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Margaritopsis C. Wright (Rubiaceae: Psychotrieae)Charlotte M. Taylor [webpage]
Margaritopsis C. Wright includes 27 neotropical species of shrubs found in wet,
seasonal, dry, and gallery forests from southern Mexico and the Antilles to Bolivia and
Paraguay, and at least 25 paleotropical species. Margaritopsis was originally named for three species found in dry forests in
Cuba and Hispaniola; M. acuifolia C. Wright is its type. Based on molecular data,
Andersson (2001, 2002) concluded that Margaritopsis should be expanded to include
the Pacific genus Readea Gillespie, the African genus Chazaliella E.M.A.
Petit & Verdc., the widespread neotropical species Psychotria microdon (DC.)
Urb., and the South American species that have been included in Psychotria sect.
Chytropsia (Bremek.) Steyerm. Margaritopsis has opposite leaves; raphides in its tissues; stems that are
usually flattened and longitudinally ridged on each side; persistent stipules that are
interpetiolar or united around the stem and truncate or with 1 or 2 linear lobes that are
sometimes glandular; subcapitate to usually laxly cymose terminal inflorescences, with or
without bracts; sessile or pedicellate, small, usually distylous flowers; white corollas
with five valvate lobes; bilocular ovaries with the basal ovules solitary in each locule;
rather small, red or orange, drupaceous fruits; and 2 unilocular pyrenes that are smooth or
ridged on the adaxial surface and smooth or with a longitudinal ridge ventrally (Taylor,
2005). The morphology of these plants has also been described and illustrated in detail by
Verdcourt (1974, 1977).
The key to species and list of names of neotropical Margaritopsis below is based
on the review by Taylor (2005). Andersson (2001) published the new combinations M.
membranacea (Gillespie) L. Andersson and M. abrupta (Hiern) L. Andersson for
the types of Readea and Chazaliella, respectively, but the paleotropical
species of this genus in its newly expanded circumscription have not been reviewed together
and new combinations in Margaritopsis remain to be published for most of them.
References
Key to Neotropical Species of Margaritopsis
1. Leaves ovate to
lanceolate, subsessile, mucronate or with
a spine at the apex; flowers
1 to 3; Cuba, Hispaniola. 2. Peduncles to 6 mm long.... M. lanceifolia 2. Peduncles 1--2 mm long. 3. Flowers solitary; corollas 1--2 mm long; Cuba... M.
acuifolia 3. Flowers 3; corollas ca. 3.5 mm long; Hispaniola....M. triflora 1. Leaves elliptic to lanceolate, oblanceolate, elliptic-oblong, narrowly elliptic, lanceolate, or obovate, petiolate
to subsessile, at apex entire;
flowers 1--numerous; throughout the Neotropics. 4. Inflorescences capitate to subcapitate. 5. Calyx limbs 2--5 mm long, truncate to shallowly lobed
with lobes obtuse to rounded. 6. Stipules united in a subtruncate to truncate sheath; fruits ca. 5 mm
long...M. deinocalyx 6. Stipules triangular to ligulate on each
interpetiolar side; fruits 10--25 mm long. 7. Fruits 17--25 mm long.... M. paupertina 7. Fruits 10--12 mm long.... M. podocephala 5. Calyx limbs 0.2--3.5 mm long or shorter,
truncate or denticulate to deeply lobed, if
2 mm long or longer then lobed
for 1/3 or more with the lobes
acute. 8. Inflorescences sessile, involucrate with the external bracts
small but clearly larger than the other
bracts and enclosing them and the flowers. 9. Involucral bracts several, obtuse to truncate; leaves
5--14 x 1.5--5 cm; Central America
to northern South America...M. kappleri 9. Involucral bracts 2, acute; leaves 1--5.5 x 0.5--3 cm; southeastern Brazil ...M. schuechiana 8. Inflorescences sessile to pedunculate, ebracteate or bracteate
but bracts not involucral, if external bracts
surround part of inflorescence then these similar to the other
bracts. 10.
Stipules truncate, denticulate, or bilobed but with
lobes less than 1 mm long and persistent. 11. Inflorescences with well developed peduncles 5--25 mm long....M. chaenotricha 11. Inflorescences sessile or subsessile with
peduncles to 3 mm long. 12. Flowers 1--2; leaves 0.8--2 mm wide....M. carrascoana 12. Flowers 5--numerous; leaves 10--70 mm wide. 13. Corolla tubes 3 mm long, corolla lobes with terminal
appendages ca. 0.2 mm long; widespread in Amazon basin to
eastern Brazil and Paraguay....M. cephalantha 13. Corolla tubes 2--2.5 mm long, corolla lobes with terminal
appendages 0.3--0.5 mm
long; Amazon basin and Guayana Highlands....M. pallidinervia 10.
