Gesneria salicifolia var. salicifolia

Gesneria salicifolia var. salicifolia

Gesneria salicifolia (Grisebach) Urban, Symb. Ant. 2:373, 1901—Morton in Leon & Alain, Fl. de Cuba 4:459, 1957.

Pentarhaphia salicifolia Grisebach, Cat. Pl. Cub. 199, 1866.

Gesneria gibberosa Urban, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 13: 477, 1915.—Urb., Symb. Ant. 9:270, 1924—Morton in Leon & Alain, Fl. de Cuba 4:459, 1957. [Type-collection: Coastal cliffs near Río Yamurí, Cuba, J. Shafer 7838 (NY, lectotype; US, isolectotype).]

Small trees: stems and branches swollen below apex, verrucose.

Leaves narrowly elliptic, oblong or oblanceolate, apex acute to acuminate.

Flowers reddish, calyx lobes 7–15 mm long.

Capsules turbinate or subglobose, 4–6 mm long.

TYPE-COLLECTION.—La Catalina, Cuba, C. Wright 3074 (GOET, holotype (Figure 41a); BM, G, GH, K, MO, NY, P, isotypes).

DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY.—Gesneria salicifolia var. salicifolia grows in the Oriente Province of Cuba on limestone cliffs along rivers and the sea-coast at low elevations. Collections of flowering material have been made in July and August and from November to March.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED.—CUBA. PROVINCE OF ORIENTE: Farallones, La Catalina, 19 March 1861, C. Wright 3074 (GOET, holotype; BM, G 2 sheets, GH, K, MO, NY, P, isotypes); vicinity Baracoa, Bahía de Taco, 2 December 1914, E. Ekman 3697 (G, K, S, US); southern Baracoa region, on the banks of Jauco River, Jauco, 17 July-4 August 1924, Bro. Leon 11990 (NY 2 sheets, US); Los Alemanes, Río Yumurí, Baracoa, August 1954, J. Acuña, Pino, Alonso & Venning 19422 (SV, US 2 sheets); paredones, Río Yumurí, Baracoa, 4 February 1952, J. Acuña & Diaz Barreto 17355 (SV, US 2 sheets); “los Alemanes,” Yumurí, Baracoa, 14 January 1956, Alain Liogier &: C. Morton 5082 (GH, IJ); ad flum. “Yumurí,” prope Baracoa, 25 November 1914, E. Ekman 3622 (NY, S); Río Yumurí NW of Cape Maisí, 28 August 1939, Bro. Leon 17322 (US); cliffs near the mouth of Río Yumurí, east of Baracoa, near sea level, 13 January 1956, C. Morton & Alain Liogier 9046 (BM, US 2 sheets); Río Yamurí [sic], 6, 12 December 1910, J. Shafer 7755 (NY, US); coastal cliffs near Río Yamurí [sic], 6, 8 December 1910, J. A. Shafer 7838 (NY, lectotype of Gesneria gibberosa Urban; US, isolectotype); Ovando Mesa, Maisí, January 1940, Bro. Leon 17579 (GH, US); Mesa de Ovando, Maisí, January 1940, Prudencio Matos in Bro. Leon 17579 (US).