Serjania squarrosa Radlk.

Authority

Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro. 1993. Systematics of Serjania (Sapindaceae) Part I: A Revision of Serjania Sect. Platycoccus. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 67: 1-91.

Family

Sapindaceae

Scientific Name

Serjania squarrosa Radlk.

Type

Type. Peru. Locality unknown, 1839-1840 (fl, fr). Gay s.n. (lectotype, P, here designated; isotype P, M ; photos at B, G H , M, MO, NY from P).

Description

Species Description - Woody vine 2 m long. Stems slender (to 1 cm in diam.), subterete or angular, with 5 prominent ribs, glabrescent, young stems densely ferruginous; cross section of stem with central, subterete, large stele and (1-)2-3 peripheral, smaller, subterete steles, these slightly included in central stele. Stipules oblong, obtuse, ca. 2 mm long. Leaves 4-5-jugate, lower jugae compound, or bipinnate; petiole margined, adaxially tomentose, 1-2.5(-4) cm long; rachises winged, adaxially tomentose, the main rachis 4-6.5 cm long; leaflets chartaceous to coriaceous, with acute, mucronate apex, the terminal leaflets subrhombic, deltoid, lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate, or trilobate, (0.7-)1-3.5 (-5.5) X 0.6-2(-3) cm, long attenuate or cuneate at base, the lateral leaflets ovate, oblong or lanceolate 1-2(-4) X 0.5-1.5 cm, obtuse and oblique at base, sessile or shortly petiolulate, both surfaces glabrous or sparsely covered witii minute (0.1-0.6 mm long), whitish haiis with swollen bases, the margins remotely serrate above middle, the teeth obtuse and glandular, the veins mixed craspedodromus, the primary and secondary veins slightly prominent on lower surface, higher order of veins dark, forming a conspicuous network. Inflorescence axillary, longer than subtending leaf; axis angular, sparsely covered with minute (0.2 mm long), whitish hairs; rachis angular and slightly striate, densely covered with same indument as axis; bracts and bracteoles subulate, with glandular hairs on margins, the bracts ca. 2.5 mm long, the bracteoles 0.7 mm long; cincinni altemate, 0.2-2.5 cm long, with same indument as rachis, 5-7-flowered; pedicels 4-5 mm long, articulate close to middle, with same indument as cincinnus or glabrous. Flowers with sepals obtuse at apex, lineolate on abaxial surface, glabrous or densely covered with woolly, yellowish hairs, the outer sepals 2-3.2 mm long, oblong-ovate, the inner sepals 3-5 mm long, obovate, third and fifth sepals free; petals 4-5.5 mm long, spatulate or obovate, sparsely or densely covered with minute papillae on adaxial surface, lineolate on abaxial surface, the apex rounded; appendages of central petals ca. 4 mm long, hood-shaped, with fleshy, crown-shaped apex and ciliate margins, the appendages of lateral petals 3 mm long, with slightiy fleshy, elongated apex and ciliate margins; disk with two central glands, ca, 1 mm long, ovate in outline, with obtuse apex, the lateral glands usually reduced; torus reduced; filaments sparsely covered with white, inflexed hairs, the anthers ellipsoid, ca. 0.4 mm long; ovary obovate in outline, glabrous to densely tomentose, the hairs yellowish or whitish, the style longer than stigma. Fruits 1.7-2.1 cm long, ovate in outline, glabrous or sparsely covered with yellowish or whitish hairs, the base subcordate, the apex slightly retuse; locules flattened, with slightly prominent veins; wings slightiy constricted below the locule. Seeds flattened, lenticular, light brown, 5 mm long; embryo with biplicate adaxial and curved abaxial cotyledons.

Distribution and Ecology - Distribution and Phenology. Serjania squarrosa is a high elevation (1200-3200 m ) species endemic to Pem (Fig. 41). It has been collected in the departments of Apurimac, Ayacucho, Cuzco, and Puno, from gallery forests and open areas such as rocky hillsides, dry slopes, and roadsides. It flowers from December to May and fruits from January to June.

Discussion

Serjania platypetala Radlkofer, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 54: 42. 1916. Type. Peru. Ayacucho, rocky slopes between shrubs, 3000-3200 m. May 1910 (fl, fr), Weberbauer 5506 (holotype, B, destroyed; lectotype, US, here designated; isotypes, F, GH, NY). Serjania squarrosa is a very distinct species not obviously related to any other species of S. sect. Platycoccus. The cladistic analysis for the species of S. sect. Platycoccus suggests that S. squarrosa may not belong to it. However, S. squarrosa is better kept in S. sect. Platycoccus until more is known about other sections of Serjania.