downloads/Killip 2.pdf - Passion Flowers

530 FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY BOTANY, VOL. XIX
slender sepals and petals. Unfortunately the structure of the operculum
is not evident in the few flowers preserved with the specimens,
or in the painting.
317. Passiflora ovata Martin ex DC. Prodr. 3: 322. 1828.
Astrophea ovata M. Roemer, Fam. Nat. Syn.
2: 151. 1846.
Tree or shrub (?) with a few weak tendrils, glabrous throughout
except the ovary; stipules linear, about 2 mm. long; petioles up to 3
cm. long, purplish, biglandular at the junction with the blade; leaves
oblong, 6.5 to 11 cm. long, 3.5 to 5.5 cm. wide, rounded or almost
truncate at the apex, rounded or subacute at base, penninerved
(about 6 nerves to a side), subcoriaceous, bright green on both
surfaces, sublustrous above; peduncles about 2 cm. long, bifurcate,
the pedicels 5 to 8 mm. long; bracts linear, about 2 mm. long; calyx
tube very short, campanulate-funnel-shaped, 2 to 3 mm. long, 8 to
10 mm. wide at the throat; sepals lanceolate, about 2 cm. long, 1 cm.
wide at base, obtuse; petals slightly shorter than the sepals; corona
2-ranked, the outer series subdolabriform, about 1 cm. long, enlarged
at the middle, the inner about 2 mm. long; operculum(?); ovary
white-tomentose.
TYPE LOCALITY: French Guiana. Known only from the type
locality.
FRENCH GUIANA: Cayenne: Martin (BM, type).
This species is known only from the single specimen preserved in
the British Museum. In the Flora Brasiliensis Masters referred to it
several collections from western South America, but subsequently
he adopted (Journ. Linn. Soc. 20: 33. 1883) the views of Triana and
Planchon that all of these represented other species, and he presented
a redescription of P. ovata based solely upon the Martin specimen.
He also pointed out, quite correctly, that Triana and Planchon had
wrongly identified a plant of P. costata as this, and that their detailed
description of the flower structure of P. ovata was for that reason
erroneous.
The type specimen is in good condition, but its flowers have never
been dissected sufficiently to permit a view of the operculum. The
shape and texture of the leaves suggest P. deficiens, of the section
Pseudoastrophea, and perhaps this species should be placed there.
The single peduncle is definitely forked, however, and until additional
material is collected, it seems best to refer the species to
Euastrophea.