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(Last Modified On 9/12/2013)
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(Last Modified On 9/12/2013)
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Species
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Psychotria brachiata Swartz
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PlaceOfPublication
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Prodr. 45. 1788.
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Synonym
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Psychotria caerulea Ruiz & Pav6n, Fl. Peruv. Chil. 2: 62. 1799. TYPE: Peru, Ruiz & Pavon (MO, photo of isotype? in Delessert Herb.). Palicourea caerulea (Ruiz & Pav6n) R. & S., Syst. Veg. 5: 194. 1819. Cephaelis polycephala Schlecht., Linnaea 28: 532. 1856. TYPE: Peru, Lechler 2364. Not seen.
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Description
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Trees to 5 m tall, the branchlets smooth, glabrous, the nodes well spaced. Leaves oblong or lanceolate, occasionally obovate elliptic, 7-16 cm long, 3-7 cm wide, obtuse or widely cuneate at the apex, the acumen to 1 cm, basally acute or rarely obtuse, often slightly inequilateral, the costa prominulous above, prom- inent beneath, usually laterally villose, the lateral veins 9-12, arcuate or occa- sionally subperpendicular, the intervenal areas spreading reticulate, papyraceous, concolorous; petioles to 2.5(-3.5) cm long, glabrous, slender, 0.15 cm wide; sti- pules free, oblong or oblong rotund, 2-4 mm long, often bilobed, the lobes ca. 1 mm long, obtuse or rounded, 3-4 mm wide basally, appressed, scarious, gla- brous or occasionally pubescent, appressed setose submarginally within. Inflo- rescences terminal, solitary, 5-22 cm long, 3.5-7.0 cm wide, thrysoid or racemi- form paniculate, usually rigidly upright, glabrous to puberulent, rarely epedunculate and then with branches in pairs or in 3's arising from the stem tip, usually with peduncles to 5.5 cm long, 0.8-1.0 mm wide, angular, usually with 2-4 pairs of well spaced, opposite branches 1-3(-4) cm apart, to 9 cm long, the uppermost branches occasionally about as long as the lowermost pair, usually perpendicular, occasionally deflexed, the flowers aggregated into compressed ro- tund heads terminating the branches, these wider than long, to 1 cm wide; bracts at the base of the branches involute, oblong, to 8 mm long; floral bracts usually carinate, the outer bracts larger, to 6 mm long, to 5 mm wide, the inner bracts ca. 4 mm long, narrower. Flowers with the hypanthium short, the calycine cup a membranous, inflated cuplike structure, 1.5-3.0 mm long, the margin irregular or with irregular, triangular teeth, to 0.8 mm long, ciliolate outside; corolla yellow or greenish white, the tube 4-5 mm long, carnose, pubescent outside, the lobes 5, ovate oblong or triangular, 1 mm long; stamens 5, the anthers oblong, 1.3-2.0 mm long, obtuse, often minutely apiculate, the filaments 3 mm long, attached (in bud) below the middle of the tube; ovarian disc compressed rotund, ca. 0.35 mm long, 0.5 mm wide, the style slender, 1.5-2.0 mm long, the stigmas 2, digitiform, 1.0-1.8 mm long. Fruits succulent, china blue or blue black, ellipsoid to subro- tund, to 1 cm long, the pyrenes costate, glabrous to occasionally puberulent, the persistent calyx cupuliform, to 1.5 mm long.
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Habit
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Trees
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Distribution
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known from Central America, South America, the West Indies, and Trinidad.
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Note
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Steyermark (1972) regards P. caerulea as distinct from P. brachiata, stressing characteristics of the calyx, corolla, and inflores- cence. I regard them as conspecific, agreeing with Standley's treatment in the Flora of Peru (1936) in which P. caerulea is reduced to the synonomy of P. brachiata. Duke 13615 lists the common name "Pugabaca pacuru" of the Choco Indians, the leaves being used as a purgative.
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Common
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Pugabaca pacuru
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Specimen
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BOCAS DEL TORO: Rio Teribe between Quebrada Huron and Puerto Palenque, 400-800 ft, Kirk- bride & Duke 503, 506 (both MO). Chiriquicito, Lewis et al. 1973 (COL, MO, UC, VEN). Without specific locality, Wedel 177 (MO). Chiriqui Lagoon, Wedel 1329 (MO), 1638, 2196 A (both US). Rio Cricamola between Finca St. Louis and Konkintoe, Woodson et al. 1928 (MO). CANAL ZONE: France Field, Blum & Dwyer 2123 (MO). Road S-Il NW of Escobal, Croat 12457 (MO). Fort Sherman, Dwyer 6686 (MO); Dwyer & Robyns 173 (MO). Chagres, Fendler 63 (MO). Coco Solo, Gentry 6489 (MO). Pipeline Road, Limbo Hunt Club, Kennedy & Tyson 1868 (MO). Agua Clara, Pittier 3993 (MO). Fort Sherman, Standley 31072 (US); Tyson 1649 (MO); Tyson & Blum 1657 (MO). BARRO COLORADO ISLAND: Croat 11231, 11699, 12184, 13251 A, 14555, 15149, 15252 A (all MO); Shattuck 1069 (MO); Standley 40997 (US). COCLE: Boca del Toabr6, confluence of Rio Toabr6 and Rio Cocle del Norte, Lewis et al. 4435 (COL, MO, SCZ, UC, VEN). COLON: Las Cruces Trail at Portobelo, Ebinger 109, 257 (both MO). Achiote, Tyson et al. 4555 (MO). DARIEN: Without other locality, Bristan 165 (MO). Cand, Croat 27316 (MO). Loma Cuasi behind Manen6, Duke 13615 (MO). Between Paya and Palo de Los Letras, Duke & Kirkbride 14036 (MO). E of Tres Bocas, shortest headwaters of Rio Cuasi, Kirk- bride & Duke 1158 (MO). Cand, Stern et al. 467, 478, 668 (all MO, US). LOS SANTOS: Loma Prieta, Cerro Grande, 2400-2800 ft, Lewis et al. 2198 (MO, UC). PANAMA: Altos del Rio Pacora, 2500 ft, Lewis et al. 2322 (COL, DUKE, MO). SAN BLAS: 15-20 km WSW of Puerto Obaldia, Mori et al. 6852 (MO). VERAGUAS: Valley of Rio Dos Bocas, 11-13 km beyond Agriculture School, Santa Fe, 350-500 m, Croat 25717 (MO). 5 mi W of Santa Fe, past Escuela Agricola, Liesner 846 (MO).
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