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(Last Modified On 11/14/2012)
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(Last Modified On 11/14/2012)
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Species
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PITHECOLOBIUM RUFESCENS (Benth.) Pittier
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PlaceOfPublication
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Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 18:181. 1916.
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Synonym
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Inga rufescens Benth. in Hook. Lond. Jour. Bot. 4:585. 1845. Inga globulifera Benth. loc. cit. 1845, fide Pittier. Inga Bilibergiana Benth. loc. cit. 1845, fide Pittier. Feuilleea rufescens Ktze. Rev. Gen. P1. 1:189. 1891. Cojoba rufescens Britt. & Rose, in N. Am. Fl. 23:32. 1928.
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Description
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Tree, up to several meters tall, the branchlets ferruginous-tomentulose and usually prominently lenticellate. Leaves moderate or moderately large, once-pin- nate, the leaflets 1-5 (mostly 3-4) pairs; petiole short, normally 1 cm. or less long, pubescent; rachis up to 10 cm. long, pubescent, subsulcate above, bearing a sessile, concave gland at insertion of leaflet pairs; leaflets mostly oblong, 4-15 cm. long and 2-6 cm. wide, rounded to bluntly acute-acuminate apically, subcuneate to rounded basally, very slightly inequilateral, usually glabrous above, lightly pubescent below except the costa rather heavily so, the lateral veins prominent and elevated below; stipules linear, early caducous. Inflorescence of solitary or geminate pedunculate heads from subterminal axils; peduncle 1-5 (usually about 2) cm. long, rufous-pubescent, generally bearing a solitary bract above the middle; head condensed; floral bracts linear, about 4 mm. long, ciliate, giving the head prior to anthesis a burr-like appearance. Flowers sessile, white; calyx short-tubular, about 2 mm. long, rufous-pubescent apically; corolla tubular-funnelform, 6 or 7 mm. long, rufous-pubescent on the lobes; stamens about 15 mm. long, the staminal tube included; ovary sessile, puberulent apically. Legume linear-moniliform, up to 15 cm. long, reddish with black seeds, puberulent, the valves very twisted after dehiscence.
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Habit
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Tree
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Distribution
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Panama and Colombia.
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Specimen
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CANAL ZONE: Ancon, Pittier 2747; Barro Colorado Island, Woodworth d Vestal 677; Kenoyer 369; Miraflores, Allen I749, I759; G. White I52; Pueblo Nuevo, P. 'White 303; R. Indio Hydrographic Station, Steyermark I74I9. COCLE: Santa Clara, Muenschler i624I, i6293. COLON: Porto Bello, Pittier 2490. PANAMA: Chepo, Dodge, Hunter, Steyermark d Allen i6626; Pittier 4493; San Jose Island, Erlansoin 39, 368; Taboga Island, Standley 27943.
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Note
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This species exhibits considerable variability, and observation of material at hand supports belief that Pittier was entirely correct in reducing to synonymy Bentham's I. globitlifera and I. Billbergiana. Likewise, Pittier's transfer of this and related species from Inga to Pithecolobium seems justified for the reasons he gives, although from the standpoint of practical identification the species could be more easily located in Inga, by means of the once-pinnate leaf criterion established by Bentham. As now recognized by most authors these few species of Pithecolobium ("Cojoba" of Britt. & Rose) are the only species of the MIMOSOIDEAE aside from Inga with once-pinnate leaves. Unfortunately rejection from Inga and inclusion in the "catch-all" Pithecolobiurm involves chiefly legume characters (moniliform fruit not found in Inga) not to be had in the majority of specimens. The legume resembles that of most species of Pithecolobium little more than the legume in Inga, and on this basis there may be some justification for Britton and Rose's genus Cojoba.
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