Jacquinia proctorii Stearn

  • Authority

    Ståhl, Bertil. 2010. Theophrastaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 105: 1-160. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Theophrastaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Jacquinia proctorii Stearn

  • Type

    Type. Jamaica. St. Elisabeth: Great Pedro Bluff, 15-30 m, 11 May 1956, W. T. Stearn 1032 (holotype, BM; isotypes, BM, MO, NY, US).

  • Synonyms

    Jacquinia arborea Vahl

  • Description

    Species Description - Shrub or small tree to 3 m tall; young shoots and branchlets brownish grey or brown, densely lepidote, trichomes with short stalks of 1(2) cell(s) and few-celled, more or less flattened or subconical heads. Leaves rather distinctly pseudoverticillate, straight, light green when dried; blade narrowly obovate to obovate, 1.5-4(-5.5) x 1-2(-2.5) cm, coriaceous but pliable, 0.3-0.35 mm thick, seemingly glabrous, base narrowly attenuate, apex rounded or obtuse, sometimes retuse, without or with a rigid spine to 0.5 mm long, sides sometimes slightly recurved from midvein, margins thickened, more or less revolute; midvein prominulous beneath, level or almost level with surface above, lateral veins inconspicuous or invisible; both surfaces striate, but often vaguely so above; extraxylary sclerenchyma arranged in bundles 5-20(-30) cells thick, on both sides adjacent to epidermis; hypoderm lacking; crystals sparse in mesophyll, sparse or lacking in epidermis; petiole 3.5-5(-7) mm long, more or less canaliculate, glabrous. Racemes solitary, with 7-15 flowers; rachis 1.5-2.2 cm long, 0.5-0.8 mm thick, sparsely lepidote in axils and at base; bracts ca. 0.7 mm long, inserted at nodes; pedicels 4-5 mm long. Calyx lobes broadly ovate or suborbicular, 1.2-1.5 x 1.5 mm; margins appressed to fruit, vaguely erose. Corolla yellow or pale yellow, campanulate; tube 2.5-2.8 mm long, exceeding calyx by 1-1.6 mm; lobes broadly oblong, 2-2.2 x 1.5-2.2 mm; staminodes very broadly ovate, 1-1.2 x 1.2-1.5 mm, rounded or truncate at apex. Stamen filaments 1.2 mm long, glandular-punctate; anthers 1.2-1.5 mm long. Pistil 2.2-2.5 mm long; ovules in 3 or 4 rows. Mature fruits not seen.

    Distribution and Ecology - Known only from Cayman Islands and one locality in S Jamaica (Fig. 59) in dry, coastal thickets. Flowering Apr-Jun.

  • Discussion

    The soft cortex used as soap to wash clothes.

    With many leaf and floral features in common, Jacquinia proctorii and J. berteroi are probably closely related. Jacquinia proctorii differs in having longer racemes with more flowers, which evidently do not become dark when dried. Furthermore, the light brown or greyish young shoots and the more or less channelled petioles seem to be useful vegetative characters to distinguish it from J. berteroi.

  • Common Names

    wash-wood

  • Distribution

    Little Cayman Cayman Islands South America| Saint Elizabeth Jamaica South America| Grand Cayman Cayman Islands South America| Little Cayman Cayman Islands South America|