|
(Last Modified On 4/9/2013)
|
|
|
|
(Last Modified On 4/9/2013)
|
|
Genus
|
Rauvolfia L.
|
|
PlaceOfPublication
|
Sp. P1. 208. 1753.
|
|
Description
|
Shrubs or trees, rarely vine-like, lacticiferous, the branches usually whorled. Leaves whorled, (3-)4(-5), ? anisophyllous within a whorl, non-glandular along the midrib, pinnately nerved, membranaceous to coriaceous, sessile to peti- olate, glandular in the axils, sometimes on the petiole; stipules small and decidu- ous. Inflorescences cymose, dichasial, terminal or axillary, few- to m' any-flowered. Flowers ? small; calyx 5-lobed, the lobes equal, without squamellae; corolla salverform, infundibuliform, urceolate, or campanulate, without appendages, the limb 5-lobed, sinistrorsely contorted; stamens 5, included, the filaments short, the anthers free and not agglutinated to the stigma; gynoecium 2-carpellate, apocarpous or syncarpous, the ovary superior, the ovules 2-4, the nectary an- nular or cupuliform, entire or dentate, the style 1, the stigma cylindrical, calyp- triform or sub-mitriform, obscurely biapiculate. Fruit apocarpous or syncarpous, drupaceous; seeds 1-4, naked.
|
|
Habit
|
Shrubs or trees, rarely vine-like
|
|
Distribution
|
A large pantropical genus of about 110 species.
|
|
Note
|
Three species are found in Panama: Rauvolfia purpurascens Standley, R. littoralis Rusby, and the common R. tetraphylla L. One other species, R. ligu- strina Roem. & Schult., is conspicuously absent. According to Rao (p. 281) this species is in a section characterized by ternate leaves, of which the largest is 3-5 cm long, and inflorescences about as long as the largest associated leaf. Panamanian collections which correspond to this description have been assigned to R. littoralis because the calyces are totally unlike that pictured for R. ligustrina (Rao, p. 299, Fig. 8).
|
|
Reference
|
Rao, A. S. A revision of Rauvolfia with particular reference to the American species. Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 43: 253-354. 1956.
|
|
Key
|
a. Leaves with glands in the axils only; corolla salverform, the tube greater than 4 mm long ...................................................... 1. R. purpurascens aa. Leaves glandular on the petioles and in the axils; corolla urceolate, less than 4 mm long. b. Leaves obovate, acuminate, gradually tapering basally; calyx-lobes obtuse or rounded ................................................ 2. R. littoralis bb. Leaves ovate to ovate-elliptic, acute, abruptly tapering basally; calyx-lobes acute ................................................ 3. R. tetraphylla
|
|
Tag
|
|
|
|
Project Name
|
|
Tag
|
|
|
|