Flora of Dominica, Part 2 - Smithsonian Institution Libraries

NUMBER 77 RUBIACEAR 195
Antilles; occasional in Dominica, 500-700 m (or lower?):
Freshwater Lake area (Eggers 1103, Hodge 1813), Mome
Colla Anglais (Webster 13423), Soufriere (Lloyd 479, South
Chiltern (Hodge 1465), sine loc. (Imray s.n. at NY).
Similar to and easily confused with P. mupourioides A.P.
Candolle because (1) its distinctive calyx lobes are not
available on fruiting specimens, (2) its distinctive stipules are
often all lost, and (3) the character of long- vs. short-peduncle
may not be consistent. The Imray specimen here was
misidentified by Grisebach, as Rfloribunda, and by Urban, as
l? nitida.
Psychotria uliginosa
Psychotria uliginosa Swartz, 1788:43.Steyemark, 1972558.
Succulent shrub -1 m tall; stipules persistent, broad, and
rounded; inflorescences long-peduncled, axillary; flowers
white; fruits red, becoming black.
Neotropical; occasional to common in interior of Dominica,
450-900 m: Syndicate to Diablotins area (Nicolson 4085,
Wasshausen & Ayensu 346, Webster 13334, Whitefoord 4249,
central area from Jean through Glasham and NW Trois Pitons
to Sylvania (Cooper 30, Ernst 2051, Hodge 1170, Southwest
area from Laudat to South Chiltern (Cooper 150, Hodge 685,
691, 1443, 2066, 2260, Stern & Wasshausen 2520), sine loc.
Imray 173.
Remarkably similar to P. discolor but differing in inflorescence
and fruit color.
Psychotria urbaniana
Psychotria urbaniana Steyemark, 1972:671.
Cephaelis swartzii A.P. Candolle, 1830. 4534, not Psychotria swartzii Urban
[= P. glabrata Swartz, endemic to Jamaica].
Shrub to 3 m, woody at base; stipule teeth equal; midrib of
leaves glabrous below; inflorescence terminal, long-peduncle&
bracts blue to purple; flowers white, fruits blue.
Montserrat, Guadeloupe, Martinique; extremely common
herbaceous shrub in interior of Dominica, 300-1000 m:
Northwest area (Hodge 2621, 2821, 2842, 3601, Whirefoord
3604), East side (Hodge 8246), Pont Casse area (Chambers
2516, Cowan 1632, Ernst 1287, Fosberg 48294, Hodge 678,
679, 1071, 1383, 2990, 3973, Nicolson 1806, Skog 1565,
Webster 13224, Wilbur 7543, 7772, 8182), Freshwater Lake
area (Beard 1425, 1456, Eggers 525, Fosberg 48291, Hodge
1921, Lloyd 43, Smith 10219, Wilbur 7405), Southwest area
(Beard 1456, Cooper 44, Hodge 677,680,1665,2400, Stern &
Wasshausen 2513).
A mid-elevation species that is replaced at higher elevations
by Psychotria aubletiana.
Very similar to P: muscosa (Jacquin) Steyermark from
Guadeloupe into northern South America, which is expected in
Dominica. This species has short-peduncled inflorescences, 2
stipule teeth larger than the others, and the midrib puberulent
below along the midrib.
Randia Linnaeus
Two cultivated species, each with showy corollas 6-10 cm
long have been recorded from Dominica: (1) Randia formosa
(Jacquin) Schumann, presently called Rosenbergiodendron
formosum (Jacquin) Fagerlind, has elongate, needle-like calyx
teeth (Roseau Botanic Garden: Fairchild 2664, Hodge 913); (2)
Randia maculata A.P. Candolle, presently called Rothmannia
longiflora Salisbury, with a subtruncate calyx was mentioned
by Howard (1964, mss.) but no voucher has been seen.
Randia aculeata
Randia aculeata Linnaeus, 1753:1192.Standley in North her. Fl., 1934,
32:174.Steyemark, 1972:339.
Randia mitis Linnaeus, 1753: 1192.-Britton & Wilson,1925,623 1.
Randia aculeata var. mitis (Linnaeus) Grisebach, 1861:381.
Shrub or tree to 6 m, typically with 2 stipular spines at each
node; flowers terminal on lateral spurs; calyx k truncate with
tiny teeth; corolla white, densely pubescent in the throat.
Neotropics into northern South America; common in
Dominica along dry west coast, occasional in wetter areas:
Carib Reserve (Hodge 3296), Blenheim (Cooper 13I), Cabrits
(Nicolson 1892, Whitefoord 4041), Grand Savanna from
Gabriel to Mero (Chambers 2507, Ernst 1888, Stern &
Wasshausen 2446, Webster 131 77, Wilbur 8242), Hampstead
(Lloyd 669), Hatton Garden (Hodge 3062), South Chiltern
(Hodge 1632), Grand Bay (Ernst 1065), Rosalie Valley (Lloyd
71 8).
Most of our material has rather medium-sized leaves and fits
R. aculeata f. aculeata as defined by Steyermark (1972:341).
Plants from the driest localities have smaller leaves (R.
aculeata f. minor) and those from the wettest localities have
larger leaves (R. aculeata f. mitis).
Relbunium (Endlicher) J. Hooker
Relbunium guadalupense
Relbuniwn guadalupense (Sprengel) Urban, 1912, 7:416.--Ehrendorfer,
1955538.
Rubia guadalupensk Sprengel, 1825.1:397.
Galiwn hypocarpiwn sensu Grisebach, 1861:351, as to material from
Dominica, nm Endlicher.
Low scrambling herb; leaves 1 cm x 0.3 cm, 4-whorled:
fruits dicoccous, reddish orange, subtended by 4 free bracts.
Scattered in Lesser Antilles to British Guayana (teste
Ehrendorfer); on mountain summits of Dominica: Mome
Diablotins (Nicolson 4164).
Rondeletia Linnaeus
Rondeletia odorata, Jacquin, with subcordate, subsessile