Stipules with 1--several lobes 1--3 mm long, persistent or sometimes caducous. 14. Calyx lobes 1--3.5 mm long, usually spreading to reflexed;
Central America to northwestern Ecuador....M. haematocarpa 14. Calyx lobes 1 mm
long or less, usually ascending; South America. 15. Inflorescences capitate, in shape subglobose; Guianas...M. guianensis 15. Inflorescences capitate to subcapitate, in shape regularly to irregularly subglobose to patelliforme;
Central America through southern South America. 16. Calyx limb lobed
for 1/3--1/2 of its length; inflorescences
capitate; Surinam and northeastern Brazil.... M. wilhelmensis 16. Calyx limb lobed
shallowly or for up to 1/4 of
its length; inflorescences subcapitate to congested cymose. 17. Leaves oblanceolate; peduncles 1--5 mm long; western Amazon basin....M. nana 17. Leaves elliptic to elliptic-oblong;
peduncles 5--15 mm long; Amazon basin to
eastern Brazil and Paraguay. 18. Corolla tube 1--1.5 mm long; leaves 4--11 x 1--5 cm; Amazon basin
to eastern Brazil and Paraguay...M. chaenotricha 18. Corolla tube 4--5 mm long; leaves 1.5--7.5 x
0.5--2.5 cm; Paraguay ...M. hassleriana 4. Inflorescences branched with secondary axes developed. 19. Stipule lobes 0.5--3.5 mm long, persistent or caducous, if
less than 1 mm long then caducous. 20. Calyx limbs 0.5--0.6 mm long....M. albert-smithii 20. Calyx limbs 1--4 mm long (including lobes). 21. Leaves oblanceolate, shortly rounded to obtuse at
base....M. huallagae 21. Leaves elliptic to elliptic-oblong,
acute to cuneate at base. 22. Calyx limb lobed
for 1/3--1/2 of its length, lobes
narrowly triangular to
linear, acute; fruits 5--6
x 5--6 mm....M. haematocarpa 22. Calyx limb lobed
shallowly, for 1/4 of its length
or less, lobes triangular, obtuse to rounded; fruits
17--25 x 15--17 mm....M. paupertina 19. Stipule lobes less
than 1.5 mm long and persistent. 23. Leaves abaxially with pilosulous patches in the axils of the
secondary veins; plants of dry
and seasonal forests. 24. Leaves narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate
with the secondary veins prominent abaxially; calyx limbs 1--1.5 mm long; Cuba and Hispaniola....M. agustinae 24. Leaves oblanceolate to obovate or
elliptic-oblong with the secondary
veins plane to prominulous abaxially; calyx limbs 1.2--2 mm long; throughout the Antilles and in Mexico, Central America and northern South
America. 25. Inflorescences 5--several flowered; throughout the Antilles and
in Mexico, Central America and northern South
America....M. microdon 25. Inflorescences 2--3-flowered;
Cuba and Hispaniola....M.
nutans 23. Leaves abaxially without pilosulous patches in the axils of the
secondary veins; plants of seasonal
to moist and wet forests. 26.
Inflorescences pyramidal, with the primary
axis longer and more branched than the secondary
axes. 27. At least some
flowers sessile....M.
boliviana 27. Flowers all pedicellate....M.
cymuligera 26.
Inflorescences corymbiform,
with the secondary axes as well as or better
developed than the primary axis. 28.
Pyrenes unridged or with shallow,
rounded to acute, longitudinal ridges separated by a smooth to finely rugulose
surface. 29. Flowers pedicellate; Nicaragua to northeastern Colombia...M. impatiens 29. Flowers sessile; southeastern Brazil and Paraguay...M. chaenotricha 28.
Pyrenes with well developed, rounded, longitudinal ridges and the surface
otherwise smooth; northern South America. 30. Inflorescences with branched portion 1--3.5 x 1.5--4 cm, the primary
axis well developed...M. astrellantha 30. Inflorescences with branched portion 0.5--1 x
1.2--3.5 cm, the primary axis shorter
than the secondary axes....M.
inconspicua List of Names and Synonyms of Margaritopsis
Accepted names are presented in bold; synonymous names appear with an equals sign.
Further information on these names can be found in the TROPICOS database
[http://www.tropicos.org/].
Carapichea kappleri Miq. = Margaritopsis kappleri Chytropsia Bremek. = Margaritopsis C. Wright
Mapouria aemulans Muell. Arg. = Margaritopsis chaenotricha
Margaritopsis acuifolia C. Wright, Cuba
Psychotria sect. Chytropsia (Bremek.) Steyerm. = Margaritopsis
Rondeletia microdon DC. = Margaritopsis microdon
Rudgea hassleriana Chodat = Margaritopsis hassleriana
Uragoga kappleri (Miq.) Pulle = Margaritopsis kappleri
Text and Images, unless otherwise indicated, Copyright © by
Charlotte M. Taylor. All rights reserved.
This page was revised on April 8, 2008.
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