Crusea coccinea var. chiriquensis DC. & W.R.Anderson

  • Authority

    Anderson, William R. 1972. A monograph of the genus Crusea (Rubiaceae). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 22: 1-128.

  • Family

    Rubiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Crusea coccinea var. chiriquensis DC. & W.R.Anderson

  • Description

    Latin Diagnosis - Folia saepe plicata, quidem in speciminibus exsiccatis; setae stipulares 8-12, vagina sine glandibus sessilibus lateralibus; seta longissima 7-14 mm longa; calyx tubo 3-4.5 mm longo, lobis 2.5-7.5 mm longis, 0.6-1.5 mm latis; corolla rosea, violacea, vel coloris intermedii, saepe in speciminibus exsiccatis caerulescens, tubo 26-36 mm longo, aut gradatim per totam longitudinem tubi dilatato aut gracillimo in dimidio proximali et abruptius in dimidio distali dilatato, usque 3-4 mm diametro ad faucem; corolla lobis 8-11 mm longis, 3.5-5 mm latis, longi-ellipticis vel ovatis, supra basin sed infra medium latissimis; filamenta 6.5-10 mm longa; antherae 2.5-3.1 mm longae; stylus 35-42 mm longus, lobis stigmaticis 1-2 mm longis; cocci perpauci visi, sed cocci et carpophorum apparenter eiusdem magnitudinis formaeque ac illi varietatis coccineae.

    Distribution and Ecology - Elevations. 1800-3000 m. Distribution. (Fig. 13) One collection known from Costa Rica, all others from the slopes and immediate vicinity of Volcan Chiriqui in northern Panama; the variety is named for the type locality. Specimens examined.

  • Discussion

    Type: Woodson & Schery 358 (F, holotype; GH, MO isotypes).

    Discussion. This variety is very similar in most characteristics to var. coceinea. I have decided to segregate it because it differs from var. coceinea in a few striking morphological features and because its populations are far-disjunct from those of var. coceinea. Convenience is also a factor in this decision, because coroHa color is one of the bases for the other segregate, var. breviloba. Most important, perhaps, is the fact that failure to segregate the Panama populations from var. coceinea would make that already heterogeneous assemblage even more variable and therefore less useful as a descriptive taxonomic unit.