Amphiphyllum schomburgkii Maguire

  • Authority

    Maguire, Bassett & Wurdack, John J. 1958. The botany of the Guayana Highland--Part III. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 10: 1-156.

  • Family

    Rapateaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Amphiphyllum schomburgkii Maguire

  • Description

    Latin Diagnosis - Herbae perennes; foliis gladiatis, laminis 60-70 cm longis, 2.5-3.0 cm latis, moderate nervatis, apicibus acutis; vaginis non visis; scapis evidenter pluribus, angulato-sulcatis, 2.0-2.5 mm diam., superne expansis compressis, 4-6 mm latis; capitulis vulgo 6-8-floris; bracteis primariis duobus, induratis, exteriore late orbiculari, obovata, ca. 2 cm longa, interiore obovata, angustiore, partim amplectanti exteriorim; bracteis secondaries delicatis membranaceis 2-3-floris vaginatis; bracteis tertiariis similibus, acutis, 15-18 mm longis, flore quoque a bractea subtento et vaginato; spiculis 6-8, sessilibus, 14-15 mm longis, sepalis exclusis; bracteolis 5-6-seriatis gradatis, lanceolatis induratis acutis, enervatis, conspicue scario-marginatis; sepalis induratis, lanceolatis acutis, exsertis, ca. 15 mm longis, ca. 5 mm latis; petalis non bene visis; antheris ca. 9 mm longis, 4-thecatis; seminibus ignotis.

  • Discussion

    Type: R. H. Schomburgk 1055, without definite locality (holotype BM, isotypes K, NY). Known only by the type collection.

    Robert Schomburgk's mss. field notes (preserved at Kew, typescript copy at New York) end with No. 1054 which was collected "on moist savannas near Roraima." It does not necessarily follow that No. 1055, the type of Amphiphyllum schomburgkii was obtained at the locality of 1054, since the order of Schomburgk's numbered series is not always in chronological or geographical sequence. I stronoiy suspect that 1055 was collected on or near Cerro Marahuaca, in Amazonian Venezuela. Its only congener, A. rigidum Gleason, is known solely from the nearby Cerro Duida. It would seem reasonable to assume that if this plant had been collected in the environs of Roraima it should have been rediscovered by some of the many subsequent botanical visitors to that region.