Flora of Dominica, Part 2 - Smithsonian Institution Libraries

136
MAIPIGHIACUE
SMITHSOW CONTRIBUTIONS TO BOTANY
ica on the authority of Britton and Wilson (1924,5:438), who
cited “Antigua to Tobago.” This species is scattered in the
Antilles, but no specimens from Dominica have been seen.
Each samara has 4 oblong wings in an x-shape.
1. Vines (rarely shrubs); fruit with separate winged carpels
(SamaraS).
2. Leaf-blade eglanduk, samara thickest on outer (dorsal
or lower) margin, the thin margin facing in or up
....................... Heteropteris
2. Leaf-blade with glands at petiole apex or on either side
of midvein at the base; Samara thickest on inner (ventral
or upper) margin, the thin margin facing out or down
...................... Stigmaphyllon
1. Trees (often shrubs); fruit a leathery or fleshy berry or
drupe.
3. Styles united into 1 (sometimes branched near apex)
........................ Bunchosia
3. Styles 3, free to base.
4. Stigmas (styles) subulate; inflorescences terminal,
racemose .................
Byrsonima
4. Stigmas broad; inflorescences axillary, 1 -2-flowered
....................... Malpighia
Bunchosia L. Richard ex Kunth
This is the only genus of the family in the Antilles with
united styles. It needs revision.
Bunchosia polystachia
Buncharia polystachia (Andrews) A.P. Candolle, 1824,1:581.
Malpighia polystachia Andrews, 1810.
Bunchosia nit& sensu Niedenm in Engler, 1928, IV.141 (Heft 94:657, non
(Jaquin) A.P. Candolle [type from Colombia].
Bois masd.
Small tree to 7 m; leaves -15 cm x 6 cm, essentially
glabrous, acuminate at apex and cuneate (sometimes rounded)
at base, with two large, elongate glandular spots near the leaf
base at or near the midrib; inflorescences racemose, commonly
axillary; petals yellow; style divided into 2 branches near apex;
fruits pulpy to leathery, orange to dark reddish orange,
spheroid, 1 cm diameter, with 2 large seeds.
Antilles and Costa Rica; in interior forests of Dominica from
100-700 m: Deux Branches, La Chaudi5re (Hodge 3531,
3635), Laudat or above (Hodge 1989, Webster 13241),
Riversdale (Howard 11763), South Chiltern (Stern & Wusshausen
2528), S ylvania (Hodge 550), Syndicate (Wusshuusen
& Ayensu 353, Whitefoord 3646), Warner (Ernst 1960).
Flowering April-June, fruiting July- August.
There is one aberrant collection from Dominica (Ernst 2096)
from the dry woodlands of the Cabrits. This material (flowering
in mid-August) might be an ecological variant of the interior
spies, because its floral characters do not seem to differ and
it has the same oval glands near the midrib toward the base of
the leaves. However, the leaves are significantly smaller (-5 cm
x 2 cm) and obtuse to rounded at the apex. Indeed, the aspect of
the specimen is extremely similar to Bunchosia glundulosu
(Cavanilles) A.P. Candolle, attributed to Dominica by Grisebach
(1860:115) without citation of a collector. That species is
easily recognized by its dark brown connectives, which are not
exceeded by the anther locules, while the Ernst specimen
clearly has yellow connectives and locules 2x longer than the
connective (hanging down below the connective). I believe the
attribution of B. glundulosa to Dominica (and adjacent islands)
represents a misidentification of the small-leaved, dry woodland
ecological aspect of B. polystuchia. The athibution of
Bunchosia lindenianu Adr. Jussieu to Dominica by Grisebach
(1860:115), based on an Imray collection (not seen) is also
probably a misidentification, but of the large-leaved, interior
aspect of B. polystachia.
Byrsonima L. Richard ex Kunth
1. Petals yellow, yellowish orange or orange; leaves puberulent
below; connectives equaling the anther sacs, the
latter not apiculate ...............
B. spicata
1. Petals white, pink, or red; leaves glabrous below.
2. Shrub to 3 m; connectives equaling the anther sacs, the
latter not apiculate ..............
B. lucida
2. Tree to 12 m; connectives exceeding the anther sacs by
1.0-1.5 mm, the latter apiculate ..... B. h?‘nitensis
Byrsonima lucida
Byrsonima lucida (MiUer) A.P. Candolle, 1824, 1:580.-Niedenzu in Engler,
1928. IV.128 (Heft 94):709.-Little et al., 1974:366, pl. 419,4ilIis,
1974b394.
Malpighia lucida Miller, 1768.
Ma@ighia cuneata Turcminov, 1858:390.
Byrsonima cuneata (Turczaninov) Wilson, 1917:394.
Densely branching shrub 1-3 m; leaves narrowly obovate to
spatdate, 2-4(-5) cm long, glossy; petals white or pink,
turning red; mature fruit yellow.
Florida through Antilles; common in Dominica in xerophytic
woodlands below 100 m: Grand Savanne (Beard 243,
Ernst 1143, 2134, Hodge 3772, Nicolson 2045, Stern &
Wusshuusen 2449, Webster 13168, Wilbur 7628), Pointe
Baptiste (Hodge 3498), Sugar Loaf (Eggers 1084). Major
flowering April-May.
This small-leaved, white- to pink-flowered species can
hybridize with the large-leaved, yellow-flowered species, B.
spicatu, q.v.
Byrsonima spicata
Byrsonima spicata (Cavanilles) A.P. Candolle, 1824, 1:580.-Cuatrecasas,
1958:6U2.
Malpighia spicata CavanUes, 1789, 8:W, pl. 231.