Dorstenia brasiliensis Lam.

  • Authority

    Berg, Cornelius C. 2001. Moreae, Artocarpeae, and (Moraceae): With introductions to the family and and with additions and corrections to Flora Neotropica Monograph 7. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 83: 1-346. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Moraceae

  • Scientific Name

    Dorstenia brasiliensis Lam.

  • Type

    Type. Uruguay. Montevideo, Commerson s.n. (holotype, P; isotypes, G, MPU).

  • Synonyms

    Dorstenia tubicina Ruiz & Pav., Dorstenia pernambucana Arruda, Dorstenia infundibuliformis Lodd., Dorstenia montevidensis Fielding & Gardner, Dorstenia tomentosa Fisch. & C.A.Mey., Dorstenia brasiliensis var. tomentosa (Fisch. & C.A.Mey.) Hassl., Dorstenia brasiliensis var. major Chodat, Dorstenia tubicina f. typica Hassl., Dorstenia montana Herzog, Dorstenia brasiliensis var. palustris Hassl., Dorstenia tubicina var. opifera (Mart.) Hassl., Dorstenia brasiliensis var. guaranitica Chodat, Dorstenia brasiliensis f. balansae Chodat, Dorstenia sabanensis Cuatrec., Dorstenia heringeri Carauta & C.Valente, Dorstenia schulzii Carauta, C.Valente & D.S.D.Araujo, Dorstenia amazonica Carauta, C.Valente & O.M.Barth, Dorstenia brasiliensis var. tubicina Chodat

  • Description

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    Species Description - Herb, with the stem subterranean, (l-)4-15 mm thick, often (at least partly) ± tuberous; mostly all internodes short. Leaves in spirals, rosulate; lamina elliptic to oblong to suborbicular to (sub)obovate to (sub)ovate or to lanceolate, 1.5-18 × 1-7 cm, coriaceous to membranaceous; apex rounded to emarginate to obtuse to acute or to acuminate; base cordate to truncate to obtuse; margin ± irregularly crenate (to faintly lobate); upper surface scabrous to smooth, with (sometimes sparse), minute, conical hairs, also hirtellous or strigillose to strigose, only strigose to strigillose, or subglabrous; lower surface at least on the veins puberulous to hirtellous or to subtomentellous, mainly with straight hairs; venation pinnate; lateral veins 6-14 pairs, usually running after branching (1-2 times) almost straight into the margin, terminating in ± conspicuous hydathodes, sometimes faintly loop-connected; petiole (0.5-)1-9(-17) cm long, puberulous to hirtellous with straight or often also with uncinate hairs; stipules triangular, 0.2-0.7 cm long, coriaceous, uninervate, ± distinctly carinate, with sparse hairs mainly on the margin. Inflorescences green or the flowering face purplish; peduncle (0.5-)1-12 cm long, puberulous to hirtellous; receptacle centrally to slightly eccentrically attached, discoid to broadly turbinate to ± cup-shaped, orbicular in outline, 0.5-3 cm diam., the outside puberulous to hirtellous, the margin usually entire, sometimes ± crenate, occasionally sublobate, the fringe (almost) lacking; bracts in 1-2 rows on the margin or sometimes with several rows, partly below the margin, appressed, broadly ovate, 0.2-1 mm long, minutely puberulous to glabrous; staminate flowers among the pistillate ones; tepals 2; stamens 2; filaments longer than the perianth; stigmas unequal or equal in length, 0.2-0.5 mm long. Endocarp body ca. 1.5 × 2 mm, tuberculate.

  • Discussion

    Collections marked with * belong to the form described as Dorstenia heringeri, and those marked with % belong to the form described as D. schulzii (see below). In the present concept D. brasiliensis is a polymorphic species and also the most widespread in South America. In the southern part of its area (Argentina, Uruguay, and southern Brazil) the species is represented by specimens with thick (coriaceous to subcoriaceous), broadly elliptic to ovate leaves with on the upper surface mostly only dense, minute, conical hairs. In the northern part of the area (Venezuela, Trinidad, French Guiana, the Amazon Basin, and northeastern Brazil) the species is represented by specimens with thin (thinly chartaceous), mostly oblong to subobovate leaves with mostly rather long appressed hairs on the upper surface. In the central part of the area (central Brazil, Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay) most of the specimens are more or less intermediate in leaf characters. In this central part of the area many specimens have leaves with an obtuse to subacute apex, a feature occasionally found in specimens of the northern and southern parts of the area. The variation in leaf characters is more or less distinctly clinal.

    Although the northern and southern forms are quite distinct, the lack of discontinuities in the variation renders recognition of intraspecific taxa almost impossible. However, within Dorstenia brasiliensis two rather distinct forms occur. One of them is found in central Brazil and has been described as D. heringeri. It has many rows of bracts below the margin of the receptacle, while the receptacle normally bears ca. two rows of (sub)marginal bracts, occasionally to five rows. Another form is found in northern Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, and southern Mato Grosso. It has been described as D. schulzii and is distinct in the rather thin, variegated leaves. Considering the considerable variation within the species it seems hardly justified to give formal recognition to these two forms by treating them as varieties.

    for other, more common vernacular names see the generic treatment of Dorstenia, above.

  • Common Names

    tusilla, sapirana, eré

  • Distribution

    From northern Argentina and Uruguay to Bolivia, Peru (Huánuco, San Martín), Colombia (Meta), Venezuela, Trinidad, Guyana, and French Guiana; in cerrado and savanna vegetation, in relatively moist places, often in rocky places and along streams or streamlets; to 1500 m, in Bolivia to 2800 m.

    Colombia South America| Meta Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Apure Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Carabobo Venezuela South America| Guárico Venezuela South America| Monagas Venezuela South America| Trinidad and Tobago South America| Guyana South America| French Guiana South America| Peru South America| San Martín Peru South America| Brazil South America| Amapá Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Bahia Brazil South America| Ceará Brazil South America| Distrito Federal Brazil South America| Goiás Brazil South America| Maranhão Brazil South America| Mato Grosso Brazil South America| Minas Gerais Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Paraná Brazil South America| Pernambuco Brazil South America| Piauí Brazil South America| Roraima Brazil South America| Rio Grande do Sul Brazil South America| São Paulo Brazil South America| Bolivia South America| Beni Bolivia South America| La Paz Bolivia South America| Cochabamba Bolivia South America| Santa Cruz Bolivia South America| Tarija Bolivia South America| Paraguay South America| Argentina South America| Chaco Argentina South America| Corrientes Argentina South America| Entre Ríos Argentina South America| Formosa Argentina South America| Misiones Argentina South America| Uruguay South America|