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(Last Modified On 9/4/2013)
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(Last Modified On 9/4/2013)
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Species
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Genipa americana L.
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PlaceOfPublication
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Syst. Nat., ed. 10. 2: 931. 1759.
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Synonym
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Gardenia genipa Swartz, Prodr. Veg. Ind. Occ. 51. 1788. TYPE: not seen. Genipa oblongifolia Ruiz & Pav6n, Fl. Peruv. Chil. 2: 67. 1798. TYPE: not seen. Genipa grandifolia Pers., Syn. P1. 1: 198. 1805. TYPE: not seen. Genipa caruto H.B.K., Nov. Gen. Sp. P1. 3: 407. 1820. TYPE: Venezuela and Colombia, Humboldt & Bonpland (P, not seen). Genipa humilis Vell., Fl. Flum. 94. Ic. 2: pl. 142. 1825. TYPE: not seen. Genipa pubescens DC., Prodr. 4: 379. 1830. TYPE: Cuba, de la Osa not seen. Genipa barbata Presl., Symb. Bot. Upsal. 2: 13. 1832. TYPE: Brazil, Blanchet, not seen. Genipa americana var. caruto (H.B.K.) Schum. in Mart., Fl. Bras. 6(6): 352. 1889. Genipa excelsa Krause, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 40: 327. 1908. TYPE: not seen. Genipa americana var. caruto fo. grandifolia Chod. & Hassl., Bull. Herb. Boissier ser. 2, 4: 171. 1904. TYPE: Paraguay, Hassler 7851 (G, isotype). Genipa excelsa Krause, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 40: 327. 1908. TYPE: not seen.
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Description
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Trees 20 m tall, the twigs terete, ultimately angular, the bark smooth, glabrous, the nodes well spaced or crowded terminally. Leaves usually strongly ascending, elliptic, elliptic oblong or obovate oblong, 11-28 cm long, 6-13 cm wide, deltoid or somewhat rounded toward the apex, acuminate, the acumen short, attenuate toward the base, the costa prominulous above, prominent beneath, the lateral veins 11-20, arcuate ascending, thin coriaceous to coriaceous, shiny and glabrous above, often drying black, glabrous to velutinous pubescent beneath, the hairs dense but short; petioles stout, to 1 cm long; stipules free, ovate, to 1.5 cm long, acute, coriaceous to thickly scarious, glabrous to puberulent toward the scarious margins, the margins thickened, pubescent, drawn into a subulate process. Inflo- rescences terminal, cymose, 4-10 cm long or much longer; peduncle short, the bracts ovate, 3-4 mm long, acuminate, the branches to 9, few or many flowered. Flowers to 3.5 cm long, bisexual on pedicels to 1.2 cm long; hypanthium narrowly oblong; calycine cup turgid, ca. 0.6 cm long, stiffly carnose, the margin truncate, the teeth as mere points, glabrous except often with a few hairs marginally; corolla cream white, the tube short cylindrical, ca. 1.5 cm long, 0.8-1.0 cm wide, densely velutinous hairy or villose outside and in, the hairs to 2 mm long, the lobes 5-6, oblong, 1.5-2.5(-3.0) cm long, longer than the tube, widely deltoid at the apex, reflexed at anthesis; anthers 5, subsessile, narrow oblong, 8.0-9.5 mm long, the connective produced for ca. 1.5 mm at the apex, ultimately acute or obtuse, the filaments attached near the mouth; stigmatic lobes 2, narrowly lan- ceolate, erect, ca. 7 mm long, partially exserted. Fruits oblong or subrotund, to 9 cm in diam., glabrous, silvery gray outside, the persistent calyx short, giving a craterlike effect, ca. 1 cm in diam.
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Habit
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Trees
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Distribution
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found in tropical Florida, Mexico, Central America, West Indies, and tropical South America, extending to Paraguay.
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Note
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Duke (1968) states that according to the Cuna: "Pulp of the fruits is edible raw; it is used to make sweet and fermented beverages; sometimes pickled with vinegar and onions. The flowers are attractive to bees and the fruits to cattle. Indians paint their bodies black with the pulp; some OICS personnel claimed it does improve the complexion and state that it is insecticidal. It is the 'Tree of Life' to the Cuna. 'Apples of Immortality' arise from the Earthmother's placenta and umbilical cord; the juice turns the skin black, thus hiding the individual from the devils that cause disease. It appears to be bacteriocidal, germicidal, and insect repellent. It is said to be the only medicine capable of flushing the parasitic catfish which attacks man south of the study areas. The Cuna have a special song of the jagua (Genipa americana) known as 'quanekigala.'"
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Common
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Jagua Guaytil Blanco
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Common
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Guaitil Blanco Jagua Amarilla
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Common
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Jagua Blanca Jagua Colorado
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Common
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Jagua de Montana
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Note
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It is used throughout its range for construction of buildings, furniture and carts. Julian A. Steyermark (The Botany of the Guayana Highland, Mem. N.Y. Bot. Garden 23: 349. 1972) discusses in detail the typification of Genipa americana.
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Specimen
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CANAL ZONE: Cerro Viejo, K 16 C, Blum 1265 (MO). Fort Kobbe, Duke 3943, 4189, 4259 (all MO). Farfan Beach, Duke 11734 (MO). Rio Mar, Duke 12427 (MO). K-9 Road, Ebinger 516 (MO). Mandingo River, Hayden 57 (MO). Arraijan, Hayden 112 (MO). Albrook, U.S. Army Tropic Test site, Hayden 134A (MO). Survival School, Fort Clayton, Kirkbride & Elias 268 (MO). Howard Air Force Base, SE of Kobbe Beach, Oliver & MacBryde 1867 (GH, MO, US), 1899 (MO). Anc6n Hill, Seibert 409 (MO). Cerro Luisa, vicinity of Pedro Miguel Locks, Stern & Chambers 8 (MO). Survival School, Fort Clayton, Tyson 1051 (MO). BARRO COLORADO ISLAND, Croat 7913 (MO). Cardenal Creek, Fort Clayton, Tyson 1279 (MO). Miraflores, White 126 (MO). BARRO COLORADO ISLAND: Robyns 65- 33 (MO); Shattuck 415 (MO). CHIRIQUi: 12.4 mi N of David, Lewis et al. 728 (GH, MO). COCLE: Rio Hato Airstrip, Blum & Dwyer 2477 (MO). Penonom6, Dwyer 2002 (MO). DARIEN: Rio Ucurganti, Bristan 1185 (MO). Isla Casaya, Duke 10390 (MO). HERRERA: Guarar6, Rodriguez 26 (MO). LOS SANTOS: 4 mi S of Lim6n, Correra & Galegos 66 (MO). Punta Mala, Croat 9755 (MO). Candelaria, Duke 12453 (MO). Monagre Beach, Tyson et al. 3021 (MO). PANAMA: Rfo Pacora, Bartlett & Lasser 16465 (MO). Cerro Campana, Castillo 2 (MO). Rio Pita, Duke 4763 (MO). Farfan Beach, Duke 11734 (MO). Rio Mar, Duke 12427 (MO). La Bayoneta, Perlas Archipelago, Dwyer 1733 (MO). Tocumen, Dwyer 2891, 4347 (both MO). San Jos6 Island, Johnston 1358 (MO). Palo Seco, Mejia 20 (MO). Isla del Espiritu Santo, Tyson 5558 (MO). Isla Taboga, Woodson et al. 1480 (MO). VERAGUAS: Santiago, Dwyer & Kirkbride 7427 (COL, DUKE, MO, UC), 7429 (GH, MO).
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