Paradrymonia maculata

Primary tabs

Paradrymonia maculata

Description

Epiphytic vine on tree trunks, up to 2 m tall. Stem sappy, creeping or climbing, hirsutulous at apex, glabrescent. Leaves equal or subequal in a pair; petiole (1.5-)5-10(-19) cm long, sparsely pilose to glabrous; blade papyraceous when dry, elliptic or oblong-elliptic, 7.5-29 x 3.5-12 cm, margin serrate with more or less pronounced teeth, apex acuminate, base cuneate, rounded, or occasionally subcordate, above sparsely pilose to glabrous, below sparsely pubescent, especially on midrib and veins. Flowers numerous, racemose; peduncle 1-3 cm long, sparsely pubescent; pedicel 0.5-2.2 cm long, sparsely pubescent. Calyx colored like bracts, lobes nearly free, 4spreading, subequal, leafy, linear-lanceolate, narrowed towards base, 2-4 x 0.4-0.7 cm, dorsal lobe curved around spur, half as large as others, margin serrate towards apex, apex acute or acuminate, outside and inside sparsely appressed-pubescent; corolla oblique in calyx, yellow or pale creamy, spotted with bright red, brown, or purple-brown, 4.4-5.5 cm long, tube infundibuliform, 2.7-3.5 cm long, base spurred, 0.4-0.5 cm wide, middle widened towards throat, not ventricose, throat not contracted, 1-1.8 cm wide, outside with minute hairs, inside glabrous, limb 3-4 cm wide, lobes subequal, 4spreading, the ventral one tightly inflexed and closing the throat, suborbicular, 1-1.2 x 1-1.2 cm, margin entire; stamens included, inserted slightly under middle of corolla tube; ovary ovoid, 0.4-0.5 x 0.3-0.4 cm wide, pubescent, style 2.2-3 cm long, glabrous, stigma obscurely 2-lobed. Mature capsule subglobose, 1-1.5 x 0.8-1.4 cm.

Distribution

Delta Amacuro endemic, Guianas endemic, Southern America: Venezuela (Venezuela endemic)
Endemic to the Guianas and Delta Amacuro, Venezuela; 35 collections studied (GU: 21; FG: 6).

Phenology

Collected in flower in ; in fruit in .

Notes

The plant apparently germinates on the forest floor, climbs lower tree trunks and slowly decays from bottom up.