Phthirusa disjectifolia
Content
Description
Sparsely branched plants, basal epicortical roots few and slender; internodes terete. Leaves coriaceous, ovate to broadly lanceolate, to 8 x 4 cm; venation obscure. Inflorescence axillary and/or in elongated, terminal compound groups, each to 3 cm long, very short-pedunculate. Flowers 4-merous, to 0.15 cm long, in paired, sessile triads; stamens slightly dimorphic, anthers 2-loculate. Fruit ellipsoid, 0.3 x 0.2 cm, apex blunt.
Distribution
Bolivar present, Guianas present, Guyana present, Southern America: Brazil North (Amazonas present); Venezuela (Venezuela present)
Venezuela (Amazonas, Bolívar), Guyana, and adjacent Brazil; 14 collections studied, 9 from the Guianas (GU: 9).
Notes
Superficially somewhat similar to P. coarctata . The latter species, however, has distinct bracts and bracteoles, while those of P. disjectifolia are fused in cupulate fashion. Additionally, these 'cupules' in P. disjectifolia fall away as a unit after the fruits are gone, leaving the lower spike naked, while the bracts and bracteoles of P. coarctata persist. In the latter, 2-loculate and 4-loculate anthers alternate, but P. disjectifolia seems to have 2-loculate anthers only.