Serjania leptocarpa Radlk.
-
Authority
Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro. 1993. Systematics of Serjania (Sapindaceae) Part I: A Revision of Serjania Sect. Platycoccus. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 67: 1-91.
-
Family
Sapindaceae
-
Scientific Name
-
Type
Type. Brazil. Amazonas: Margin of Rio Negro as far as confluence with Solimoes river, May 1851 (fl), Spruce 1561 (lectotype, K, here designated; isotypes, CGE, NY).
-
Description
Species Description - Semi-woody climber, to 4 m long. Stems slender (to 1 cm in diam.), obtusely 5-angular, three-ribbed, glabrescent and smooth, the young stems densely covered with yellowish, straight and curved hairs, 0.3-0.5 mm long; cross section of stem with large, central, obtusely angled stele with hollow medulla and three, smaller, subterete, peripheral steles slightly included in central one. Stipules deltoid, narrowly deltoid, or subulate, ca. 1 mm long. Leaves bitemate; all axes glabrous to densely covered with minute, to 0.2 mm long, curly, yellowish hairs; petioles not winged, terete, furrowed at adaxial surface, (2.5-)4-6(-7) cm long; main rachis terete, not winged or slightly margined, adaxially furrowed, (1.5-)2.5-5 cm long; secondary rachis terete, 1-2.5 cm long; leaflets chartaceous, short to long acuminate, often glandular and mucronate at apex, the terminal leaflet larger, 5.5-9(-17.5) x 2-4(-8) cm, ovate, elliptic or lanceolate, with attenuate or abruptly attenuate base, the lateral leaflets 4.5-8 X (1.2-)2-3.2 cm, oblong or lanceolate, with attenuate or obtuse base, sparsely to densely covered with minute (0.2 mm long), yellowish, inflexed hairs along both surfaces, the lower surface lighter, with dark network of tertiary and quatemary veins, the margins ciliate, remotely and obtusely serrate, the lower serrations glandular, the veins mixed craspedodromus, the primary and secondary veins prominent. Inflorescence often longer than subtending leaves, all parts densely covered with small, yellowish, curly hairs; axis 3-9(-19) cm long, glabrescent, almost terete; rachis l-8(-19) cm long, slightly angular and striate; bracts and bracteoles subulate, ca. 1 mm long; cincinni altemate, the peduncle 1-2.5 cm long, 4-7-flowered, the lower peduncles longer; pedicel 4-5 mm long, slightly flattened, articulate at 1-2.5 mm from base; bracteoles at base or close to articulation. Flowers with sepals 5, the outer sepals 2.5-3 mm long, ovate, obtuse at apex, glabrescent, minutely ciliate at margins, the inner sepals 4.5-5.5 mm long, elliptic or obovate, with minute, woolly, yellowish hairs, the third and fifth free; petals white, obovate to spatulate, clawed, (5-) 6-7 mm long, papillose on adaxial surface; appendages 3.5-4.5 mm long, with densely hairy margins, the central ones hood-shaped, with fleshy crown-shaped apex, the lateral ones not fleshy, asymmetric, with outer side bent over disk glands; disk glands two (the laterals obsolete), ovate in oufline, pericUnally flattened, 1-1.2 mm long; toms slightly enlarged; filaments sparsely covered with minute, 0.2 mm long, whitish, inflexed hairs, the anthers ca. 0.75 mm long; ovary spatulate in outUne, papillose, with minute, yellowish hairs along edges, the style with same pubescence as ovary, the stigma papillose. Fruit 5-6 cm long, pyriform in outline; locule flat, chartaceous, with reticulate, dark, non-prominent network of veins; wings membranous, outline not constricted below locule, truncate at base. Seeds not known.
-
Discussion
Serjania viridissima Radlkofer, Erganz. Monogr. Serjania 81. 1886. Type. Brazil. Rio de Jandio-Sao Paulo: Without specific locality, 1861-1862 (fl). Weir 501 (holotype, K). Serjania schultesii Cuatrecasas, Revista Acad. Colomb. Ci. Exact. 7:479. 1952. Type. Colombia. Norte de Santander La Cabuya, Hoya del rio Chitaga, 1300 m, 25 Nov 1941 (fl, fr), Cuatrecasas 13444 (holotype, F; isotype, US). Field observations. The fresh fruits of S. leptocarpa are red-orange and the inflorescences are pendulous. Radlkofer's concept of 5. leptocarpa was based on the densely hairy specimens available to him. Serjania viridissima was separated from S. leptocarpa by Radlkofer as a closely related but glabrous species. Recent coUections show wider variation in pubescence, which range from densely pubescent to almost completely glabrous. As a consequence, the separation of S. viridissima from S. leptocarpa is not maintained. Typical material of 5. schultesii matches perfectly that of 5. leptocarpa. The vegetative morphology of Serjania leptocarpa is similar to that of S. communis. However, S. leptocarpa has more robust leaves, flowers, and fruits. Serjania leptocarpa diffiers qualitatively from S. communis in having its third and fifth sepals completely free (vs. connate 3/4 to 4/5 of their length) and by its oblong (vs. ovate) fruits with the wing outline not constricted (vs. slighdy constricted) below the locule. These species also differ in their altitudinal distributions. Serjania leptocarpa is mostly found at middle elevations while 5. communis occurs at lower elevations. Serjania leptocarpa also resembles S. dumicola, but differs from it by being more robust (i.e., larger leaves, flowers and fruits) and by having yellowish, inflexed (vs. whitish, erect) hairs. The name leptocarpa refers to the slender fruits of this species.
-
Common Names
Macote
-
Distribution
Distribution and Phenology. Serjania leptocarpa is known from Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, and Bolvia (Fig. 32). It has been collected in moist, gallery, and secondary forests, as well as in thickets, from 100 to 1600 m elevation. It probably flowers year-round and fruits from August to November.
Venezuela South America| Colombia South America| Peru South America| Ecuador South America| Brazil South America| Bolivia South America|