Passiflora obtusifolia Sesse & Moc., Pl. N. Hispan. ed. 1: 156. 1890.

Porter-Utley, Kristen, 2014, A revision of Passiflora L. subgenus Decaloba (DC.) Rchb. supersection Cieca (Medik.) J. M. MacDougal & Feuillet (Passifloraceae), PhytoKeys 43, pp. 1-224 : 94-98

10. Passiflora obtusifolia Sesse & Moc., Pl. N. Hispan. ed. 1: 156. 1890. Figs 39, 41

Type.

Mexico. Michoacán: Apatzingán, Oct 1790, M. Sessé & J. Mociño s.n. (lectotype designated by R. McVaugh 2000, pg. 428: original illustration in the Torner Collection of the Hunt Botanical Institute 6331.830 [photograph F!]).

Description.

Slender, low-climbing, perennial vine 1.5-3 m long or more, minutely antrorsely appressed-puberulent throughout with unicellular, curved to erect trichomes, 0.1-0.2 mm long, 0.02-0.03 mm wide, also sparsely pubescent with longer, unicellular, curved to erect trichomes on petiole and stem, 0.2-0.4 mm long, 0.02-0.03 mm wide. Flowering stems 0.9-2.1 mm in diameter, terete or somewhat compressed, with the base woody and cork-covered. Stipules 1.4-5.7 mm long, 0.3-1.0 mm wide, very narrowly ovate, acute to attenuate, longitudinally striate-nerved; petioles 0.5-2.8 cm long, 2, round to elliptic, opposite, sessile, discoid nectaries, 1.1-2.2 mm wide, 0.2-1.3 mm high, borne below the distal half of the petiole (0.40-0.83 of the distance from the base toward the apex of the petiole). Laminas 2.4-12.6 cm long, 3.4-18.2 cm wide, subcoriaceous, sometimes peltate, distinctly trilobed 0.36-0.60 the distance from the leaf outline to the leaf base or widely divaricately bilobed to obscurely 3-lobed 0.09-0.28 the distance from the leaf outline to the leaf base, lateral lobes 2.0-10.0 cm long, 0.7-4.4 cm wide, elliptic, acute to obtuse, occasionally attenuate, central lobe elliptic to obovate, or present merely as a widely acute to obtuse tip, rarely emarginate, central vein 2.4-12.1 cm long, angle between the lateral lobes 88-151°, ratio of lateral lobe to central lobe length 0.74-1.64, margins entire, hyaline, primary veins 3, diverging and branching at or above base, laminar nectaries present or rarely absent, 2-4(-11), circular, submarginal, associated with the minor veins of the abaxial surface, 0.6-1.3 mm in diameter, sessile; tendril 0.3-1.1 mm wide, present at flowering node, absent in inflorescence. Flowers borne in leaf axils and terminal inflorescences; inflorescences 5.3-18.3 cm long, associated reduced laminas 2.3-4.9 mm long, 0.5-1.4 mm wide. Pedicels 3.8-6.8(-19.5) mm long, 0.4-0.8 mm wide, 2 per node; bract(s) absent, or with 1-2 narrowly ovate bracts present on the distal half of the pedicel, 1.0-2.0 mm long, ca. 0.1 mm wide; spur(s) absent. Flowers 14.6-21.6 mm in diameter with stipe 3.1-4.6 mm long, 0.4-0.9 mm wide; hypanthium 4.3-6.3 mm in diameter; sepals 4.7-7.8 mm long, 2.1-4.7 mm wide, ovate-triangular, acute, greenish yellow, often flushed with reddish purple abaxially; coronal filaments in 2 series, the outer 28-38, 1.3-3.0(-4.3) mm long, 0.3-0.4 mm wide, linear, often capitellate, strongly curved at the base so that the filaments spread ± horizontally, with the tips often curved toward the sepals, greenish yellow, sometimes flushed with reddish purple at base, ratio of outer coronal row to sepal length 0.22-0.56(-0.85), the inner 38-40, 0.9-3.3 mm long, 0.1-0.3 mm wide, linear, capitate, erect, greenish yellow, ratio of inner coronal row to outer coronal row length 0.55-1.15; operculum 1.0-2.1 mm long, plicate, greenish yellow, sometimes reddish purple at base, the margin whitish with narrow minutely fimbrillate teeth; nectary 0.1-0.5(-0.9) mm high, 0.8-1.5 mm wide; limen erect, 0.1-0.5 mm high, 0.1-0.4 mm wide, greenish yellow, limen floor 1.0-3.5 mm in diameter, greenish yellow; androgynophore 0.7-3.9 mm long, 0.7-1.3 mm wide, greenish yellow, whitish at base; free portions of the staminal filaments 1.6-3.7 mm long, 0.3-0.7 mm wide, linear, greenish yellow; anthers 1.0-3.0 mm long, 0.5-1.7 mm wide, greenish yellow; styles 2.2-4.1 mm long including stigmas, 0.2-0.5 mm wide, greenish yellow; stigmas 0.8-1.6 mm in diameter; ovary 2.0-2.3 mm long, 1.4-2.2 mm wide, widely ellipsoid to globose, greenish yellow. Berry 2.3-2.6 cm long, 2.1-2.4 cm in diameter, widely ellipsoid to globose, very dark purple. Seeds 3.3-3.6(-5) mm long, 2.0-2.3(-3.2) mm wide, 1.5-1.8 mm thick, obovate in outline, acute at both ends, reticulate-foveate with each face marked with 15-17 foveae. Germination unknown.

