Mendoncia aspera
Description
Herbaceous vine. Stem subterete. Indument of branchlets, petioles and inflorescences appressed pubescent or older parts glabrescent. Petiole 0.5-3 cm long; blade moderately firm, elliptic to broadly elliptic, 5-9 x 3-4.75 cm, margin curved upwards, acuminate at apex (usually tipped by a mucro 1-2 mm long), rounded or somewhat unequally acute at base, appressed pubescent or occasionally glabrescent above, trichomes arising from a stellate base, lower surface rather densely and softly appressed pubescent; primary and secondary veins appressed pubescent and prominent beneath, less so on upper surface. Flowers 1-3 in each axil; pedicels slender, 2-5 cm long, appressed pubescent; bracteoles oblong-lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 20-25 x 8-10 mm, often subfalcate, acute at apex, tipped by a short mucro, rounded at base, densely and softly sericeous, trichomes yellowish-brown, closely appressed or ascending. Calyx annular, 0.5 mm long; corolla bright red, tubular, 35-38 mm long, about 4 mm wide apically, lobes 3-4 mm long; ovary puberulent, style glabrous. Fruit deep purple, oblong-obovate or oblong, somewhat compressed, 16 x 19 mm, sparingly puberulous, succulent when ripe.
Distribution
Guianas present, Southern America: Bolivia (Bolivia present); Brazil North (Acre present, Amapá present, Amazonas present, Rondônia present); Peru (Peru present); Venezuela (Venezuela present)
Venezuela, the Guianas, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil (Amazonas, Rondônia, Acre, Amapá); 58 collections studied of which 24 from the Guianas (GU: 4; SU: 18; FG: 2).