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(Last Modified On 4/8/2013)
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(Last Modified On 4/8/2013)
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Species
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Plumbago scandens L.
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PlaceOfPublication
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Sp. PI. ed. 2. 215. 1762.
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Description
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Scandent, suffrutescent plants, erect to ca. 1 m or straggling to 2 m. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, acute to acuminate apically, acute and petiolate basally, 5-9 cm long and 2-4 cm wide, glabrous, the petioles 5-10 mm long, amplexicaul. In- florescences branched basally, the main axes forming elongate, slender racemes 10-12 cm long, the rachis glabrous, bearing nearly sessile mucilage glands, the bracts and bracteoles glabrous, sometimes with sessile mucilage glands, the bracts lanceolate, long-acuminate, ca. 4 mm long. Flowers with pedicels to 1 mm long, calyx 8-10 mm long and ca. 2 mm wide, glabrous, the teeth cuspidate-uncinate, ca. 1 mm long, the ribs with stalked glands along the entire length; corolla white, the tube 1.5-2 cm long, the lobes of the limb obovate-mucronate, 6-8 mm long. Capsules elongate-ovoid, slightly pentagonal, ca. 7 mm long, elongate- conical apically; seed somewhat flattened, inequilaterally ovoid, grooved along one side, gradually attenuate to the funicular end, slightly 5-angled apically, trun- cate basally, ca. 6 mm long.
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Distribution
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Southern Florida, Texas, and Arizona; Mexico, Central America, the West Indies, and South America.
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Specimen
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CANAL ZONE: Corozal to Pedro Miguel, Cowell 410 (NY). COCLE: Between Aguadulce and Rio Chico, savannas & thickets, alt. ca. 20 m, Pittier 5005 (US). HERRERA: Road from La Avena to outskirts of Pese, alt. ca. 200 ft, Burch et al. 1277 (COL, F, GH, MO, NY, SCZ, UC, US). PANAMA: Near beach at Nueva Gorgona, Duke 4498 (MO). PROVINCE UNKNOWN: Without locality, Halsted, 1850 (NY); Seeman s. n. (GH).
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Note
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Kuntze (Rev. Gen. PI. 2: 396. 1891) recognized a densely flowered variety, P. scandens var. densiflora, from St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, differentiating it from the typical variety with its long, lax, more or less interrupted inflorescences. If varieties are to be recognized at all, the Panamanian material is best referred to the typical variety. Plumbago scandens is closely related- to the Old World species Plumbago zeylanica L., and the two are perhaps conspecific. Tradition seems to be the main factor in their separation. Consistent characters differentiating the two are lacking, especially where African populations of P. zeylanica are involved.
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