Renealmia lucida Maas

  • Authority

    Maas, Paulus J. M. 1977. Renealmia (Zingiberaceae--Zingiberoideae), Costoideae (Additions) (Zingiberaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 18: 1-218. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Zingiberaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Renealmia lucida Maas

  • Type

    TYPE Cuatrecasas 23724 (holotype, F), Cordillera Occidental, mouth of Río Digua, left bank of Río San Juan, Queremal, 1350-1400 m, El Valle, Colombia.

  • Description

    Description - Plants 2-3 m tall. Rhizomes ca 20 mm thick, roots to 7 mm thick. Sheaths smooth to very slightly striate, more or less shining when dry, 12-20 mm wide, glabrous (or covered with simple hairs). Ligule 5-8 mm long, glabrous (or covered with simple hairs). Petiole 0-30 mm long, glabrous (or covered with simple hairs). Lamina narrowly elliptic, acuminate at the apex (acumen 5-15 mm long), cuneate at the base, (16-)56-93 cm long, 14-21 cm wide, upper side glabrous, lower side glabrous to rather densely covered with simple hairs (0.1-0.3 mm long). Scape 40-75 cm tall, up to 8 mm thick, beset with more or less shining (when dry) sheaths up to 12-20 cm long and 1.5-2 cm wide. Inflorescence a basal thyrse 40-75 cm long and 7-10 cm wide, with 2-6-flowered cincinni, rhachis red. Indument of inflorescence: none. Bracts (brilliant) red, more or less shining when dry, chartaceous, long-persistent, ovate-triangular to narrowly ovate-triangular, 25-125 mm long, 8-40 mm wide, the margins often involute. Peduncles red, 5-45 mm long. Bracteole 20-30 mm long. Pedicels red, 10-55 mm long. Calyx red, tubular to slightly turbinate, 20-26 mm long, 8-10 mm wide, the lobes deltate-ovate, 4-10 mm long, 6-8 mm long. Corolla pinkish-white to white, ca 35 mm long, the tube ca 15 mm long, the lobes (in bud!) ca 20 mm long, 10-11 mm wide. Labellum (in bud) ca 20 mm long, lateral staminodes 1.5 mm long, 0.1-0.2 mm wide. Anther (in bud) 9-13 mm long, 2-3.5 mm wide, glabrous. Style (in bud) 28 mm long. Nectarial glands multilobulate, completely surrounding the style base, ca 2 mm long. Ovary ellipsoid to globose. Capsule red, globose to ellipsoid, 30-40 X 20-25 mm, its wall ca 1.5 mm thick when dry, many-seeded (ca 100 seeds), seeds 2.5-3 mm in diameter.

  • Discussion

    Renealmia lucida is characterized by its large calyx, bracteoles, bracts, peduncles, and pedicels, and by its often shining bracts and leaf-sheaths. It is closely related to R. ligulata.

    I am not certain about the identity of von Sneidern 5496 (S) from Pueblo Rico, La Selva, 1500 m,Caldas, Colombia. Its characters are intermediate between those of R. ligulata and R. lucida.

  • Distribution

    Andean Colombia; in subandean forest, by riversides and roadsides from 1200-2000 m.

    Colombia South America| Nariño Colombia South America|