|
(Last Modified On 3/18/2013)
|
|
|
|
(Last Modified On 3/18/2013)
|
|
Species
|
Margaritaria nobilis L. f
|
|
PlaceOfPublication
|
Suppl. PI. Syst. Veg. 428, 1781.-Fig. 2.
|
|
Synonym
|
Cicca antillana Juss., Tent. Euphorb. 108, t. 4 fig. 13B, 1824. Phyllanthus antillanus (Juss.) Muell.-Arg., Linnaea 32: 51, 1863. Phyllanthus nobilis (L. f.) Muell.-Arg. in DC., Prodr. 15(2): 414, 1866. Phyllanthus nobilis var. hypomalacus Standley, Carn. Inst. Wash. Publ. 461: 68, 1935.
|
|
Description
|
Tree 5-10 m high; dioecious; branches subterete or angled, glabrous, usually with conspicuous lenticels. Leaves chartaceous; petioles ca 2-5 mm long; stipules elliptic to oblong, acuminate, 1.5-3 mm long; blades elliptic or oblong to ovate- lanceolate, ca 6-15 cm long, 2.5-5 cm broad, smooth above, glabrous or glaucous beneath and sometimes hairy along the veins, major veins mostly 7-12 on a side, raised beneath, the veinlets scarcely raised beneath but often conspicuous, cuneate to rounded at the base, + acuminate at the tip. Inflorescences of 2-several flowers per cluster or the 9 sometimes solitary. Staminate flowers with pedicels ca 2.5-5 mm long; calyx-lobes 4, somewhat unequal (outer pair usually narrowly membranous), ca 0.9-1.7 mm long; anthers ca 0.4 mm long. Pistillate flowers with pedicels rather stout, becoming 5-14 mm long in fruit; calyx-lobes 4, similar to; the staminate; disc 0.8-1.5 mm broad; ovary usually of 4 or 5 (rarely 3) carpels, the styles ca 1.5 mm long. Capsules mostly 8-11 mm in diam; seeds ca 3.5-4 mm long.
|
|
Habit
|
Tree
|
|
Distribution
|
Mexico and Cuba south to Peru and Brazil, in both wet and dry forests.
|
|
Specimen
|
BOCAS DEL TORO: Almirante, Cooper 381 (F), Changuinola, Dunlap 19 (F, US). CANAL ZONE: Albrook, Dwyer 7124 (MO); Barro Colorado I, Shattuck 975 (MO, NY), Standley 41045 (US); Cerro Gordo, Standley 25988 (US); Chagres River, Pittier 3468 (US); Fort Hamilton, Maxon & Harvey 6531 (US); Fort Sherman, Standley 30975 (US); Gamboa, Pittier 6650 (US); Gatun, Hayes 219 (NY); Miraflores, G. White 164 (MO, NY), P. White 131 (F, MO); Sosa Hill, Duke 4708 (MO). CHIRIQUI: Cerro Galera Chorcha, vie of Gualaca, Allen 5018 (F, MO). DARIEN: El Real, Duke 5040 (MO), Stern et al. 892 (MO); vie of El Real, Rio Tuira, Stern et al. 768 (DAV, MO); La Palma, Pittier 6603 (US); Rio Chucunaque, vic of Campamento Buena Vista, Stern et al. 919 (DAV, MO), betw Rio Membrillo and Rio Subcuti, Duke 8599 (MO), 8611 (MO); vic of Santa Fe, Rio Sabana, Duke 4154 (MO). PANAMA: Arraijan, Woodson et al. 1364 (F, GH, MO); Bella Vista, Maxon & Valentine 6950 (US); Punta Paitilla, Standley 30813 (US); Rio Mamonica, 4 mi beyond Chepo, Duke 5577 (MO); Rio Tocumen, Standley 26725 (US); Sabana de Juan Corso, Pittier 4518 (F, US); San Jose I, Johnston 954 (GH, MO). SAN BLAS: headwaters of Rio Malatupu, Elias 1743 (MO, GH), 1750 (MO, GH, US).
|
|
Note
|
This very widespread but not necessarily common plant exhibits a great deal of geographic variation. Mueller (in DC., Prodr. 15(2): 414-415, 1866; in Mart., Fl. Bras. 11(2): 70, 1874) recognized a considerable number of varieties which have not been listed in the synonymy of the species, as most of these are South American and have not yet been evaluated. The "variety" hypomalacus from Central America described by Standley is merely a sporadic pubescent form un- worth of taxonomic recognition. The plant described from Colombia as Phyllan- thus heteromorphus (Rusby, Descr. S. Amer. P1. 42, 1920) is perhaps the most distinctive geographic race due to its striking pubescence, but it has not been en- countered in Panama. Very closely related to M. nobilis is an African species, Margaritaria discoidea (Baillon) Webster. Like M. nobilis, the African species is widespread and very polymorphic. It is very difficult to find a single character which will separate all specimens of both species, but M. discoidea usually differs in having carpels mostly 3 (rarely 4, apparently never 5), shorteri fruiting pedicels (3.5-6 mm) and smaller seeds (mostly 2.6-3.3 mm long). In the West Indies (Cuba, Bahamas, and Hispaniola) occur three endemic species of Margaritaria which are probably closely related to M. nobilis. All of these, however, differ in having scabridulous branchlets, and M. scandens (Wright ex Griseb.) Webster, the species most easily confused with M. nobilis, has obtuse leaves whitened with waxy points beneath. Evidently the morphological differentiation of populations has occurred with extreme slowness in Margaritaria, so that populations isolated for long geological periods have not diverged greatly.
|
|
Tag
|
|
|
|
Project Name
|
|
Tag
|
|
|
|