Mascagnia schunkei W.R.Anderson
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Authority
Maguire, Bassett. 1978. The botany of the Guayana Highland--part XI. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 32: 1-391.
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Family
Malpighiaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Latin Diagnosis - Liana lignosa, ramis sericeis demum glabratis. Foliorum majorum lamina 5.5-17 cm longa, 2.3-6.5 cm lata, elliptica vel parum ovata obovatave, basi cuneata vel rotundata, apice acuminata, supra sericea mox glabrata vel costa pertinaciter sericea, subtus pertinaciter sericea, utrinque pilis sessilibus, rectis appressisque, niveis, stramineis, vel aureis, subtus basi biglandulosa vel eglandulosa; petiolus 5-15 mm longus, sericeus, eglandulosus; stipulae 1-2 mm longae, subulatae, interpetiolares. Inflorescentia pseudoracemus axillaris, simplex, (2-)3-10 cm longus, omnino sericeus, floribus 10-50, horizontalibus vel parum reflexis, non in corymbo congestis, bracteis 1-2.5 mm longis, subulatis, eglandulosis, pedunculo 3-5.5 mm longo, bracteolis 0.5-1.5 mm longis, eglandulosis vel 1 (rarius ambabus) glandulam parvam gerenti, apice vel parum sub apice pedunculi portatis. Pedicellus 5-9 mm longus, sericeus. Sepala 4 lateralia 8 glandulas 2.5-3 mm longas 0.5-1.5 mm superantia, anticum eglandulosum, omnia triangularia, Integra, apice acuta vel obtusa, abaxialiter in centro sericea, adaxialiter glabra, per anthesin appressa. Petala lutea (vel rosea?), glabra, exposita in alabastro accrescenti, 4 lateraha limbo 4.5-5 mm longo, 2.5-3.5 mm lato, obovato vel elliptico, minute denticulato, basi truncato vel parum hastato, ungue 1.3 mm longo; posticum hmbo parum minore. Filamenta 1.5-2 mm longa, glabra, recta, brevissime connata; antherae 1.5-1.7 mm longae, glabrae. Ovarium ca 1 mm altum, dense hirsutum, stylis 1.5-2 mm longis, antico quam 2 posticis minore, rectis et erectis vel divergentibus, apice dorsaliter rotundatis, truncatis, vel breviter apiculatis. Samara 2.5-3.6 cm alta lataque, ovata vel orbicularis, sparsim appresso-sericea; ala lateralis membranacea, basi continua, apice paulo emarginata vel usque nucem incisa, margine Integra vel sinuata; nux supra medium alae sita; crista dorsalis nulla vel usque 1.5 mm lata; crista ventrahs brevis, interdum in sinu apicah producta; areola ventrahs ovata, 3.5 mm longa, 2 mm lata.
Distribution and Ecology - Distribution. Amazonian Venezuela, Brazil, and Peru.
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Discussion
Type. Schunke Vigo 6195, east of Tingo Maria, Huanuco, Peru, elev 700 m, 24 Oct 1962 frt (holotype F, isotype LA). Mascagnia schunkei is named for Jose Schunke Vigo, the coHector of the type, whose many collections from Amazonian Peru have greatly advanced our knowledge of that flora. It is in a group of similar species including M. cynanchifolia Grisebach, M. strigulosa (Rusby) Niedenzu, and M. hirsuta Niedenzu. Of these, Mascagnia cynanchifolia is the most distinctive, because it has the flowers congested and ascending, the petals bearing a few hairs abaxially, and the filaments and anthers sericeous. It seems to be endemic to Manaus; I have seen from there an isotype (NY) and a Ducke collection (MICH, RB). The other species all have the flowers evenly spaced and mostly horizontal, and the petals, filaments, and anthers are glabrous. Mascagnia schunkei has the hairs of both sides of the lamina straight and appressed, and the upper side is usually soon glabrate. In M. strigulosa, of which I have seen the holotype (NY) and a recent collection (Prance 3463, MICH, NY), the hairs are acutely bifurcate above and acutely bifurcate to substraight below, and persistent on both sides. I have not seen the type of M. hirsuta, but Niedenzu described the leaves as hirsute on both sides, rather than sericeous, which suggests a vesture most hke that of M. strigulosa. Color of the petals is known for only a few collections in this whole complex. Some are described as pink, and some as yellow. This difference, if real, should eventually aid in the taxonomy of Mascagnia, but at present I have too few observations to use the character. Schunke 7877 is supposed to have had greenish-yeHow petals, and in Gentry et al 21306 they are described as pink.