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(Last Modified On 3/20/2013)
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(Last Modified On 3/20/2013)
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Species
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Omphalea diandra L.
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PlaceOfPublication
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Sp. PI. ed. 2, 1377, 1763
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Reference
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Muell.-Arg. in DC., Prodr. 15(2): 1135, 1866; Pax & Hoffm., Pflanzenreich 52 (IV, 147, V): 20, 1912.- Fig. 16.
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Synonym
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0mphalea diandra var. panamensis Ki. in Seemann, Bot. Voy. Herald 101, 1853. Hebecocca panamensis Beurl., Svensk. Vet. Akad. Handl., 1854 (Prim. Fl. Portob.) 146, 1856. Omphalea panamensis (Beurl.) I. M. Johnston, Sargentia 8: 177, 1949.
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Description
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Liana up to 30 m high; main stems 5 cm thick or more; bark exuding reddish or purplish sap when cut. Leaves firmly chartaceous; petioles (1-)2-11 cm long; stipules ca 2-2.5 mm long, pubescent; blades elliptic to oblong, ca 8-21 cm long, 5-15 cm broad, pubescent beneath or sometimes glabrate, the veins at base 3 or 5, with 2 or 3 additional pairs of main veins, the veinlet reticulum conspicuous beneath, the glands at base of blade massive, rounded, sessile, ca 1.2-2 mm wide, the base rounded to truncate or subcordate, the margins entire, the apex mostly bluntly obtuse. Inflorescences paniculate, ca (1-)2-5 dm long, with a few lateral axes toward the base, these ca 1-15 cm long, sometimes again branched, bearing many male and a few female flowers which are central in hymaphriditic cymules or solitary at ends of ultimate axes; bracts on lower parts of axes lanceolate, densely pubescent, 2-3 mm long, biglandular near the base; bracts on distal parts of axes foliose, ca 2-3.5 cm long, 1.5-5 mm broad, glabrate, biglandular well above the base (ca 4-8 mm). Staminate flowers with pedicels becoming 1.5-2.5 mm long; calyx-lobes 4 (rarely 5), biseriate, unequal, the inner pair more or less cochleately enveloping the androecium, fleshy, at anthesis 1.5-2.7 mm long, 1.7-2.6 mm broad, glabrous except for the + ciliate margins; disc fleshy, more or less adnate to base of calyx-lobes, ca 1.5-2.2 mm across; stamens 2 (rarely 3), the androecium (dilated connectives) disciform, fleshy, 1-1.5 mm wide, the anthers 0.6-0.8 mm long. Pistillate flowers on pedicels ca 1-2 mm long; calyx-lobes 4 and decussate (rarely 5), ovate, fleshy, 1.5-2 mm long and about as broad, pubescent or nearly glabrous; disc thin, circular, ca 1.2 mm wide, hidden under the ovary; ovary ca 3-4 mm high, ovoid, sericeous, the stylar column stout, sericeous, 2-2.5 mm long, the stigmas erect, ca 0.2 mm long. Fruits fleshy, pomiform, ca 8-12 cm in diam, at length dehiscent (?); seeds com- pressed, rounded, 3.9-4.5 cm broad, brown, rugulose.
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Habit
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Liana
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Distribution
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West Indies to South America (Peru and Brazil), usually in lowland rain forests or swamp forests; present in Central America along the Caribbean lowlands from Honduras to Panama.
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Specimen
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BOCAS DEL TORO: Old Bank I, vic of Chiriqui Lagoon, von Wedel 1921 (GH, MO). CANAL ZONE: Barro Colorado I, Aviles 22b (F), Bangham 504 (A, F), Shattuck 619 (F), Wetmore & Woodworth 58 (A), Woodworth & Vestal 613 (A); Fort Randolph, Standley 28645 (US); beach thicket, vic of Fort Sherman, Standley 30921 (US), 31191 (US); Lion Hill Sta, Hayes 660 (BM, K). DARIEN: Cativo Swamp, 5 mi downstream from El Real, Duke 4906 (MO); along Rio Tuira below El Real and Piriaque I, Stern et al. 889 (MO). PANAMA: San Jose I, West Loop Rd, Erlanson 110 (GH); id., Long Beach, Johnston 599 (GH), 1183 (GH, MO); id., Playa Grande, Johnston 720 (GH). VERAGUAS: Isla Coiba, Dwyer 1622 (DAV, MO), Seemann 635 (possibly an isotype of var. panamensis, BM).
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Note
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Johnston (Sargentia 8: 177, 178, 1949) has presented a valuable description of the plant as it occurs on San Jose Island. However, his decision to separate the Panamanian plants as a species separate from 0. diandra is not convincing. As Klotzsch noted in the original description of his variety panamensis, the leaf shape of 0. diandra is quite variable. Seemann's specimen has floral bracts which are about as long as those found in plants elsewhere, and its inflorescence is similar also. Perhaps the Panamanian population does represent a reasonably distinctive geographic race characterized by glabrate leaves with blunt tips and usually only 3 prominent veins at base. Until the genus is monographically revised, it can be conveniently referred to as 0. diandra var. panamensis KI.
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