Hedyosmum bonplandianum Kunth

Authority

Todzia, Carol A. 1988. Chloranthaceae: Hedyosmum. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 48: 1-138. (Published by NYBG Press)

Family

Chloranthaceae

Scientific Name

Hedyosmum bonplandianum Kunth

Type

Type. Colombia. Quindiu, 1200-1400 m (pist), Bonpland s.n. [lectotype (here designated), P].

Synonyms

Hedyosmum callososerratum Oerst., Tafallaea bonplandiana (Kunth) Kuntze, Tafallaea callososerrata (Oerst.) Kuntze

Description

Species Description - Dioecious, aromatic shrubs or small trees 1.5-15 m tall, often with a narrow crown; trunk 416 cm dbh, with or without prop roots; bark light brown to light gray; wood white, soft; twigs often exuding mucilage when cut; older stems quadrate, larger stems terete, with leaf bases persisting and encircling the stem; internodes 2-8.5 cm long; nodes slightly swollen. Leaves narrowly elliptic to elliptic to ovate, smooth to slightly scabrous above, glabrous, glossy, (5-)7.5-13(-17.2) x (1.8-) 3.5-6(-7) cm, with acuminate tips 0.5-1 cm long, cuneate to obliquely cuneate at base, margins serrate to serrulate with teeth 2.5-4 mm distant with teeth beginning ca. one-fourth distance to base, succulent, drying stiffly chartaceous, with midvein canaliculate on upper surface, raised on lower surface, sometimes with irregular brownish hairs 0.2-1 mm long; larger lateral veins (5-)7-8(-10), 7-12 mm distant, arcuate, slightly raised below, subopposite to alternate along midvein, with smaller intersecondary veins extending ca. halfway to margin; free portion of petioles (0.5-)0.9-2.5 cm long, green sometimes purple, glabrous or with irregular short or long hairs; petiolar sheath 0.5-1.4 x 0.4-1.4 cm, inflated, green often purple, each distal margin with two small, linear sometimes fimbriate, distal appendages 1-3 mm long, extending ca. 0.5 mm beyond free portion of petioles. Staminate inflorescences with spikes usually borne in two or three opposite pairs on a short axis (1-3 cm long) terminated by a single spike, subsessile or terminal on bracteate peduncles 2-15 mm long, united to the stem above the leaf sheath, subtended by a cucullate, subulate bract 5-9 mm long; flowering spikes to (1.1-)1.5-2.9(-3.5) cm long, 0.3-0.6 cm thick, with stamens becoming ca. 1 mm distant on rachis; anthers 1-1.7 x 0.40.6 mm; connectives extending ca. 0.2 mm beyond thecae, terminating in a short apicule 0.2 mm long. Pistillate inflorescences thyrse-like, paniculate or racemose, 2-9 cm long, terminal or axillary, usually united with stem to above the leaf sheath, with (3-)7-20 solitary flowers, alternate to subopposite, 2-12 mm distant on the rachis; sterile bracts chartaceous, 1-7 x 1-4 mm. Pistillate flowers green, ellipsoidal, 3-4 x 2-3 mm, borne on short peduncles 1-3 mm long or subsessile, with perianth lobes 0.2-0.5 mm long, acute at apex, free to base, subtended by a cupule 2-3 mm long with (2-)3 acute lobes on distal margin; stigmas white, 1.5-2.5 mm long, papillose, linear, elaborated distally, caducous. Fruiting cymules white, waxy, 3-4 x 2-3 mm, ellipsoidal. Seeds ca. 2 mm long, brown, smooth, trigonous.

Discussion

Hedyosmum bonplandianum is characterized by the combination of solitary flowers, white fruits and glabrous leaves with linear stipular appendages. Throughout its range, this species is very uniform. Hedyosmum bonplandianum appears to be most closely related to H. racemosum and is further discussed under that species.

Common Names

granizo, llorón, rapabarbo bianco, silba-silba

Distribution

Shrubs and small trees of primary or secondary habitats in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia at elevations of 100-1300 m in open habitats along stream edges, ravines, and cleared slopes; forest habitats include premontane rainforest, cloud forest, and elfin forest where it occasionally grows as an epiphyte. In Colombia the elevational range is much greater, from 600 to 2350 m. This species apparently flowers and fruits throughout the year.

Nicaragua Central America| Chontales Nicaragua Central America| Matagalpa Nicaragua Central America| Rivas Nicaragua Central America| Zelaya Nicaragua Central America| Costa Rica South America| Alajuela Costa Rica Central America| Cartago Costa Rica Central America| Heredia Costa Rica Central America| Limón Costa Rica Central America| San José Costa Rica Central America| Panama Central America| Bocas del Toro Panamá Central America| Coclé Panamá Central America| Darién Panamá Central America| Panamá Panama Central America| Veraguas Panama Central America| Colombia South America| Antioquia Colombia South America| Cauca Colombia South America| Chocó Colombia South America| Valle Colombia South America|