Odontocarya uva-alba Barneby
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Authority
Barneby, Rupert C. 1972. New and notable Menispermaceae tribe Tinosporeae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 22: 137-151.
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Family
Menispermaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Latin Diagnosis - Quoad foliorum ambitum paniculaeque [female] axin glabrum O. arifoliam Barneby simulans sed laminis cum ramulis hornotinis dense strigulosis (nee glaberrimis) superne laxe et aperte reticulatis condylique apertura breviori dispar. Frutex scandens 6 m usque alta, trunco subtereti 5-6 mm diam, cortice castaneo praeter lenticellos elevatos verruciformes laevissimo glabro ut videtur haud exfolianti, caulibus hornotinis volubilibus sulcatis elenticellatis foliorumque pagina inferiori pilis antrorsus subappressis nitidulis ±0.2 mm longis usque dense strigulosa; foliorum petiolus 7-8 cm longus gracflis apice vix incrassatus ventre anguste sulcatus, lamina submembranacea superne olivacea inferne pallidior ovato-cordata breviacuminata 10-12 cm longa, 6.5-8 cm lata, sinu basali angusto aperto 2-2.5 cm ingresso, lobis basalibus latissime rotundatis, acumine costa brevissime excurrenti obtuse mucronulato; lamina ex ipso basi 3-nervia sed nervis lateralibus statim bifurcatis, ideo vero subpalmatim 5-plinervia, nervis lateralibus interioribus ultra mediam laminam incurvo- adscendentibus, exterioribus brevibus divaricatis mox iteratim 2-furcatulis ramulo externo retrorsus descendenti, costa utrinque ultra mediam secundarios 1(2) gignenti, his omnibus superne impressis inferne valde elevatis, nervulis tertiariis reticuloque superne subtillimis inferne crassioribus prominuhs, reticuli areolis ultimis < 1 mm diam; inflorescentia [male] ignota; inflorescentiae [female] cauliflorae bis-racemosae ambitu anguste ovatae glaberrimae axes primarius 1-1.5 dm longus basin versus 1.5-2 mm diam, secundarii pauci adscendentes 3-10-flori 1.5-3 cm longi ± 1 mm diam, pedicello fructifero infra capitellum terminalem incrassatum ± 1 mm diam, ±1-1.5 mm longo; drupae oblongo-ovoideae 13-14 mm longae ±9 mm diam dorso subcompressae exocarpium coriaceum, vivum "album" siccatum brunneo-nigricans, mesocarpium tenue fibrosum persistens; endocarpii drupae parum minoris oblongi basi apiceque 3-dentati testa coriaceo-crustacea extus longitrorsus subrugulosa, sectione 0.15-0.25 mm crassa, condyli apertura anguste oblonga ± 4 mm longa 1 mm lata.
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Discussion
Fig. 1.
Described by the collector as a liana 6 m long, bearing white fruits in large clusters. The bis-racemose panicle of drupes and the deeply cordate leaf-blades suggest close relationship to O. arifolia. This, however, is entirely glabrous, whereas the fohage and young stems of O. uva-alba are densely clothed in short subappressed hairs. Pubescence of this type is extremely rare in Odontocarya, hitherto known only in the simply racemose O. tamoides var. canescens. Since this var. canescens is known to pass into a glabrous (but less common) var. tamoides, it is conceivable that 0. arifolia and O. uva-alba are likewise no more than pubescence-variants of one species. The known range of O. arifolia extends from west Brazilian Amazonia (Rios Acre, M a deira, and Solimoes) into the Ucayali-Maraiion drainage in Loreto, Peru, but lies entirely within the Hylaea. The type-station of O. uva-alba is in an inter-Andean valley close to 500 m on a tributary of Rio Huallaga. It may well be that the two species are vicariant. From the sample examined the leaf-blades of O. arifolia appear more sharply and more finely reticulate on both faces. The endocarps are similar, but the condyle of O. uva-alba is shorter, its aperture situated above, not at middle of the stone.