Serjania paucidentata

Primary tabs

Serjania paucidentata

Description

Woody vine 2-10 m long, sometimes producing milky sap. Stems triangular, glabrous, with 5 sharp ribs; cross section with a central, larger, trigonous vascular cylinder surrounded by 3 (5), smaller, equidistant peripheral cylinders. Stipules inconspicuous. Leaves biternate; petioles unwinged, margined or less often narrowly winged, stout, glabrous; rachis winged or marginate; leaflets coriaceous or chartaceous, glabrous, elliptic, oblong, or less often obovate, 3.5-10.6 × 1.5-4.7 cm, the base long- to short-attenuate, the apex obtusely apiculate, margins revolute, bidentate below the apex or less often remotely repando-dentate. Thyrses axillary or distal, racemiform, 10-26 cm long, the axes ferruginous-tomentulose; cincinni alternate, elongated, secund, 5-12 mm long, ferruginous-tomentulose; bracts deltate, ca. 1 mm long, papillate on margins. Flowers numerous per cincinni; pedicels tomentulose or tomentose, ca. 2 mm long, articulate near the base; sepals 5, tomentulose, rounded or obtuse at apex, the outer ones ovate, ca. 2.5 mm long, the inner ones oblong, ca. 3.5 mm long; petals white, spatulate, ca. 5 mm long, adaxially sparsely papillate; appendages with fleshy, yellow crest; disc puberulent, fleshy, of 2 central ovate lobes, ca. 1 mm talland 2 smaller rounded lateral ones; stamens with pilose filaments. Mericarps 2-2.5 cm long, the wing sparsely pilose, the cocci lenticular, ferruginous-hirsutulose.

Distribution

Northern America, continental tropical America present, south to Bolivia present
In continental tropical America from Mexicosouth to Bolivia (GU: 9; SU: 7; FG: 7).

Common Name

English (French Guiana): kutupu, pahaglaime, taitetulea; English (Guyana): abaho, kashiri, old man’s bark, white abaho; English (Suriname): kutupu

Uses

Crushed stems of this species are used as “fish poison “in Guyana and Suriname.

Wood

Woody vine , sometimes producing milky sap.1
1. 001