Buddleja stachyoides Cham. & Schltdl.

  • Authority

    Norman, E. M. 2000. Buddlejaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 81: 1-225. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Buddlejaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Buddleja stachyoides Cham. & Schltdl.

  • Type

    Type. S. Brazil, sin. loc., Sellow s.n. (holotype fragment F; photo F neg 3908 GH; isotypes, K, W).

  • Synonyms

    Buddleja brasiliensis subsp. stachyoides (Cham. & Schltdl.) E.M.Norman, Buddleja neemda Buch.-Ham. ex Roxb., Buddleja brasiliensis Jacq. ex Spreng., Buddleja australis Vell., Buddleja otophylla Hassk., Buddleja albotomentosa R.E.Fr., Buddleja brasiliensis var. glazioviana Gilg, Buddleja alata Rehder & E.H.Wilson

  • Description

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    Species Description - Shrub or subshrub, 1-3.5 m, with grayish brown fissured bark near base, young branches quadrangular, sometimes winged, with grayish tomentum. Leaves subsessile or with petiole to 1 cm long or connateperfoliate, stipules reduced to a line, blades ovate or oblong-lanceolate, 5-20(-28) x 3—8(—11) cm, mem-brancaceous, above tomentulose to glabrescent, below white tomentose; apex acute or acuminate, base acute, auriculate or perfoliate, margin serrate to crenulate. Inflorescence 10-30 cm long, essentially unbranched, with 4-15(-20) pairs of axillary cymes, basal pairs occasionally pedunculate, the upper pairs often borne close together and often appearing spi-cate, each pair of cymes in the axil of progressively smaller leaves. Each cyme with 9-12 sessile flowers. Calyx tubular, tomentose, tube 3-3.5 mm long, lobes acuminate, 2-2.5 mm long. Corolla greenish-yellow, yellow or light orange, tubular, tomentose outside, inside with warty hairs throughout except in region of ovary, tube 5-7 mm long, lobes erect, elliptic to ovate, 1.8-2.5 x 1-1.8 mm. Stamens sessile, inserted close to sinus, anthers 1-1.5 mm long. Ovary ellipsoid 2.5-3.5 mm long, tomentose on upper half, style 4-5.5 mm long, stigma globose, 0.5 mm long. Capsule ellipsoid 4.5-6 x 2.5-3 mm, tomentulose near apex, pericarp thin, opening only septicidally, valves not separating, rounded. Seeds type 6, oblong, truncate at apex, 0.6-0.7 mm x 0.25-0.3 mm long, lighter in color at funicular end, seed body 0.5-0.6 mm long. 2n = 38.

  • Discussion

    Leaves of this species were listed in the Pharmacopoeia of Brazil (Houghton, 1984). Decoctions and infusions of roots and leaves have been used against diarrhea, hemorrhoids, and arthritis (Penna, 1946; Hieronymus, 1882); they also have been found to have calming, sudorific effects (Correa, 1926). Michalovski (1955) indicates its use as an expectorant and emolient. Grotta (1961) mentions its beneficial value in lung inflammations and the label on Mexia 4710 indicates it is used to bathe swellings. Hegnauer (1989) mentions the presence of sesquiterpenes with hemolytic properties in this species.

    Buddleja stachyoides is known to be pollinated by hummingbirds (Knuth, 1905; Fries, 1905). In my garden in central Florida I have also observed autogamy when bagged flowers produced fruits with viable seeds.

    In earlier treatments, this taxon was divided into two species or subspecies based only on the shape of the leaf bases. This minor variation is not worthy of nomenclatural recognition. Variation in leaf base morphology occurs also in several other species of Buddleja, including some of which are closely related to B. stachyoides, such as B. tubiflora, and others which are more distantly related, such as B. crotonoides and B. globosa and B. polycephala. It is not known if these variations are due to genotypic or environmental factors. Seeds of Beck & Leberman 9821 from Bolivia produced offsprings in central Florida with connate-perfoliate leaves like the original collection. In general the form of B. stachyoides with amplexicaul leaves is more common in the northern part of the distribution range.

    Buddieja stachyoides crosses readily with B. tubi-flora. Moore also attempted to hybridize this species with B. altemifolia (pers. comm.). The resulting plants were like a dwarf form of altemifolia—flowers exactly the color of altemifolia. It appears that altemifolia genes are 90% dominant.

    The epithet “stachyoides” is the correct one for this taxon as Carauta (1973) found that Vellozo's Flora Fluminensis, although it was printed in 1825, was not distributed until 1829 and thus has an effective publication later than that of stachyoides.

    Distribution and Ecology: This is the most widespread species in S America and is found in Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay. It grows at edges of woodlands, along rivers and roadsides, from sea level to 2600 m (higher elevations in Bolivia) and is naturalized in St. Helena, Réunion, and Australia (Leeuwenberg, 1979; Conn & Brown, 1991). Flowering and fruiting throughout the year, most often from July to October. Plants grown from seeds (Beck 9281) in central Florida did not survive freezes of -7°C.

  • Common Names

    barbasco, calcao velho, calsas de velha, eslead de velha, tingui da praia, tupeiçaba, vassoura, vassourinha, verbasco do Brasil, Mbui ra caa, mbui’y’ra, basea china, cenisienta, hoja trapo, godolobo falso, matico, verbasco

  • Distribution

    Brazil South America| Alagoas Brazil South America| Bahia Brazil South America| Distrito Federal Brazil South America| Espirito Santo Brazil South America| Goiás Brazil South America| Guanabara Brazil South America| Minas Gerais Brazil South America| Paraná Brazil South America| Rio de Janeiro Brazil South America| Rio Grande do Sul Brazil South America| Santa Catarina Brazil South America| São Paulo Brazil South America| Bolivia South America| Chuquisaca Bolivia South America| Cochabamba Bolivia South America| Santa Cruz Bolivia South America| Tarija Bolivia South America| Paraguay South America| Central Paraguay South America| Concepción Paraguay South America| Guairá Paraguay South America| Presidente Hayes Paraguay South America| Paraguarí Paraguay South America| San Pedro Paraguay South America| Argentina South America| Buenos Aires Argentina South America| Chaco Argentina South America| Córdoba Argentina South America| Corrientes Argentina South America| Entre Ríos Argentina South America| Jujuy Argentina South America| Misiones Argentina South America| Salta Argentina South America| Santa Fé Argentina South America| Tucuman Argentina South America| Uruguay South America| Artìgas Uruguay South America| Paysandú Uruguay South America| Rio Negro Uruguay South America| Soriano Uruguay South America| Australia Oceania| Queensland Australia Oceania| Great Britain Europe|