Banisteriopsis latifolia (A.Juss.) B.Gates

  • Authority

    Gates, Bronwen. 1982. Banisteriopsis, Diplopterys (Malpighiaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 30: 1-238. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Malpighiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Banisteriopsis latifolia (A.Juss.) B.Gates

  • Type

    Type. Saint Hilaire, Catal. Cl, 642, Brazil, Goiás, near Riberão Frio, fl (holotype, P; isotypes, P 2 sheets).

  • Synonyms

    Banisteria latifolia A.Juss.

  • Description

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    Species Description - Gnarled tree to 4 m high, trunk to 15 cm in diameter. Young branches round, at first densely tomentose, soon glabrous, the bark smooth, red-brown, developing corky splits. Old branches grey-brown with thick corky bark forming prominent corky ridges and furrows. Stipules minute or absent. Leaves with the petiole 2-3 mm long, glabrous or sparsely tomentose, eglandular, the lamina (3.5-)6-14 cm long, (3.0-)4.5-10.0 cm wide, much reduced or bract-like in the inflorescence, elliptic or ovate, acute, apiculate or retuse at the apex, truncate to cordate at the base, with the margin flat, bearing abaxially on the costa at the base a pair of sessile glands 1.5-2.0 mm in diameter, loosely sericeous adaxially when first expanded, soon glabrous, abaxially densely and loosely white-sericeous when first expanded, soon glabrous, except in the inflorescence, the hairs T-shaped with the trabecula 1.0-2.0 mm long and the stalk 0.1-0.2 mm long, with the veins prominulous adaxially and prominent abaxially. Inflorescence of 4-flowered umbels, cauliflorous and borne at the nodes, sometimes also on short terminal branches bearing reduced leaves, the umbels borne in condensed cymes, densely sericeous; bracts and bracteoles 2.2-3.0 mm long, lanceolate, glabrous adaxially, sericeous abaxially, caducous just before or during flowering; pedicels sessile (14-) 19-27 mm long, 0.8-1.2 mm in diameter, 0.6-0.8 mm without hairs, loosely white-sericeous. Sepals white-sericeous abaxially, adaxially minutely velutinous, 3.8-6.0 mm long, 2.2-3.2 mm wide, rounded and often revolute at the apex, with the glands 2.4-3.5 mm long, 1.0-2.2 mm wide, the sepals projecting 2.8-3.0 mm beyond the glands. Petals white, becoming pale yellow in age, dentate to laciniate, the 4 lateral petals reflexed between the sepals, the claw 2.0-2.5 mm long, 0.8-1.0 mm wide, the limb 7.0-11.0 mm long, 7.0-10.0 mm wide, orbicular, eglandular, the antero-lateral pair of petals more concave and larger than the posterolateral pair, the posterior petal with the claw erect, 4.0-5.0 mm long, up to 1.2 mm wide, narrowed at the apex, the limb 6.0 mm long and wide, orbicular, plane to convex, with the basal teeth eglandular or sometimes gland-tipped. Stamens with the filaments 1.8-4.0 mm long, connate basally, the locules 1.0-1.6 mm long, pilose, the connectives yellow, those opposite the petals 0.8-1.2 mm long, 0.70.8 mm wide, 0.4-0.6 mm deep, these opposite the antero-lateral petals glandular, those opposite the sepals 1.0-1.4 mm long, 0.7-1.0 mm wide, 0.6-0.8 mm deep, glandular and enlarged at the apex. Ovary 1.5-1.8 mm high, white-sericeous, the styles equal, straight and parallel, 3.0-3.2 mm long, tapering to 0.4 mm wide at the apex, the stigmas capitate. Fruit with carpophore filiform, up to 3 mm long, 0.5 mm wide, the nut 5-8 mm tall, 4-5 mm long, smooth to slightly rugose with a basal tooth, appressed-sericeous, the wing 15-25 mm long, 9-15 mm wide, appressed-sericeous to glabrate, the hairs T-shaped, with the trabecula 1.0-1.2 mm long, the wings of the 2 posterior samaras rotated to lie parallel with that of the anterior samara, the locule densely hairy within.

  • Discussion

    Collected in flower in March to May, and in fruit in March.

    This is a very distinctive species with its thick corky bark, large glabrous leaves, cauliflorous habit and long pedicels. The branches during their first season of growth are quite smooth, red-brown in colour and without lenticels; by their second season of growth the branches exhibit prominent corky splits in the bark, and by the next season the branches are already corky. Banisteriopsis latifolia is also unusual in its habit as a small tree, with a single erect unbranched trunk up to 15 cm in diameter; most cerrado species of Banisteriopsis are shrubs with several woody stems from the base. I did, however, observe one individual of B. latifolia in the cerrado of the Universidade de Brasilia with several stems; in all other respects the plant was typical B. latifolia, and this growth form may represent regeneration after damage to the main trunk.

    The foliage leaves in this species are densely and loosely tomentose on both sides when they first expand, but become quite glabrous very soon—probably within a few days. One specimen, Irwin et al. 34762, has leaves which are densely hairy abaxially, associated with thick corky bark and a tree habit; many of the leaves are from the previous growing season, and the young stems show lenticels as well as corky splits; this individual may represent a hybrid between B. latifolia and B. variabilis. Since the material is sterile, it was not possible to look for other indications of hybrid origin, such as low pollen fertility.

  • Distribution

    Found only in the cerrados of the Distrito Federal, and the Serra dos Pirineus and Serra Geral do Paraná in adjacent Goiás in Brazil.

    Brazil South America| Goiás Brazil South America| Distrito Federal Brazil South America|