Cybianthus parasiticus (Sw.) Pipoly

Authority

Pipoly III, John J. 1987. A systematic revision of the genus Cybianthus subgenus Grammadenia (Myrsinaceae). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 43: 1-75.

Family

Myrsinaceae

Scientific Name

Cybianthus parasiticus (Sw.) Pipoly

Description

Species Description - Epiphytic shrub to 3 m tall. Branchlets terete, (2.0-)2.5-3.0(-3.5) mm thick, smooth, glabrous. Leaves membranaceous, asymmetrical, oblanceolate, (3.5-)4.0-9.0 X (0.5-)0.9-1.5(-1.7)cm, long-acuminate, glabrous, conspicuously black punctate and punctate-lineate below, the margins, entire, flat. Inflorescence lax, the rachis prominently punctate-lineate, glandular-papillate, 2.5-4.0 cm long; floral bracts very narrowly lanceolate, 0.9-1.2 x 0.3-0.5 mm, acute, densely and prominently punctate-lineate, the margins entire, glandular-papillate, glabrescent. Flowers membranous, 4-5-merous; calyx lobes deltate to ovate,(0.8-)1.0-1.2 x 0.9-1.2 mm, acute to acuminate, prominently punctate-lineate, the margins regular, entire, glabrous; corolla (1.4-)1.6-1.8 mm long, the lobes vride ovate, 0.8-1.2 x 0.8-1.4 mm, mgose and prominently punctatelineate medially, glabrous, the margins regular, entire; staminal tube membranous, 0.6-0.7 mm long, not lobate, subtruncate btween the anthers, the anthers subsessile, on apically free filaments 0.1-0.3 mm long, quadrate, (0.3-)0.4 x 0.4(-0.5) mm, emarginate, prominently black punctate dorsally; pistil obnapiform, 1.1-1.3 mm long and (0.7-) 1.1-1.2 mm diam., the ovary 0.8-1.0 mm long, densely translucent-lepidote, ovules two, uniseriate, the style (0.2-)0.3-0.4 mm long, prominently black punctate-lineate. Fruit depressed- globose, 2.0(-3.0) mm long and 2.0(-3.0) mm diam. when dried, black at maturity, the punctations prominent.

Discussion

Ardisia parasitica Swartz, Prodr. 48. 1788. Anguillaria parasitica (Swartz) Poiret, Encyl. Meth. 7:687.1806. Grammadenia parasitica (Swartz) Grisebach, R. Brit. West-Ind. Isl. 393. 1861. Type. Dominica. Without date (fr), Andersson s.n. (lectotype here designated, BM; fragment, S). Grammadenia epiphytica Pax in Engler et Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. IV, 1: 92. 1889. nom. nud. Published as a transfer, the basionym wrongly attributed to Grisebach. Cybianthus parasiticus is most closely related to the vicariant C magnus of the Andes and Serrania de Tummiquire, coastal Venezuela. Synapomorphies include the medially rugose, chartaceous corolla and membranous staminal tube. Cybianthus parasiticus is easily separated from C magnus by the membranaceous (not chartaceous) leaves, entire and glabrous (not erose and glandular-ciliate) sepals, and parenchymatous (not collenchymatous) pith and outer cortex. The distribution of C. parasiticus and its nearest relative, C. magnus, is most interesting when compared to the work of Malfait and Dinkleman (1972), Rosen (1975), and Coney (1982). These analyses of Caribbean tectonic evolution by vicariance have particular relevance when viewed in light of the subspecific events evident in C. magnus. In analysis of present-day biogeographic distributions it is important to recall that C. magnus subsp. asymmetricus has a definite correlation with postulated Pleistocene refuges linked with both the Choco floristic province, whose northern limit is the area of Cerro Pirre, in the Darien of Panama (coincidentally the northern limit of the subspecies), and the area of biological South America which was in contact with the Proto-Antilles, sensu Rosen (1975). In addition, corresponding sister species exist, such as Cybianthus perpuncticulosus (Lundell) Pipoly et Lundell, knov^ni from the Choco and Cerro Tacarcuna, Panama, most closely related to Cybianthus antillanus (Mez) Agostini, endemic, as is C. parasiticus, to the Lesser Antilles. It is also interesting to note that the islands north of the parent Aves Ridge (Rosen, 1975) are devoid of any member of the genus Cybianthus, with the exception of Puerto Rico, where C. sintenesii is endemic to the Luquillo Mountains, and Nevis, which has C parasiticus. Cybianthus sintenesii is a member of the monotypic subgenus Cybianthopsis, closely related to, and once thought a part of what is now considered subgenus Grammadenia. Given the current dearth of information regarding the flora of Serrania de Turumiquire, it is not possible to fully resolve this biogeographical problem with respect to C parasiticus and C magnus. It is to be hoped that more data on the other subgenera, particularly those which have Caribbean members, will aid in resolution of the problem.

Distribution

Distribution. Cybianthus parasiticus is known only from the islands of Nevis, Guadeloupe, Dominica, and St. Vincent, West Indies, in mossy forests from 330 to 1000 m.

Saint Kitts and Nevis South America| Guadeloupe South America| Dominica South America| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines South America|