Tabebuia insignis var. pacimonensis Sandwith

  • Authority

    Maguire, Bassett & Wurdack, John J. 1957. The Botany of the Guiana Highland -- Part II. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 9 (3): 235-392.

  • Family

    Bignoniaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Tabebuia insignis var. pacimonensis Sandwith

  • Description

    Latin Diagnosis - Inter varietates ceteras foliis brevipetiolatis unifoliolatis rigide coriaceis oblanceolatis, nervis lateralibus supra impressis subtus planis usque ad nervum marginalem rectis nee arcuatis notabilis.

    Latin Diagnosis - Shrub or small tree. Leaves crowded on the very short (1-2 cm) young wood terminating the branchlets, unifoliolate, with petiole 1-1.5 cm long, swollen and jointed at the apex at the junction with the lamina which is oblanceolate, shortly, broadly and obtusely cuspidate-acuminate at the apex, long cuneate-attenuate to the base, 8-13 cm long, 3-4.2 cm broad, stiffly coriaceous with revolute margins, the midrib thin and prominulous above, thick and prominent beneath, the main lateral nerves (7-10 on each side of the midrib) impressed above, flat and obscure on the very smooth-looking, almost veinless lower surface, rather widely spreading-ascending and straight until reaching the marginal connecting nerve, obscurely but definitely lepidote-punctate on both surfaces. Flowers white; pedicels 5-7 mm long. Calyx up to 1.7 cm long, about 1 cm broad, drying black, irregularly lobed, more or less copiously lepidote outside especially on the lobes. Corolla with short and stiff hairs on the anterior inner side of the tube. Capsule and seeds absent.

  • Discussion

    TYPE: VENEZUELA: Territorio de Amazonas: in savanna on right bank of Rio Pacimoni 60 km. above its mouth, 100-140 m, fl. Nov. 29th 1953, B. Maguire, J. J. Wurdack & G. S. Bunting 36671 (NY).

    This is another very distinct-looking taxon, especially on account of the shape, texture, and nervation of the unifoliolate leaves, but it would be most imprudent, on the evidence of a single collection and in the absence of fruit and seeds, to distinguish it as more than a variety of T. insignis.