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(Last Modified On 10/15/2013)
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(Last Modified On 10/15/2013)
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Species
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Tetrapteris discolor (G. F. W. Meyer) DC.,
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PlaceOfPublication
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Prodr. 1: 587. 1824.
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Synonym
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Triopteris discolor G. F. W. Meyer, Prim. Fl. Esseq. 182. 1818. TYPE: Guyana, Meyer (not seen). Tetrapteris cuspidata Triana & Planch., Ann. Sci. Nat. Bot. Ser. 4. 18: 336. 1862. TYPE: Colombia, Cundinamarca near Anapoima, Magdalena Valley, 600 m, Triana 3389 (NY).
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Description
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Liana or scandent shrub; stems slender, the younger stems sericeous, soon thinning but remaining sparsely pubescent, the older stems glabrous or with tri- chomes sparse, restricted to the depressions; trichomes T-shaped, whitish, small dense lenticels sometimes present. Leaves thin, elliptic to oblong-elliptic or ovate-elliptic, long-acuminate or less often abruptly acuminate at the apex, obtuse to acute at the base, less often subrounded, 6-16 cm long, 2.5-5.5(-7) cm wide, glabrous above, glabrous beneath except the midrib often sericeous when young, major lateral veins 4-7 per side; petioles 6-15 mm long, appressed-pubescent when young, glabrate in age. Panicles terminal or upper axillary, usually sur- passing the leaves, the branchlets, peduncles and pedicels sericeous to weakly patulous-pubescent with whitish, T-shaped trichomes; bracts inconspicuous, oval to elliptic, 5-20 mm long, weakly appressed-pubescent on both sides, more dense- ly so on the midrib beneath; peduncles 2-5 mm long; pedicels 2-5 mm long. Flowers with the sepals narrowly ovate, obtuse, 2.5-3.0 mm long, glabrous in the apical part except for ciliate margin, weakly villous between the glands; ca- lycine glands thick, shiny, 1.5-2.5 mm long; petals clawed, yellow, glabrous, the blade obovate to oblong-elliptic, sagittate at the base, 4.0-5.5 mm long, 2.5-4.0 mm wide, the margin entire, the medial vein thickened near the base; claw thick, 1-2 mm long; anthers elliptic, ca. 1 mm long, glabrous; styles held ca. 1.5 mm above the sepals, slightly longer than the stamens. Samaras stramineous to brown, the wings thin but rigid, the veins sometimes weakly raised; superior wing narrowly spatulate, asymmetrical, 14-20 mm long, 6-10 mm wide, sparsely pu- bescent throughout with appressed T-shaped trichomes, the margin not confluent with the margin of the inferior wing, the inferior wing ovate to ovate-elliptic or obovate, 6-8 mm long, 4-5 mm wide, the dorsal crest 2-3 mm high; appendages irregularly linear to ovate, 1.5-5.0 mm long, borne between the dorsal and lateral wings; body 5-6 mm in diameter, densely appressed-pubescent.
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Habit
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Liana or scandent shrub
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Distribution
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ranges from Guatemala to Bolivia and the Lesser Antilles.
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Note
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In Panama it is known from wetter parts of tropical moist forest and from premon- tane wet forest. Gentry 6811, collected at La Mesa in Cocle Province, is the only collection from tropical wet forest but differs little from typical collections. In Panama, flowering occurs from the late rainy to early dry season, October to January, with fruits developing to mature size by March. Fruits are dispersed in the late dry season and early rainy season as late as May. One collection, Allen 1778, tentatively identified as this species is unusual in flowering in May. Tetrapteris discolor is easily confused with T. seemannii especially when in flower since the key character separating them is in the fruits. Tetrapteris discolor tends to be more densely pubescent with more pubescence persisting on the stem in age. Its leaves tend to be gradually long-acuminate, 2.5-3 or more times longer than wide. Tetrapteris seemannii, on the other hand, has leaf blades merely acute to shortly acuminate at the apex, usually about 2-2.5 times longer than wide. Stems bear less pubescence on the younger parts and are soon glabrate.
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Specimen
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BOCAS DEL TORO: Above Almirante on road to Changuinola, D'Arcy 11221 (MO, PMA). Water Valley, Wedel 1409, 1521, 1743 (all GH, MO, US). CANAL ZONE: Near mouth of Rio Chagres, Allen 892 (GH, MO, NY, US). Between France Field and Catival, Standley 30388 (US). BARRO COLORADO ISLAND: Aviles 176 (F, MO); Wetmore & Abbe 186 (A, F, MO); Wilson 149 (MO). CHIRIQUf: Cerro Colorado, 15-18 mi off Panamerican Highway, above San Felix, 800-1000 m, Croat 33161, 33178 (both MO). Boquete, Davidson 624 (A, MO, US). 17 km NE of San Felix on new road to Cerro Colorado copper mines, 1000 m, Nee 10746 (F, MICH, MO, NY, PMA, US). COCLE: El Valle, Allen 1778 (MO); Gentry 6811 (DUKE, F, MO, PMA, US). WITHOUT LOCALITY: Pittier 5402 (US).
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