Corynaea

  • Authority

    Hansen, Bertel. 1980. Balanophoraceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 23: 1-80. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Balanophoraceae

  • Scientific Name

    Corynaea

  • Type

    Type species. Corynaea crassa Hooker f., Trans. Linn. Soc. London 22: 31, 54, t. 13. 1856, lectotype here selected; hereafter paratypes: Corynaea sphaerica Hooker f. l.c.: 55, t. 14, and Corynaea purdiei Hooker f. l.c.: 55.

  • Synonyms

    Itoasia Kuntze, Helosis

  • Description

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    Genus Description - Fleshy root parasites. Underground tuber somewhat irregularly lobed, starchy. Stem leafless, short or elongated. Inflorescence subspherical to ellipsoid or obovoid, when young covered by hexagonal bracts. Bracts peltate, early deciduous. Flowers embedded in a dense layer of filiform hairs. Male flowers with a tubular 3-lobed or irregularly crenate perianth. Stamens 3, connate; synandrium 6-locular with locules longitudinally arranged. Pollen grains spheroid, 3-colpate, medium sized, 3-nucleate. Female flowers compressed with perianth adnate to ovary, segments 2, inconspicuous. Styles 2. Fruit a small, 1-seeded achene.

  • Discussion

    J. D. Hooker (1856) described the genus Corynaea to accommodate three species, each based on one or two collections and all having a tubular, funnel shaped, irregularly crenate perianth without obvious lobes. Eichler (1873) added a fourth species characterized by an obviously 3-lobed perianth. Forty specimens were available for the present treatment. A wide and continuous variation was found in the length of stem as well as the shape and size of inflorescence. These same characters were used by Hooker in distinguishing his species. Investigations of a large number of specimens of Balanophora have shown that such characters are most unreliable in this group of parasites (Hansen 1972). This is apparently the case in Corynaea too, and I have been forced to unite Hooker’s species into one. Furthermore I have reduced Eichler’s C. sprucei to a variety of C. crassa. The only reliable distinguishing character is the 3-lobed perianth, found in C. crassa var sprucei, but even in C. crassa var crassa specimens may be found with 3 deeper incisions in the crenate perianth. Finally it should be mentioned that purely unisexual inflorescences are found quite often ie in 12 of the 40 specimens studied. It is not possible at present to refer purely female inflorescences to varietal level if they do not occur together with male ones from one tuber.

  • Distribution

    Montane forests at higher altitudes from Costa Rica to Bolivia and in NW Venezuela.

    Costa Rica South America| Panama Central America| Colombia South America| Ecuador South America| Peru South America| Bolivia South America| Venezuela South America|