Dichorisandra conglomerata Aona & M.C.E.Amaral

Aona, L.Y.S., Faden, R.B. & Amaral, M..C.E. Kew Bull (2011) 66: 479. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-011-9308-6

Morphology General Habit

Erect, unbranched herb, 1 – 1.5 m tall

Morphology Stem

Stem 1 – 2 cm diam- at base, 0.5 cm diam- at apex, glabrous or with sparse trichomes; internodes 11 – 21 cm long at base, distally shorter

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, mainly crowded at the apex, sheaths c- 1.5 cm long, becoming smaller from the base upwards, puberulous, with short trichomes, 0.2 – 0.5 mm long, whitish, margin ciliate; petiole c- 1 cm long to nearly absent; leaf blades elliptic to lanceolate, 21 – 24 × 4 – 6.8 cm, symmetric at base, acuminate at the apex, glabrous on both faces and the margin, strongly discolorous, greenish above, dark green to purplish beneath

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence terminal, erect, basal bract leaf-like; peduncle 1, rarely 2, 1 – 1.5 cm long, glabrous to slightly pubescent, trichomes c- 1 mm long, white; cincinnus pedunculate, peduncle 2 – 5 mm long, glabrous or with short sparse trichomes, cincinni 29 – 40, congested, with 7 – 10 flowers each; bracts linear, 10 – 15 × 2 mm, becoming smaller towards the apex, adpressed to the cincinnus, scarious, margin ciliate, bracteoles 2 × 3 mm, scarious, persistent or deciduous, glabrous on both sides, with stiff apical hairs, margin glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers either bisexual or male, the androecium slightly zygomorphic, 1.7 – 2 cm in diam., pedicel c- 1 mm long, green, glabrous; floral buds ovate, c- 6 × 3 mm; sepals ovate, 8 × 4 – 4.5 mm, greenish, glabrous or rarely with short sparse trichomes, superior sepal larger than the others, innermost sepal with broad, hyaline margins; petals obovate, 10 – 11 × 5 – 9 mm, apical two-thirds purplish, proximal third whitish; stamens 5, unequal, directed towards the centre of the flower, staminode reduced, c- 4 mm long or filiform, 0.5 – 1 mm long, superior lateral stamens slightly shorter than the others; filaments 1 – 1.5 mm long, curved, the other filaments 2 mm long, anthers 3.5 – 4.5 mm long, whitish with blue apex, introrsely rimose (functionally poricidal), base sagittate; ovary 1.5 – 2 × 1.5 mm, with 8 ovules per locule, greenish, glabrous, smooth; style 5 – 6.5 mm long, apex blue, erect, stigma truncated

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit unknown.

Distribution

Brazil: this species is apparently restricted to the south of Bahia state

Ecology

Occurs in the Atlantic moist Forest.

Conservation

Vulnerable (VU D2; IUCN 2001). In Bahia it occurs inside the Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural (RPPN), Serra do Teimoso.

Phenology

Flowering in April, September, November and December according to examined material and in October to March in cultivation.

Note

Dichorisandra conglomerata resembles D. densifloraUle in its completely glabrous leaf blades, apical, erect inflorescences (Fig. 2E), the number of cincinni in the inflorescence and the number of flowers per cincinnus, although D. conglomerata possesses a smaller number of flowers compared with D. densiflora (7 – 10 flowers vs (5 –) 16 – 18 flowers in D. densiflora). The epithet conglomerata refers to the flowers densely disposed in the inflorescence. Dichorisandra conglomerata also differs from D. densiflora in its 5-staminate flowers with rimose anthers; D. densiflora presents 6-staminate flowers and anthers with poricidal dehiscence (2 pores). Another interesting feature is the distribution of D. densiflora which occurs only in the Brazilian and Peruvian Amazon.