Rovaeanthus strigosus (Benth.) Borhidi
Descripción
Shrubs, erect or scandent, 1–3 m tall. Stipules triangular when young, truncate when mature, 1–2 × 1 mm, antrorse-strigose outside, deciduous. Leaves ternate or opposite, equal, short-petiolate or subsessile; petioles 1–3 mm long, antrorse-strigose; blades ovate, 1–5.3 × 0.7–3.1 cm, base cuneate to obtuse, occasionally subcordate, acumen up to 1 cm long coriaceous, antrorse-strigose throughout, mainly on costa and secondary veins, glabrescent, margins revolute; with 3–4 secondary veins on each side of midrib. Inflorescences corymbose or uniflorous, terminal, 5–6 × 5–7 cm (including corollas), sessile or pedunculate, peduncles (when present) to 3 mm long, main axis antrorse-strigose, bracts linear–lanceolate to subulate, 5–19 mm long. Bracteoles subtending flowers linear–oblong, 2–4 mm long. Flowers pedicellate; pedicels 3–9 mm long, antrorse-strigose. Hypanthium subglobose, or turbinate to obovoid, 2–2.5 mm long, persistently antrorse-strigose. Calyx lobes subequal, the larger lobes to 9–10 mm long, the smaller ones 4–9 mm long, linear–lanceolate to linear–oblong, externally antrorse-strigose, internally glabrous. Corolla red when fresh; tube 15–25 × 3 mm, externally glabrous to sparsely antrorse-strigose, internally medially hirtellous; corolla mouth with aconspicuous to a less developed fleshy ring covered yellow trichomes; lobes obovate-elliptic to elliptic, 5–10 × 3–4 mm, margins undulate. Stamens inserted at 3–4 mm below the corolla mouth in long-styled flowers, or inserted at 3 mm below the corolla mouth in short-styled flowers; anthers 3 mm long. Style 17–21 mm long in long-styled flowers, or 11–13 mm long in short-styled flowers; style branches linear in long- and short-styled flowers, 2–3 mm long. Fruits subglobose-obovoid, slightly compressed at poles, 6–9 × 6–8 mm, glabrous. Seeds fusiform, bicaudate, 1 mm long.A
Forma de crecimiento
ArbustoA
Forma de vida
TerrestreA
Fructificación
May–OctA
Floración
Jun–FebA
Tipo de vegetación (notas)
In tropical rain forest, cloud forest and pine-oak forestA
Categoría IUCN
Preocupación menor (LC)A
Conservación
Due to the fact that Rovaeanthus strigosus has a wide distribution in Mesoamerica (more than 10 localities) and the Area of Occupancy (AOO) calculated is 40 000 km² therefore is classified as Least Concern (LC) following the IUCN Red List criteria (IUCN 2017). Nevertheless, although it is widely distributed, it occurs in areas that have suffered deforestation and, due to its potential ornamental use, it can be subject to special protection and managementA
Bibliografía
A. Torres-Montúfar, A. & Ochoterena, H. 2019: Taxonomic treatment of the Mesoamerican genus Rovaeanthus (Rondeletieae, Rubiaceae). – Phytotaxa, ser. 2, 403: 122-130. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.403.2.5