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Project Name Data (Last Modified On 12/18/2012)
 

Flora Data (Last Modified On 12/18/2012)
Species LAGUNCULARIA RACEMOSA (L.) Gaertn. f
PlaceOfPublication Gaertn. Fruct. 3:209. t. 2I7. 1807.
Synonym Conocarpus racemosus L. Syst. Nat. 2:930. 1759. Schousboa commutata Spreng. Syst. Veg. 2:3 32. 1825, nom. illegit. Rhizaeris alba Raf. Sylv. Tellur. 90. 1838, nom. illegit. Laguncularia obovataMiq. in Linnaea 18:752. 1844.
Description Small tree up to about 10 m. high or bush, with glabrous branchlets usually chestnut-brown when dried, slightly swollen at the nodes. Leaves opposite, decus- sate, petiolate, petiole 1-1.5 cm. long, glabrous, with two conspicuous glands 2-4 mm. below the apex, lamina chartaceous to subcoriaceous, elliptic or oblong-elliptic, up to 10 X 5.5 cm., glabrous, usually blunt or rounded at the apex and slightly rounded at the base, lateral nerves rather numerous but inconspicuous, reticulation just visible. Flowers white or greenish-white, sessile, 5-merous, in terminal panicles up to about 20 cm. long of elongated spikes up to 7-8 cm. long, rhachis densely appressed-pubescent, bracts suborbicular to ovate, pubescent, 1.5 X 1.3 mm., soon caducous. Receptacle infundibuliform, elongating as the fruit develops, tomentel- lous, 2.5 X 1.5 mm., with two small obversely elliptic bracteoles, 1.5 X 2 mm., near the apex, expanded at the apex into a persistent cupuliform calyx with 5 broad lobes, imbricate in bud. Petals 5, suborbicular, appressed-pubescent. Stamens 10, filaments very short, inflexed in bud, inserted near the margin of the disk. Disk fleshy, 10-rayed. Style 1 mm. long, glabrous, stigma capitate. Fruit flattened- obovoid-ellipsoid, at first densely later sparsely appressed-pubescent, 12-20 X 6-10 mm. when mature, more or less longitudinally winged or ribbed, wing up to 2 mm. broad but usually less than 1 mm., crowned by the persistent remains of the calyx.
Distribution Florida to Peru and Brazil, also in West Indies, Galapagos Islands and Fernando do Noronha; in western tropical Africa from Senegal to Angola.
Specimen BOCAS DEL TORO: Perlas Islands, Trapiche, growing as isolated specimens on rocky beaches, Allen 26i6; Isla Colon, southwest of Bocas, Macaw Hills, Von Wedel 522; Chiri- qui Lagoon, Von Wedel I06I; vicinity of Chiriqui Lagoon, Nances Cay, Von Wedel 286i, 2937; CANAL ZONE: between Panamai and Corozal, alt. 20-30 m., Pittier 444I; banks of Rio Grande, growing in mud, Woodson, Allen d Seibert 763. CHIRIQUI: San Bartolome, Peninsula de Burica, Woodson d Schery 936. PANAMA: Isla Taboga, 0-186 m., on rocky coast, Woodson, Allen d Seibert I534.
Note I have seen specimens with glabrous flowers and fruits from southwest Florida (Rugel 239) and Cuba (Jack 5255) but not, as yet, from Panama. These may well be Laguncularia glabriflora Presl (Reliq. Haenk 2:22. 1831) though the latter was described as having red flowers (perhaps erroneously). The type is from Guayaquil. It would be interesting to study populations of L. racemosa to see whether glabrous-flowered plants occur. As far as the present meagre evidence goes it would seem that L. glabriflora could be treated as a glabrous variety of L. racerntosa but without any well-marked geographical distribution.
 
 
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