Dendropanax arboreus (L.) Decne & Planchon (1854: 107)

Morales, J. Francisco & Idárraga-Piedrahita, Alvaro, 2022, Nightmare on Dendropanax Street: What is Dendropanax arboreus (Araliaceae)?, Phytotaxa 536 (2), pp. 154-164 : 160-161

Dendropanax arboreus (L.) Decne & Planchon (1854: 107) .

≡ Aralia arborea Linnaeus. (1759: 967) . ≡ Hedera arborea (L.) Swartz (1797: 818). ≡ Schefflera arborea (L.) Gómez (1890: 249) . ≡ Gilibertia arborea (L.) Marchal (1891 [1892]: 281). ≡ Sciodaphyllum arboreum (L.) Hitchcock (1893: 91) .

TYPE:— Jamaica. s.d. (fr), P. Browne s.n. (lectotype designated by Cannon & Cannon, 2009: 368: LINN [ LINN-394.1 !]) . Fig. 3 , 4 , 5 .

Gilibertia brachypoda Urban (1908: 452) . ≡ Dendropanax brachypodus (Urban) Schneider (1909: 644) . Type— HaiTi. Nord-Ouest: near Kenskoff, 1400 m, October 1903 (fl), W. Buch 973 (lectotype designated here: NY [ NY00099779 !]) .

Sciodaphyllum samydifolium C. Wright ex Grisebach (1866: 117) . ≡ Dendropanax samydifolius (C. Wright ex Grisebach) Seemann (1868: 140). ≡ Schefflera samydifolia (C. Wright ex Grisebach) M. Gómez (1890: 249) . ≡ Gilibertia samydifolia (C. Wright ex Grisebach) Marchal (1899: 201). Type:—cuba. Pinar del Rio: S. Felepina, prope La Grifa, 1860 (fr), C. Wright 2632 (lectotype designated here: MO [MO-2049473!]; isolectotypes: BM [ BM001008681 !], K [ K000588277 !], P [ P0244166 !1]) .

Erithalis pentagonia Candolle (1830: 465) . Type:—cuba. s.d. (fl), R. de la Sagra s.n. (holotype: G-DC) .

Tree 3−15 m tall; branchlets slightly striate longitudinally when dry, lenticels not evident. Leaves alternate, spirally arranged, spaced in old stems and sometimes grouped at the end of the branchlets, stipules inconspicuous; petioles 1−10 cm long, slightly canaliculate adaxially; leaf blades 8–17 × 2.1−8.8 cm, elliptic, narrowly elliptic to ellipticobovate, usually symmetric, the base cuneate to acute, the margin entire to obscurely crenate or crenate distally, not revolute, apex acuminate, tip acuminate; venation pinnate, without conspicuous suprabasal veins, eucamptodromous, looping close to the margin; midvein prominent abaxially, slightly visible adaxially; secondary veins 5−9 pairs, slightly visible adaxially, impressed and visible abaxially, the first pair sometimes inconspicuously suprabasal, originating up to ca. 3 mm from leaf base; intersecondary veins present, sometimes inconspicuous; tertiary veins inconspicuous or conspicuously visible abaxially. Inflorescences a raceme of umbels, usually terminal, sometimes becoming pseudolateral, with conspicuous bracts at the base of the peduncles, 2.9 – 4.1 mm long, conspicuous; hermaphrodite inflorescence 5.7–9 cm long, primary axes (1.5) 2.3 – 9.5 cm, secondary axes (peduncles) (4)6−11(14) (2−4(8) of which are terminal), 1.2−3.5 (6) cm long, straight or arched, not articulated or geniculated, with or without bracteoles up to 1 mm long, usually solitary and free; receptacle up to 3 mm in diameter, few-flowered (2−7); pedicels 3–6 mm long; andromonoecious inflorescences 10–17 cm long, primary axes 8–12 cm, secondary axes (peduncles) 9−12 (4−8 of which are terminal), 3.5−6 cm long, straight or distally arched, not articulated or geniculated, with or without bracteoles up to 1 mm long, 1–2, free; receptacle 4–8 mm in diameter, many-flowered, flowers mostly staminate, but sometimes with few flowers hermaphrodite; pedicels 1–3.2 mm long. Flowers mostly 5-merous (rarely a few flowers 6-merous), petals mostly 5 (rarely 6? In few flowers), white ( Cuba), pale green to greenish-yellow ( Puerto Rico), triangular-ovate, 1−1.5 mm, the apex thickened, appearing hooded (cucullate); stamens 5, anthers ca. 1.2 mm long; ovary 5-carpellate, rarely a few flowers 6-carpellate. Fruits globose to subglobose, green, greenish-white, white to yellowish when immature, black, purplish-black to dark purple when mature, 4.5−5.5 × 4.5−5 mm, stylar column 0.5–0.9 mm long, cylindrical to conical, styles five, apically free.

