l - CNCFlora

Volume 91, Number 4
2004
Croat
Revision of Dieffenbachia
4 per pistil, 2.8-3.1 mm long, 0.8-1.0 mm wide at wendlandii. The latter species was even erroneousapex,
slightly thickened toward apex, flattened and ly synonymized with D. seguine by Engler (1915).
free at base, the base equally as wide or up to twice Both species sometimes have blades of similar
as wide as the apex; fertile staminate portion of shape, and both have petioles that are comparably
spadix 5-7.5 cm long, 5-15 mm diam., slightly sheathed and sometimes sharply C-shaped on the
broader midway, tapering slightly toward both ends, free portion. However, D. wendlandii differs in havbluntly
acute to rounded at apex, at anthesis pro- ing pistils with a single ovule. The staminate spadix
truding forward out of spathe and usually being of D. wendlandii is also more or less tapered toward
trapped there by the closing spathe; staminate flow- the apex and not protruding strongly forward at aners
5 to 6(8?) per spiral, (1.6)2.2-3.5(4) mm diam., thesis, whereas in D. seguine the spadix is stubbysquarely
rounded to rounded, sometimes broadest ellipsoid.
perpendicular to the axis, smoothly rounded at I agree with Bunting (1979), who synonymized
apex, sometimes with a transverse linear slit me- both D. picta Schott and D. rrzaculata (Lodd.) G.
dially; anthers 5 to 6 per synandrium, shedding Don under D. seguine. This species has been the
their pollen well below the rim of the synandrium; most confusing of all Araceae in the number of epthe
mostly naked portion of spadix 2.0-4.0 cm long, ithets (subspecies, varieties, subvarieties, and
6-8 mm diam., medium green with 1 pistil in lower forms) recognized, over 60 in all. Some are varieties
1/3 and with 2 to 3 staminodes in upper 1/2, some- of D. picta, others varieties of D. seguine or comtimes
with only a few staminodia scattered in upper binations between the same two taxa. It is not clear
3/4. Berries bright red or orange.
why this should be so. Throughout its range it is
Distribution and habitat. Dieffenbachia seglline
no more variable than any other species of Dieffenranges
throughout much of the West Indies from bachia, but it is quite widespread and this brings
Cuba (Ileana Arias, Havana, pers. comm.), Jamai- it into contac t with more workers. Most of the epc
a, Hispaniola, and Puerto Ric o, through the LeKsKser ithets were l)ased on Schott names, but Engler
AntilleKs to 'I'rinidad and South Amerie a, there rang- treate(l most of these as varieties or sul)varieties of
ing throughout much of Venezuela (Ama%onaKs, Ar- D. .seguine or D. /)icta. All of the taxa involved
agua, A)ure, Bolivar, Caral)obo, I)elta Amae UIo, share a suite of chara(ters that make it unique,
namely the shar^)]y sulcate l)etioles the )rotru(ling
Distrito Fe(Setal, Fal((')n, 1,ta, Miran(0a, Monagaks,
Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Su(re, Ta(hila, 'lruji- an(l thickene(l staminate poltion of the sl)a(lix, an(l
llo, Yarae uy, %ulia), eksl)e( ially in the Cordillera de bit arpellate ovaries.
1a CoKsta, to (,uyana and Suriname (Boggen et al., A e ultivate(l e ollectioll from Gl enada (Croat
1992), Frell( h (uiana, eakstern Brazil (Amal)a, 77298) ha(l sap that was; c elely-s( ente(l, not at all
Amazonaks, (Joials, Maranhao, Para, RondoniaS Sao smelling of oxalic aci(l, tyl)ical of so rnany DiefWen-
Paulo), and west to the lowlands of Colombia (Meta, b(lchi(l species. Croat 78X2S, frorll Venezuela, also
Vaupes, Vie hada), eastern Ecuador (lfapo), and Bo- has a sweet- rather than a foul-se ented sap.
livia (Pando, Santa Cruz).
Engler (1915) placed Dieffenbachi(l lanciJolia
DiefWenlv(lchifl seguine flowers and develops ma- Linden & Andre into synonymy with D. picta, I)ut
ture fruit to some extent all year-round, but with the former is a distinct species from Antioquia Demore
flowering occurring in the late dry season and partment, Colombia. Also excluded are combinathroughout
the early part of the dry season between tions of the name, DieJfienbachia picta Schott forma
March and September.
lancifolia (Linden & Andre) Engl. and D. picta
The species is characterized by having petioles Schott subvar. Iancifzolia (Lind. & Andre) Engl.
that are shorter than the blade and sharply sulcate Also erroneously placed in synonymy with D.
on the free portion, with the sheath margins acute picta was Dieffenbachia nieleagris Linden & Rodito
rounded at the apex and with ovate-lanceolate gas and the combination subvariety nieleagris Engl.
blades. The best character for separation of the spe- That species is from Ecuador (see illustration 159
cies, however, is the unusual inflorescence with in Ill. Hort.) and looks like it might be synonymous
large, bicarpellate ovaries and a spathe that is with D. spruceana Schott.
somewhat spread backward while the staminate Dieffenbachia shuttleworthiana Engl. was synportion
of the spadix protrudes prominently forward onymized with D. picta but should be excluded
and persists after the spathe has closed. along with the following combinations: D. picta for-
The species was long considered to be a common ma schuttleworthiana (Regel) Engl. and D. shuttlespecies
in Central America but that material proved worthiana Hort. Bull. This Colombian species is
to be mostly D. oerstedii, and in some cases, D. not closely related to D. seguine.
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