Paullinia fuscescens
Content
Description
Woody vine 3-7 m long. Stems cylindrical, tomentose or tomentulose, to 5 mm in diameter, producing scanty watery latex; cross section with a single vascular cylinder. Stipules triangular, ca. 1 mm long. Leaves biternate; petioles unwinged, 7-12 mm long; rachis narrowly winged, 1-1.6 cm long; leaflets chartaceous, with serrate, revolute margins, adaxial surface shiny, sparsely pubescent on the midvein, abaxial surface dull, with glandular papillae, the venation prominent and puberulent, with a tuft of hairs in the secondary vein axils; distal leaflet lanceolate, 4-6 × 1.5-2.5 cm, the apex acuminate, the acumen obtuse, the base long-attenuate; lateral leaflets almost elliptical, 1-2 × 0.7-1 cm, the apex obtuse, the base acute or obtuse. Thyrses axillary, racemiform, solitary, with tomentose axis; flowers sessile, in lateral cincinni. Calyx whitish green, with 5 sepals, 2-2.5 mm long; petals white, oblanceolate, cuneate at the base, 2-3 mm long; appendages slightly shorter than the petals, fleshy and yellow at the crest; disc of twoobtuse-triangular lobes; stamens with unequal puberulent filaments; ovary trilocular. Capsule three-winged, red, 1-1.5 cm long. Seeds one per locule, black, obovoid, slightly laterally compressed, ca. 6 mm long, with a white and emarginate sarcotesta on lower half.