Habitat: — In the West Indies ( Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands), this species is growing in thickets, rain forests, limestone formations, moist forests, limestone hills, secondary vegetation, wet mountain forest, and tropical deciduous forest at 260−900 m. The material identified as “ D. arboreus ” from Trinidad and Tobago represents a different species, at this time not identified.

Observations:—Material from the West Indies have predominantly flowers 5-merous ( Fig. 5 ). Grisebach (1860) reported flowers (4-)5-(6-)merous, but on the material examined flowers 4-merous were not found. Moreover, the styles number was predominantly five. Urban (1908) described flowers with six petals in G. brachypoda , but in all the specimens examined, only one specimen with a few flowers (2) with 6 petals was found.

In D. arboreus andromonoecious inflorescences, usually have predominantly staminate flowers, but sometimes a few hermaphrodite flowers can be found, disposed of in the center of the receptacle, producing fruits (e.g., Crawford 779, NY). The easy way to distinguish both inflorescences without mature flowers is the length of the receptacle (up to 3 mm in hermaphrodite inflorescences vs. 4–8 mm in andromonoecious inflorescences). The anthesis in hermaphrodite flowers occurs more or less at the same time, but in andromonoecious inflorescences, it occurs during different days. Therefore, the length of the pedicel varies considerably in the same receptacle.

The specimen Wright 2632 at MO is selected as the lectotype of Sciodaphyllum samydifolium , because is the best preserved of the four syntypes available. The type of Gilibertia brachypoda was destroyed in Berlin in 1943. A fragmentary duplicate (two leaves and a single peduncle with flowers) at NY is selected as the lectotype because no other duplicates were located in Europe.

In the specimens examined, the type of inflorescence (hermaphrodite (h)/andromonoecious (a) is provided

