Flora of Dominica, Part 2 - Smithsonian Institution Libraries

NUMBER 77 LYTHRACEAE-MAWIGHIACEAE 135
foord 5457) is C. hyssopifolia, said by Whitefoord (1989:146)
to be cultivated.
Cuphea melanium (Linnaeus) R. Brown ex Steudel was
attributed to Dominica in Graham’s treatment (in Howard,
1989, 5:434). The author advised me that this was an
inadvertent error for a species not otherwise occurring in the
Lesser Antilles. Two collections (Wilbur 7624 and 8060) were
distributed as C. melanium but are C. strigilosa.
Cuphea m’crantha Kunth was attributed to Dominica in
Graham’s treatment (in Howard, 1989, 5:435). While it is
possible that this species occurs in Dominica (known in
Guadeloupe and Martinique), it has not yet been documented.
VBlez (1957:103) attributed this species to Dominica but this
seems to rest on a misidentification of C. strigilosa (cf. Velez
3569 at US from Portsmouth).
Cuphea parsonsia (Linnaeus) R. Brown ex Steudel was
attributed to Dominica and Martinique in Graham’s treatment
(in Howard, 1989, 5:435). Two Dominica specimens (Wilbur
7463 and 7755) were distributed as C. parsonsia but are C.
carthagenensis. Adams (1972505) reported Dominica for C.
parsonsia but this is likely a lapsus for the Dominican Republic.
The Martinique record is based on a Plee collection that may
have been from Puerto Rico.
1. Stems with spreading glandular hairs 1.0-1.5 mm long;
hypanthium to 5 mm long, mouth contracted in fruit
..................... C. carthagenensis
1. Stems hirsute with appressed hairs to 0.5 mm long;
hypanthium 8 mm long, mouth remaining open in fruit
........................ C. strigulosa
Cuphea carthagenensis
Cuphea carthagenewis (Jaquin) Macbride, 1930:124.
Lythrum carthagenewe Jacquin, 176092.
Cuphea balsamona Chamisso & Schlechtendal, 1827:363.-Koehne in Engler,
1903, IV.216 (Heft 17):122.
Suffrutescent herb to 1 m; leaves scabrous above, tapered to
short petiole; hypanthium -5 mm, basally gibbous; petals
purple; stamens 11; seeds 3-6, flat, orbicular, with pale wing.
A neotropical weed (except Greater Antilles) now adventive
in Pacific; weedy herb of wet roadsides of Dominica, 60-820
m: Atkinson [Carib Reserve] (Hodge 3374), Cabrits (Whitefoord
5272), Delices (Whitefoord 3668), Hungry Hill (Whitefoord
4476), La Plaine (Nicolson 2067), Laudat to Freshwater
Lake (Burch 1382A, Hodge 1982, Wilbur 7463), Pont Casse
(Ernst 1191, Wilbur 7755), Portsmouth (Krauss 1674),
Syndicate Estate (DHN!).
Cuphea strigulosa
Cuphea srrigidosa Kunth, 1823,6:161 (folio); 1824,6:204 (quarto).-Koehne
in Engler, 1903, IV.216 (Heft 17):123.
Perennial small shrub to 4.5 dm, stems k decumbent; leaves
scabrous with stiff, appressed hairs; hypanthium to 1 cm long,
clearly spurred; petals purple; stamens 11; seeds usually 7 or
more (6-13), orbicular with a narrow wing.
Caribbean into South America but only Dominica in the
Lesser Antilles; common roadside weed in Dominica in dry
areas of the west coast to 500 m: Grand Savanne to St. Joseph
(Chambers 2803, Ernst 1703, Hodge 3778, Kimber 930,
Nicolson 1941, Stern & Wasshausen 2425, Webster 1351 70,
Whitefoord 4518, 5419, Wilbur 7621), Morne aux Diables
(Wilbur 8060), Portsmouth (Hodge 460, Velez 3569), Roseau
(StehlC 6333).
Koehne (lc, p. 124) cited Dominica specimens for Cuphea
strigulosa subsp. nitens Koehne and subsp. opaca Koehne. The
characteristics of these subspecies overlap in his descriptions.
Recent Dominica collections have scabrous leaves (supposedly
a characteristic of subsp. nitens but not subsp. opaca) and no
vesicles below the filaments (a characteristic of subsp. opaca,
while subsp. nitens supposedly has eight vesicles).
MAGNOLIACEAE
(by R. DeFilipps)
Michelia champaca Linnaeus, trees with flowers axillary and
carpels widely spaced on the axis, separating at maturity, is
native to India and cultivated in the Roseau Botanic Gardens
(Hodge 947).
Talauma dodecapetala
Talawna dodecapefala (Lamarck) Urban, 1918b306.-Howard, 1948:3S6.-
Stehlk, 1962a:318.
Annona dodecapetala Lamarck. 1786,2127.
Magnolia plumieri Swartz, 1788:87, nom. illeg.
Talawna plumieri A.P. Candolle, 1824, 1:81. nun. illeg.
Tdawna plumieri var. longifoh A.P. Candolle, 1824, 1:82.
Straight-boled timber tree to 40 m; leaves large, coriaceous;
stipule scars encircling the stem; flowers terminal; carpels
closely packed on the axis, inside a woody cover, which
irregularly separates at maturity, exposing the red seeds.
Guadeloupe to St. Vincent; in Dominica a common canopy
(difficult to collect) species in rainforest 500-800 m: Jean
(Nicolson 2160), Laudat (Hodge 2121), Morne Diablotins
(Nicolson 1964). Seeds ripening December-May.
MALPIGHIACEAE
This family has opposite leaves, often with conspicuous
paired glands on the leaves and calyx, medifixed hairs, and
clawed petals. I am grateful to Dr. William Anderson, who
commented on a draft and shared his typescript of this family
for Howard (1988,4596-633).
Galphimia gracilis Bartlhg is cultivated as a hedge around
the Forestry Office in Roseau Botanic Garden where I observed
it. It is yellow-flowered and the calyx, unlike the native genera,
is eglandular.
Tetrupteris inaequalis Cavanilles was attributed to Domin-