Psychotria salticola A.C.Sm.
-
Authority
Smith, Albert C. 1967. Studies of Pacific Island plants, XVIII. New and noteworthy flowering plants from Fiji. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 37: 69-106.
-
Family
Rubiaceae
-
Scientific Name
-
Type
Type in the U.S. National Herbarium, Nos. 2191239 and 2191240, collected in dense forest in the hills bordering Wainavindrau Creek, in the vicinity of Wainimakutu, Namosi Province, Viti Levu, Fiji, alt. 150-250 m., September 17, 1953, by A. C. Smith (No. 8550). Duplicates at Bish, etc.
-
Description
Deprecated: mb_convert_encoding(): Handling HTML entities via mbstring is deprecated; use htmlspecialchars, htmlentities, or mb_encode_numericentity/mb_decode_numericentity instead in /home/emu/nybgweb/www-dev/htdocs/science-dev/wp-content/themes/nybgscience/lib/VHMonographsDetails.php on line 179
Latin Diagnosis - Arbor vel frutex 4-8 m. altus inflorescentia excepta glaber, ramulis subteretibus internodiis distalibus subcomplanatis; stipulis conspicuis papyraceis ellipticis, eis inflorescentiam juvenilem obtegentibus ad 3 cm. longis et 1.5 cm. latis in vaginam latam inferne connatis, supernehbens manifeste nervatis conspicue bifidis, lobis oblongo-deltoideis 4-8 mm. longis latisque apice obtusis; petiolis gracilibus semiteretibus 2-4 cm. longis, laminis foliorum chartaceis in sicco fusco-viridibus copiose glanduloso-punetatis, anguste ellipticis, (12-) 15-24 cm. longis, (3.5-) 5.5-10 cm. latis, basi acutis et in petiolum longe decurrentibus, apice in acuminem brevem ad 1 cm. longum obtuse cuspidatis, costa supra elevata subtus prominente, nervis secundariis utrinsecus 11-14 erecto-patentibus arcuatis supra subplanis subtus valde elevatis rete venularum subimmerso vel subtus subprominulo; inflorescentia terminali compacta multiflora e basi 3-5-divisa sub anthesi ad 4 cm. longa, ramulis gracilibus 2- vel 3-plo divisis et pedicellis hirtellis (pilis palhdis vel rubiginosis patentibus 0.1-0.2 mm. longis 2-4-cellularibus), bracteis bracteolisque inconspicuis oblongo-lanceolatis 0.5-1 mm. longis superne fimbriatis; floribus plerumque trinis, pedicellis gracilibus sub anthesi 2-4 mm. longis interdum glabris; calyce anguste cupuliformi vel subfusiformi sub anthesi 3.5-5 mm. longo hypanthio obconico 1-1.5 mm. longo parce hirtello vel glabro, limbo erecto subcarnoso 2.5-3.5 mm. longo apice 2.5-3 mm. diametro utrinque glabro margine pilis ut eis pedicelli conspicue fimbriato, 4-6-denticulato vel lobato, lobis minutis vel interdum semiorbicularibus ad 0.5 mm. longis; corolla subcarnosa cylindrico-infundibuliformi sub anthesi ad 12 mm. longa, extus copiose (vel tantiim apice) pilis 0.1-0.3 mm. longis 2-5-cellularibus hirtella, intus medium versus pilis brevioribus saepe unicellularibus barbellata, lobis 4-6 oblongis 2-2.5 mm. longis obtusis; staminibus 4-6, filamentis minutis, antheris oblongis 1.6-1.8 mm. longis utroque obtusis; disco annulari-pulvinato glabro ad 0.8 mm. alto; stylo gracili corollam subaequante apice bifido; inflorescentiae ramulis sub fructu ad 6 cm. longis et pedicellis ad 12 mm. longis, fructibus juvenilibus ellipsoideis calycis limbo erecto coronatis.
-
Discussion
Field notes indicate the plant as a tree or shrub 4-8 m. high, with the inflorescence branches, pedicels, and calyx pink or dull pink and the corolla white. The two collections here referred are not identical, but they agree so closely that they must be considered conspecific; the above description is inclusive. The type has the inflorescence parts obviously pilose, whereas No. 8491 has the inflorescence branches and pedicels only sparingly so and the corolla (in young bud) glabrous except at apex; the latter collection also has the calyx limb with obvious lobes, whereas that of the type is only minutely denticulate. The new species is most closely allied to P. brackenridgei A. Gray, a fairly variable species that is known from many collections and several islands, with which it has in common large, glabrous, prevailingly elliptic leaf blades, bifid stipules with broad, obtuse lobes, an inflorescence branching from the base, and a fairly obvious inflorescence indument composed of several-celled, often reddish hairs. Psychotria brackenridgei, however, has the calyx limb erecto-patent, comparatively short (seldom exceeding 1 mm. in length), and copiously pilose on both sides, whereas in P. salticola the calyx limb is erect, longer (2.5-3.5 mm. long), and glabrous except for the fimbriate margin. In general aspect P. salticola also suggests P. broweri Seem., but that species has a strictly glabrous inflorescence and a short calyx limb (0.5-0.8 mm. long).