Representative specimens examined: — CUBA. HABAnA: Sevilla , 18 Sep 1906 (h-fr), Taylor 527 ( NY) ; Monte La Noria , 9 Dec 1910 (h-fr), Wilson 9168 ( NY) . maTanzaS: near San Miguel , 2 Sep 1903 (h-fr), Britton & Wilson 214 ( NY) , Britton & Wilson 239 ( NY) ; ad More prope Matanzas, 1849 (a-fl), Rugel 852 ( NY) . ORIEnTE: Sierra de Nipe , Cayo del Rey, arroyo Bio, 24 May 1940 (a-fl), Carabia 4097 ( NY) ; Valley of rio Matamoros, S of Holguim, 14 Apr 1909 (a-fl), Shafer 1353 ( NY) ; Piedra Gorda to Rio Seboruco, 25 Jan 1910 (a-fl), Shafer 3659 ( NY) ; Moa , 8 km S, Cayo Chiquita, 19 Jul 1951 (st.), Webster 3840 ( MICH, NY) . PInAR DEL RIO: Zambumbia hill, Rangel, Sierra del Rosario, 1–12 Jul 1946 (a-fl), Alain 572 ( NY) ; banos San Vicente , arroyo Oakland, 12–16 Sep 1910 (h-fr), Britton et al. 7323 ( NY) ; Peninsula de Guanahacabibes , 19 Nov 1923 (h-fl), Ekman 18149 ( MO, NY, S) ; finca San Jose , San Diego, 5 Jul 1965 (a-fl), Leon 5151 ( NY) ; Limesotne Hills , vicinity of Sumidero, 28–31 Jul 1912 (h-fr), Shafer 13420 ( NY) ; Sierra de Anafe , 16 Dec 1911 (h-fl), Wilson 11355 ( NY) . SAnTA CLARA: Trinidad mountain , near Guanabana, 28 feb–1 Mar 1910 (h-fr), Britton et al. 4744 ( NY) ; Trinidad mountain , Siguanea, 2–5 Mar 1910 (a-fl), Britton & Wilson 5055 ( NY) ; Cienfuegos , Cieneguita, 15 Jun 1895 (a-fl), Combs 196 ( MO, NY) ; Cienfuegos , Mina Carlota, SE of Cumanayaguam Sierra de San Juan, Aug 1940 (a-fl), Hodge & Howard 4539 ( NY) ; San Blas-Buenos Aires , Jun-Jul 1941 (a-fl), Howard 5303 ( NY) ; vicinity of Soledad , Jun 1941 (h-fl, fr), Howard 5119 ( NY) ; Pitajones , 1–2 Mar 1912 (h-fr), Shafer 12299 ( MO, NY) ; along trail to Loma Ventura , above San Blas, 4 Aug 1936 (a-fl), Smith et al. 3310 ( GH, NY, US) . SAnTIAGO DE CUBA: Lomas de Banao , 9 Jan 1920 (a-fl), Leon 65 ( NY) ; loma del Gato , 11 Jul–14 Aug 1921 (h-fl), Leon et al. 10048 ( NY) . HAITI. nORD: Port Margot to Correil, 7 Aug 1903 (h-fr), Nash 204 ( NY) ; Petit Borgnem 15 Aug 1903 (a-fl), Nash 476 ( NY) ; Borgne to Petit Borgne, 1903 (h-fl), Nash 563 ( NY) ; Camp 2, Mt. Maleuvre, 22–23 Jul 1905 (h-fr), Nash & Taylor 1165 ( NY) ; Plaisance , 14 Aug 1905 (h-fr), Nash & Taylor 1793 ( NY) . nORD- OUEST: vicinity of Bombardopolis , 21–26 Feb 1929 (h-fl, fr), Leonard & Leonard 13657 ( NY) . OUEST: vicinity of Furcy , 26 Mar–15 May 1920 (a-fl), Leonard 4462 ( NY) ; vicinity of Petionville , 15–28 Jun 1929 (a-fl), Leonard 5067a ( NY, US) . SUD: Massif de la Hotte , Macaya National Park , Bois Formon, S of village of Formon, 23 Jan 1984 (a-fl), Judd & Dod 3453 ( FLAS) ; Massif de la Hotte, Macaya National Park , southern slope of Morne Formon, 28 Jan 1984 (a-fl), Judd 3829 ( FLAS) ; Massif de la Hotte , Macaya Biosphere Reserve, Bwa Deron, along s edge at cliffs, 9 Aug 1989 (a-fl), Skean & McMullen 2513 ( FLAS) . JAMAICA. HAnOVER PARISH: Green Island and vicinity, 13–15 Mar 1908 (h-fr), Britton & Hollick 2153 ( NY) . MAnCHESTER PARISH: Grafton , 1 mile W of Mandeville, 29 Aug 1907 (h-fr), Britton 987 ( NY) ; Mandeville to Spur Tree Hill, 1 Sep 1907 (a-fl), Britton 1037 ( NY) ; near New Port , 3–7 Sep 1908 (h-fr), Britton 3210 ( NY) ; Brown’s Town to Porus, 3–7 Sep 1908 (h-fr), Britton 3276 ( NY) ; vicinity of Mandeville , 15–26 Feb 1916 (h-fr), Brown 99 ( NY) ; vicinity of Mandeville , 26–30 Apr 1910 (a-fl, fr), Crawford 779 ( NY) . PORTLAnD PARISH: John Crow mountains , 1-2 miles W of Ecclesdown, 3 Jun 1957 (a-fl), Yuncker 18808 ( NY) . ST. AnDREW PARISH: vicinity of Cinchona , 2–10 Sep 1906 (h-fr), Britton 184 ( NY) ; Kingston to Newcastle road, 17 Jun 1963 (h-fr), Crosby et al. 182 ( MO, NY) : along road to Jack’s hill, above Matilda’s Corner, 7 Dec 1957 (a-fl), Yuncker 17673 ( NY) ; Hardwar Gap. , 31 Mar 1958 (a-fl), Yuncker 18578 ( NY) . ST. Ann PARISH: beside road on holl about 0.6 mile N of Hollymount, Mt. Diablo, 6–7 Aug 1965 (h-fr), Hespenheide et al. 849 ( DUKE, MO, NY) ; Mt. Diablo about 0.5 mile N or Resource, 12 Aug 1965 (h-fr), Hespenheide 1079 ( DUKE, NY) . ST. CATHERInE PARISH: