Flora of Dominica, Part 2 - Smithsonian Institution Libraries

NUMBER 77 A.STERACEA+BAUAMINACEAE 47
Widespread weed, sometimes used as groundcover; usually
in damp places of Dominica from strand to 500 m: Bellevue
(Taylor 22), Carib Reserve (Hodge 3339), beach near Castle
Bruce (Wilbur 7983), Hatton Garden beach (Hodge 3064), La
Plaine (King 6371), Lisdara (Hodge 744), Morne Daniel
(Kimber 1081), Pagua Bay (Chambers 2627, Wilbur 7531),
Pont Casst5 (King 6356), Portsmouth (Hodge 742, Solheim
5629), Rosalie (Ernst 1353), Roseau (Hodge 743), Soufribre
(Lloyd 403), S ylvania (Hodge 3829), Syndicate (Whitefoord
3605).
Caribs are reported to use the leaves as a poultice (Hodge and
Taylor, 1957:616). Adjanohoun et al. (1985:93, pl. 60) reported
several medicinal usages.
Wulffia Necker ex Cassini
WuFffia baccata
Wdffi hccara (Linnaeus f.) Kuntze. 1891,1:373.4. Schulzin Urban, 1911,
7:91.--Domin, 193Od:73.
Coreojasis hccata hams
f., 1782:380.
Wdffi stenoglossa A.P. Candolle, 1836,5:363.4risebach, 1861:372.
Wdffi havanensis sensu Grisebach. 1861:373, non A.P. Candolle.
Large subshrub, sometimes scrambling; leaves opposite,
serrate-dentate, 3-veined above base; heads 1-3, terminal,
radiate, with bracts in 2-3 series; receptacle with pales below
fertile (disk) florets and exceeding florets and achenes; florets
yellow to orange; achene without pappus, fleshy at maturity.
Lesser Antilles into northern South America; occasional
weed in Dominica: Baiac (Whitefoord 3823, Bellevue (King
6314), Freshwater Lake (Gillis 8187), Grand Bay (Cooper 55,
Ernst 1610, Eggers 699), Laudat (Lloyd 243), Lisdara (Hodge
760, 762), Morne Colla Anglais (Webster 13413), Ridgefield
(Hodge 2180), Sylvania (Hodge 759, 761,3828).
Xanthium Linnaeus
Xanthium strumarium
Xanthiwn strumariwn Linnaeus, 1753:987.
Xanthiwn chinense MiUer, 1768.--Domin, 193Od:60
Cocklebur.
Coarse herb; leaves alternate, pedately veined, 3-5-lobed;
corymbs with pistillate flowers near base, upper heads
staminate; pistillate receptacle with pales subtending florets;
fruits enclosed by woody involucre with hooked spines.
Widespread weed; rarely collected on Dominica, the fist
collection claimed by Domin (193Od:60): Carib Reserve
(Hodge 3295).
This genus is sometimes split into many species. Xanthium
chinense Miller, Xanthium echinatum Murray, Xanthium
occidentale Bertoloni, and Xanthium orientale Linnaeus are
often used on Antillean material but a broad species concept is
used here.
Youngia Cassini
(by K. Chambers)
Youngia japonica
Youngio japonica (Linnaeus) A.P. Candolle. 1838, 7:194.-Babcock
Stebbins, 1937:94.
Premnhesjajwnico Linnaeus, 1767b:lW.
Crepisjaponica (Linnaeus) Bentham, 1861a:194.
Erect annual herbs with milky sap: leaves mostly basal,
lyrate-pinnatifid with large terminal lobe; inflorescence scapose,
paniculate; heads small, ligulate; involucre in 2 series,
outer small and inner equaling florets; florets yellow, outer
ones reddish-tinged, ligulate and 5-toothed, all fertile; achenes
with pappus of white hairs.
Widespread weed of tropical and subtropical regions, native
to eastern Asia; often on banks near ditches at middle
elevations of Dominica: Jean (Erst 1816), Pont CassC
(Chambers 2718), Sylvania (Hodge 440[?], 769, 2502),
Syndicate (Whitefoord 3657), Trafalgar Falls road (Whitefoord
4639).
B ALANOPHORACEAE
Helosis cayennensis
Helaris cayennensis (Swam) Sprengel, 1826, 3:765.-Howard,
Hansen, 1980:35.
Cynomoriwn cayennense Swam, 1797:13, "cayenense."
1959b81.-
Rhizomatous, achlorophyllous, leafless root-parasite; erect
portion of plant to 5 cm, with globoid or ellipsoid monoecious
capitulum of florets, each subtended by a ring of hairs; male
florets with 3-lobed tepals, females with 2 styles.
Cuba, Martinique, St. Lucia, Trinidad, northern South
America; in Dominica in montane rainforest at 600-1OOO m:
Morne Anglais (Fennah 24), Laurent River near Morne Negres
Marrons (Hodge 1206).
Hansen calls our H. cayennesis var. mexicana (Liebmann)
Hansen but the varietal epithet andicola appears to have
priority.
B ALSAMINACEAE
(by R. DeFilipps)
Impatiens balsamina
Impatiens hlsomina Linnaeus, 1753:938.
Garden balsam.
Succulent herb; leaves serrate, alternate; flowers showy,
magenta; capsules tomentose.
Native of Southeast Asia, widely cultivated as an ornamental;
escaping in Dominica on cleared land: Sylvania (Hodge
459), roadside at Bomes (DHN!, flowering June).
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