Paullinia anomophylla
Content
Description
Woody vine, ca. 2 m long. Stems terete to trigonous, glabrous, smooth, slightly striate, not producing milky sap; cross section with a single vascular cylinder. Stipules deltoid, minute. Leaves trifoliolate; petiolules pulvinate, glabrous, the lateral ones 0.5-1.5 cm long, the distal one 2-4 cm long; petioles glabrous, terete, unwinged, 3.5-11 cm long; leaflets chartaceous, glabrous, elliptic or oblong-ovate, 8-16 × 3.6-8.4 cm, the base acute to obtuse, the apex cuspidate, the margins crenate to repando-dentate; tertiary veins reticulate, inconspicuous. Known to me only from sterile material, description of inflorescence and flower follows Radlkofer’s original description. Thyrses axillary, racemiform, subsessile; cincinni sessile, with numerous flowers. Outer sepals ovate, ½ the length of inner sepals; petals oblong, ca. 3 mm long; appendage ⅔ as long as the petals, stamens with pilose filaments; ovary tomentose. Capsules and seeds unknown.
Distribution
French Guiana present, Southern America
Known from Brazil (northern?) and French Guiana.
Notes
The record of this species for the Guianas is based on a sterile collection which best fits the description of Paullinia anomophylla more than any other known species. The terete stem of this collection however, differs from the type collection, which has trigonous stems. The description here provided was taken directly from Radlkofer’s treatment of Paullinia (1931-1934). Whether the application of this name to the Guianan material is correct or not will be elucidated when additional material becomes available.