Phenology.

Flowering and fruiting October to January and May.

Distribution.

Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Mexico. Tropical deciduous and subdeciduous forests or disturbed areas in the Pacific lowlands and foothills; near sea level to 300 m in Mexico, 650-1200 m in El Salvador and Costa Rica.

Discussion.

As noted by MacDougal and McVaugh (2001), Passiflora obtusifolia is quite variable in its vegetative morphology, especially in the depth of the leaf lobes, the shape of the lobe apices, and the number of laminar nectaries. Despite its name, the lobes of Passiflora obtusifolia are commonly acute. The type is an illustration of an unusual form that has only been collected again near Cerro de Ortega, Colima, Mexico (Lott 840), not far from the type locality. The illustration shows a plant with shallowly trilobed leaves with obtuse lateral lobes, rounded to emarginate central lobes, and six laminar nectaries per leaf, with two glands situated proximal to the lateral leaf veins.

Passiflora obtusifolia is similar to Passiflora mcvaughiana and both are found in southwestern Mexico. However, these species differ in leaf shape, depth of lobing, number of laminar nectaries, number of petiolar nectaries, pedicel length, sepal length, outer coronal length and shape, seed size, and habitat. Passiflora obtusifolia can also be found in locations somewhat near Passiflora eglandulosa . At first glance these two species are somewhat similar vegetatively with their distinctly trilobed leaves. However, the stipules of Passiflora eglandulosa are much wider and foliose, the leaf bases are cordate, and the leaf apices are acuminate. In addition, Passiflora eglandulosa does not possess inflorescences and its flowers are more delicate with narrower sepals and thinner outer coronal filaments. Passiflora obtusifolia is also similar to Passiflora suberosa subsp. litoralis . However, Passiflora suberosa subsp. litoralis is never peltate at the reproductive nodes, whereas Passiflora obtusifolia is commonly peltate. Passiflora suberosa subsp. litoralis does not produce flowers in long inflorescences. The fruits of Passiflora obtusifolia are over 20 mm long and 18 mm wide, but the fruits of Passiflora suberosa subsp. litoralis rarely exceed a length of 12 mm and a width of 10 mm.

Specimens examined.

MEXICO. Colima: Back of dunes E side of Manzanillo Bay, Ferris 6208 (US); Isla Socorro, Archipielago de Revillagigedo, 220 m, Flores & Martínez 851 (MO); Ravine ca. 0.7 km N-NW of summit of Cerro, Socorro Island, 915 m, Levin 2046 (MO); 1.7 km SE de Cerro de Ortega, Ribera del Río Coahuayana, Lott & Magallanes 840 (DUKE); Santiago village, near Manzanillo, 5-10 m, Stork et al. 25409 (UC, US). Jalisco: Entre la Manzanilla & el Tamarindo, Mpio. La Huerta, Guzman & Mejia 180 (IBUG). Michoacán: Mpio. Coahuayana, San Telmo, MacDougal & Miley 495 (MO, US); Apatzingán, Sessé & Mociño 4462 (AAU, F, G, MO). Nayarít: S of Penal Colony, María Madre, Tres Marías Islands, Ferris 5598 (A, DS); Tres Marías Islands, María Madre, Arroyo Honda, Mason 1172 (US); Cerro de la Cruz, E of Tepic, 1000 m, Mexia 666 (UC). Oaxaca: Temazcal, Tuxtepec, MacDougal 4687 (FLAS); Dto. Tuxtepec, cortina de la Presa Miguel Alemán, Temazcal, Martínez & Ramos 24029-A (MEXU).

COSTA RICA. Guanacaste: Guanacaste, La Cruz, Santa Elena, Parque Nacional Guanacaste, Estación Maritza, 650 m, Estrada 3028 (MO). El Salvador Ahuachapán: alrededores de Ataco, por la calle vieja a Ahuachapán, 1200 m, Linares 3776 (MEXU); San Benito, al N de la Cumbre, Sandoval & Chinchilla 495 (MO); Departamento de Ahuachapán, Padilla 163 (US); Sierra de Apaneca, in the region of Finca Colima, Standley 20188 (US); Parque Nacional El Imposible, Villacorta et al. 879 (MO).

CULTIVATED MATERIAL. United States. Florida, cultivated at the University of Florida from material collected by J.M. MacDougal and J. Miley (MacDougal & Miley 495) in San Telmo, México, Porter-Utley P-67 (FLAS).