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(Last Modified On 1/14/2013)
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(Last Modified On 1/14/2013)
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Species
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TRIPLARIS MELAENODENDRON (Bertol.) Standl. & Steyerm.
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PlaceOfPublication
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Field Mus. Bot. 23:5. 1943.
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Synonym
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Velasquezia melaenodendron Bertol. Fl. Guat. 40. 1840. Triplaris auriculata Meissn. in DC. Prodr. 14:174. 1856. Triplaris Maconbii Donn. Sm. in Bot. Gaz. 19:257. 1894. Triplaris Macombii var. rufescens Donn. Sm. loc. cit. 20:293. 1895.
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Description
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Small trees up to 12 m. high, the upper branches geniculate, glabrous or appressed-pubescent, reddish to grayish brown. Leaves subsessile to petiolate, the petioles canaliculate and up to 2 cm. long; blades ovate, usually 1.5-2 times as long as broad, 15-30 cm. long, 8-18 cm. broad, apically acute to acuminate, basally rounded, densely appressed-pubescent or glabrous, with mostly less than 18 pairs of lateral veins. Staminate inflorescences of fascicles closely approximated along the rhachises forming compact spikes up to 1 cm. broad, the spikes simply or racemosely disposed; perianth in one series of 3 linear and 3 narrowly deltoid tepals, 4-4.5 mm. long, connate for over half their length; filaments about 7 mm. long, adnate to the tepals for 2-3 mm.; anthers 1-1.5 mm. long. Pistillate flowers with pedicels 3-9 mm. long, the sepals becoming 35-50 mm. long, the wings com- monly only twice as long as the tubes; wings oblanceolate with rounded or subacute apices, with 1 conspicuous central vein from which several laterals arise, plicate just above the tubes; tubes more pubescent without than within; petals 15-30 (-40) mm. long, distally up to 3 mm. wide, usually adnate to the tubes for at least 6 mm., often auriculate or tubular near the peak of adnation; ovary trigonous; styles 3, 2-5 mm. long, their inner surfaces stigmatic. Achenes 9-12 mm. long, 5-8 mm. broad, dark yellowish brown; facies ovate, not sulcate.
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Habit
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trees
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Note
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This, the most common species north of Panama, is an inhabitant of low altitude thickets and forests. Ranging from Mexico to Colombia, it seems to grade into the more southern species T. cumingiana. T. colombiana Meissn., of northern Colombia, appears to differ only in having narrower leaves and asperulous-punctate achenes. T. melaenodendron has been reported from Panama and is to be expected there, but I have yet to see a specimen from Panama. Some common names applied to the tree in Central America are hormigo, mulato, tabaco, tabacon, gallito, canilla de mula, palo mulato and tabaco de monte. It is one of the most conspicuous elements of the flora of the Pacific Coast of Central America (fide Standl. & Steyerm. in Field Mus. Bot. 244: 137. 1946).
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Distribution
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This, the most common species north of Panama, is an inhabitant of low altitude thickets and forests. Ranging from Mexico to Colombia
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