in alignment from axil upwards ("stacked"), with densely compacted pubescence forming tight, solid units. Petioles flat, sulcate or semiterete, rarely grooved, the base of the lamina at times descending the petiole on either side. Leaves entire, simple, chartaceous to coriaceous, sessile to petiolate; arranged in verticils of four, offset (infrequently), decussate, subopposite-decussate or spiral; margin not markedly revolute, often just a narrow elevated rim peripherally on underside giving a revolute appearance; indumentum usually present when young, glabrescent, persistent for longer beneath and above along midrib, less frequently remaining densely pubescent beneath into maturity; venation conspicuous to obscure, plane to slightly raised above, more conspicuous and prominent beneath, fractiflexed brochidodromous, frequently eucamptodromous at base, weak marginal vein (strong in P antioquensis) derived from ascending lateral veins; midrib raised, plane or more frequently sunken above, prominent and longitudinally ridged beneath; higher-order venation reticulate. Inflorescences usually terminal, sometimes lateral or subterminal. Primary axis of inflorescence either unbranched and raceme-like or branched and panicle-like, bearing lateral inflorescences usually reflecting the phyllotaxy of the leaves in their arrangement on the primary axis, subtended by leaves which are reduced in size on ascending the primary axis until ligulate and bract-like structures subtending the uppermost inflorescences. Lateral inflorescences at times further branched, the accessory branching (more than one lateral inflorescence arising from an axil) being common among some species. Common bracts subtending flower pairs caducous, small, ligulate, pubescent on the outside, glabrous within; inflorescence subtended by mature leaves or by leaves considerably smaller in size but which are too large to be termed bracts. Flowers paired, clustered at short intervals along rhachis (sometimes distinctly whorled), or randomly spread along racemes and branches. Buds elongate or elongate-pyriform, opening apically by elongation of the style. Pedicels pubescent to pilose, the indumentum usually as for inflorescence, but denser and longer at insertion onto raceme and at attachment of flower to pedicel. Flowers bisexual, essentially actinomorphic to slightly zygomorphic; perianth parts strongly recurved, pubescent to pilose on the outside, the indumentum usually more closely appressed than that of the pedicels and inflorescence, glabrous within; free parts of filaments ribbon-like, adnate to perianth parts below halfway, or completely free; anthers oblong to elliptic to widely ovate, the connective apiculate; hypogynous nectary tubular, thin, membranous, 4-lobed, the lobes acute to apiculate, eventually shrinking and fragmenting; ovary stipitate, yellow-orange to orange villous indumentum to the outside, glabrous within; style straight sided to clavate, longitudinally ridged; stigma absent, a specialized stigmatic surface developing at times; ovules two, collateral, orthotropous, pendulous. Fruit 1-seeded; either globose, rounded to varyingly mucronate at apex, an apical scar often offset out of alignment with proximal end, the suture line faint, the surface smooth or scaly, semi-shiny to dull with indumentum present initially, and caducous; or fusiform, corrugate, strongly sutured, and maintaining indumentum (P. rubescens). Pericarp with varying degrees of mechanical tissue development, usually with a fleshy, granular outer mesocarp, a woody, vascularized mid mesocarp (often with evidence of tangential mucilage/resin channels), and a thin, fleshy inner mesocarp. Seed coat thin, chartaceous to coriaceous, richly vascularized, often fused to pericarp, leaving the seed naked in herbarium material. Seed large, fleshy, rounded, not winged (laterally compressed in P. rubescens). Indumentum within the genus of simple, nonglandular hairs when present, rarely glandular in P antioquensis.

  • Discussion

    Distribition and Ecology: A widespread genus of the New World, from Costa Rica and Panama in Central America, along the entire Andean chain as far south as Bolivia, and throughout Amazonia, with one isolated species in southeast Brazil. The species lie within the altitudinal range from sea level to 3400 m. Habitats are many and varied: from savanna, morichales, hygrophilous to xerophytic forest, and igapó and várzea flooded forests at lower altitudes through moist and pluvial montane forest, to dwarf forest and subparamo at high altitudes. Species are also found in dense shrublands of the Guyana Highland, among peat bogs, herbaceous savanna, and riverine woods, or in shrubby savanna on dry sandstone and rocky hematite exposures. Substrates, only rarely noted, include nutrient-deficient soils high in aluminum saturation, sand and clay humid soils, and brick red latosols. The species of Panopsis are sometimes noted as being survivors in remnant forest or disturbed vegetation. Distribution of species of Panopsis by country. BOLIVIA: P. pearcei, P. rubescens, P. yungasensis. BRAZIL: P. multiflora, P. rubescens, P. sessilifolia. COLOMBIA: P. antioquensis, P. hemandezii, P. lozanoi, P. metcalfii, P. mucronata, P. perijensis, P polystachya, P. rectistyla, P rubescens, P sessilifolia, P. suaveolens, P. yolombo. COSTA RICA: P. costaricensisP mucronata, suaveolens, P yolombo. ECUADOR: P. antioquensis, P ferruginea, P. lozanoi, P. megistosperma, P. metcalfii, P. pearcei, P. perijensis, P. roldosii, P rubescens, sessilifolia, P sulcata. FRENCH GUIANA: P rubescens, P. sessilifolia. GUYANA: P. rubescens, P. sessilifolia. PANAMA: P. costaricensis, P. macrocarpa, P. polystachya, P. yolombo. PERU: P. lozanoi, P. mucronata, P. pearcei, P. perijensis, P. rubescens, P. sessilifolia. SURINAM: P. rubescens, P sessilifolia. VENEZUELA: P. cin-namomea, P. mucronata, P. omatinervia, P. perijensis, P. polystachya, P. ptariana, P rubescens, P. sessilifolia, suaveolens, tepuiana.

  • Distribution

    Costa Rica South America| Panama Central America| Bolivia South America| Ecuador South America| Colombia South America| Suriname South America| Venezuela South America| French Guiana South America| Peru South America| Brazil South America| Guyana South America|