along road between Ewarton and Lluidas Vale, 26 Jul 1979 (h-fr), Proctor 38266 ( MO, NY) . S.d.: F. Masson s.n. S ( S11-14236 ) ; O. Swartz s.n. S ( S11-14234 ) ; O. Swartz s.n. S ( S11-14235 ) ; O. Swartz s.n. LD ( LD1754872 ) ; O. Swartz s.n. SBT ( SBT 12715) . PUERTO RICO. ARECIBO: Rio Arriba , Rio Abajo forest reserve, N end of proposed road 10, 6 Jul 1994 (a-fl), Axelrod et al. 7930 ( UPRRP, US) ; Rio Arriba , Rio Abajo Forest Reserve, 18 Aug 1994 (h-fr), Axelrod 8256 ( NY, UPRRP) ; bosque insular de Rio Abajo, 29 Jul 1950 (h-fr), Little 13523 ( NY, US) , Little 13524 ( NY, US) ; Utuado , Rio Abajo Insular Forest Reserve, 23 Jul 1966 (h-fr), Stimson 3644 ( DUKE, MO, NY, US) . CAYEY: near Cayey , 14 jun–22 Jul 1901 (a-fl), Underwood 473 ( NY, US) . cialES: Los Tres Picachos , up E slopes, 12 Jul 1992 (h-fr), Axelrod & Axelrod 4858 ( NY, UPRRP) ; Ciales , 17 Aug 1913 (h-fr), Stevenson & Johnston 969 ( US) . FLORIDA: Florida Adentro , dirt road E of old quarry, 11 Jun 1992 (h-fl), Axelrod et al. 4663 ( NY, UPRRP) . GUAYnABO: Pueblo Viejo , 5 Aug 1939 (h-fr), Otero 688 ( NY) , 20 Aug 1939 (a-fl), Otero 698 ( NY) . ISABELLA: Quebradillas , Guajataca forest, 28 Aug 1992 (h-fr), Acevedo & Chinea 5230 ( NY, US, UPRRP) . MARICAO: near Maricao , 17 Jun 1980 (a-fl), Alain et al. 30732 (h-fr); bosque insular de Maricao, 13 Jul 1950 (h-fr), Little 13371 ( NY, US) , 16 Jul 1950 (h-fr), Little 13410 ( NY, US) . naGuabo: Sierra de Naguabo , summit of Loma La Mina to Rio Blanco, 21 Jul 1914 (a-fl), Shafer 3385 ( NY, US) . QUEBRADILLAS: Quebradillas , 30 May 1937 (a-fl), Sargent 46 ( MO, US) . RIO GRAnDE: Caribbean National park , along highway 186, near El Verde, 27 Jul 1986 (a-fl), Boom 6753 ( NY) ; Caribbean National Forest , El Yunque recreation area, 31 Jul 1986 (h-fr), Boom & Rivera 6789 ( MO, NY, UPRRP) ; Sierra de Luquillo , km 8, route 191, 6 Sep 1967 (h-fr), Hartley 13360 ( MO, US) ; Caribbean National Forest , El Verde Research Station, 18 Jun 1990 (a-fl), Moestl & Atwell 6 ( NY, US) ; El Verde Field Station , Luquillo national forest, 30 Jul 1981 (h-fl), Scogin s.n. ( NY) ; Sierra de Luquillo , Jul 1885 (a-fl), Sintenis 1352 ( MO, NY) . SABAnA GRAnDE: Bosque Insular de Susua , 10 Jul 1950 (h-fr), Little 13317 ( NY, US) . SAn JUAn: Rio Piedras , 11 Jun 1914 (a-fl,fr), Johnston 936 ( US) . TOA BAJA: 5 km al S de Toa Baja , 27 Jun 1950 (h-fl), Little 13126 ( NY, US) . UTUADO: bosque de Rio Abajo , 10 Sep 1987 (h-fr), Acevedo & Chinea 2155 ( NY, US) ; Santa Rosa , Rio Abajo Forest Reserve, along las Perdices trail, 11 Aug 1993 (h-fr), Axelrod 6812 ( NY, UPRRP) ; vicinity of Utuado , 15–20 Mar 1906 (h-fl), Brittoni & Cowell 979 ( NY, US) ; bosque estatal de Rio Abajo , 4.9 km W of Dos Bocas, 17 Jun 1996 (h-fl), Thompson & Rawlins 12715 ( CM, US) . VEGA ALTA: east of Vega Alta , 27 Jan 1925 (a-fl), Britton et al. 8159 ( NY) ; s.d., 1 Feb 1959 (h-fr), Woodbury s.n. ( NY) . VEGA BAJA: S of Vega Baja , Jun 1959 (h-fr), Woodbury s.n. ( US) . Villalba : Central mountains above Villalba, 11 Jul 1935 (a-fl), Gerhart 519 ( NY) ; Doña Juana Forest. Toro Negro , 12 Jun 1958 (a-fl), Martorell & Medina s.n. ( NY) . BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS. TORTOTA ISLAnD: hillside forest, 13–17 Feb 1913 (st), Britton & Shafer 836 ( NY) ; Sage Mountain , 20 Jul 1954 (a-fl), Little 16378 ( US) . CAYMAN ISLANDS. GRAnD CAYMAn: Nortside , Mastic trail, 5 Jun 1994 (h-fr), Clifford 177 ( CAYM) ; region of the mountain, ca. 2.5–3.5 km due SE of Hutland , 27 Apr 1992 (h-fr), Proctor 47864 ( CAYM) .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Inflorescence type in D. arboreus. A. Hermaphrodite. B. Andromonoecious (Jamaica, photos R. J. Abarca)

FIGURE 4. Dendropanax arboreus (A–B from P.O. Swartz s.n. (S [S11-14234]; C from P. Browne s.n. (LINN-394.1). A Flowering branch. B. Floral bud. C. Axis of the umbel and two fruits.

FIGURE 5. Infrutescence and fruits in D. arboreus. A. Single umbel. B. Detail of the stylar column and styles (Jamaica, photos R. J. Abarca).