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Gonzalagunia spicata (Lam.) M. Gómez Search in The Plant ListSearch in IPNISearch in Australian Plant Name IndexSearch in NYBG Virtual HerbariumSearch in Muséum national d'Histoire naturelleSearch in Type Specimen Register of the U.S. National HerbariumSearch in Virtual Herbaria AustriaSearch in JSTOR Plant ScienceSearch in SEINetSearch in African Plants Database at Geneva Botanical GardenAfrican Plants, Senckenberg Photo GallerySearch in Flora do Brasil 2020Search in Reflora - Virtual HerbariumSearch in Living Collections Decrease font Increase font Restore font
 

Published In: Diccionario botánico de los nombres vulgares cubanos y puerto-riqueños 106. 1889. (Dicc. Bot. Nom. Vulg. Cub. & Puerto-Riquenos) Name publication detailView in BotanicusView in Biodiversity Heritage Library
 

Project Name Data (Last Modified On 12/7/2016)
Acceptance : Accepted
Project Data     (Last Modified On 12/20/2016)
Notes:

This species is characterized by its shrubby habit, strigose to hirsute or sericeous pubescence, thin-textured petiolate leaves, subsessile to shortly pedicellate flowers borne singly or in groups along the primary axis and subtended short to developed linear bracts, narrow calyx lobes 1-4 mm long, white corollas with slenderly funnelform tubes 6-10 mm long, and 2-locular white or purple fruits. This species varies somewhat in corolla size, and in particular in calyx lobe length. Plants of the Lesser Antilles in particular have relatively long calyx lobes, and the full range of variation found in this species is documented from northern Venezuela and its offshore islands. The fruits may be white or purple, sometimes on the same plant; this unusual feature has long been noted (e.g., Kuntze's forms "leucocarpa" and "cyanocarpa").

Gonzalagunia spicata is similar to Gonzalagunia dicocca of mainland South America, see the discussion of Gonzalagunia dicocca for more details. Gonzalagunia spicata is also similar to Gonzalagunia haitiensis, which is very similar but was described as having shorter corollas than Gonzalagunia spicata and 3- or 4-locular ovaries and fruits; however the corollas of Gonzalagunia haitiensis now fall within the low end of the range documented for Gonzalagunia spicata, so if there is variation in locule number in some Hispaniolan populations of this species (as found in some other Rubiaceae, e.g., Palicourea guianensis) then Gonzalagunia haitiensis may not be distinct.

Authors have long disagreed on the correct name for this Caribbean species. It was named twice in the 18th century, once as Justicia hirsuta Jacq. (1760) and again as Lygistum spicatum Lam. (1791). The name Justicia hirsuta was published first but was based on a mixed collection. Howard (J. Arnold Arbor. 54: 456-457, 1973) detailed the identity of this name: it was first only described in text in two works by Jacquin, then later it was illustrated and transferred to Barleria (Acanthaceae), again by Jacquin (Observ. Bot. 2: 7, tab. 32, 1767). Howard noted that the stem and leaves in this illustration belong to a species of Gonzalagunia in the Rubiaceae, while the flowers belong to Odontonema in the Acanthaceae. Howard then argued that the name Justicia hirsuta should be applied to the vegetative element, and used for the Gonzalagunia species; but he did not publish a formal typification. He also did not mention (or know) that previously, Lamarck had already noted the mixed elements of Justicia hirsuta and had treated them under two different names. Lamarck [Tabl. Encycl. 1(2): 38, 1791] accepted the name Justicia hirsuta Jacq. for the species of Acanthaceae, and then published the new name Lygistum spicatum for the Rubiaceae plants that were included by Jacquin in Justicia hirsuta. Thus Lamarck's publication seems to be an indication of preference for application of the name Justicia hirsuta, and seems to agree with Jacquin's preference when he transferred his species to another Acanthaceae genus. Lamarck's preference was followed by numerous subsequent authors including Candolle and Urban, who seem to have been familiar with Jacquin's materials and species. Urban discussed this problem in some detail and noted (Symb. Antill. 8: 585, 1921) that Lindau (Symb. Antill. 2: 221) had also addressed it and clearly assigned the name Justicia hirsuta to the Acanthaceae element. Formal typification of Justicia hirsuta will be needed to resolve the identity of this name, but here Lamarck, Candolle, Urban, and Steyermark (1972: 313-314) are followed and Jacquin's name is considered to apply to a species of Odontonema and the Rubiaceae species is called Gonzalagunia spicata. Schumann later adopted the name Gonzalagunia hirsuta for this species, and included in it plants here separated in Gonzalagunia dicocca; he cited no original material of Jacquin's nor typified Jacquin's name.

Distribution: In wet secondary vegetation from sea level to 1200 m, eastern Great Antilles (Hispaniola, Puerto Rico) through the Lesser Antilles to northern coastal Venezuela.

 


 

 
 
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