Coccoloba plumieri Griseb. Fl. Brit. W. I.

Ancona, Juan José, Ortiz-Díaz, Juan Javier, Gutiérrez-Alonso, Eduardo & Ledesma, Patricia Hernández, 2025, A taxonomic revision of Coccoloba sect. Paniculatae (Polygonaceae, Eriogonoideae), Phytotaxa 704 (2), pp. 106-152 : 139-141

13. Coccoloba plumieri Griseb. Fl. Brit. W. I. 162. 1864 ≡ Uvifera plumieri (Griseb.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 561. 1891. ( Figs. 16A–B ).

Lectotype (designated by Howard 1957:85):— JAMAICA. [Without locality], 1 January 1850,. Alexander s.n. ( GOET! [photo]); isolectotype: B!, G!, NY! [photos]).

Epitype (here designated):— JAMAICA. Manchester: Moorlands estate, w miles northeast of Spur Tree, 24 August 1955, Proctor 10593 (NY! [photo]).

= Coccoloba polystachya var. jamaicensis Fawc. & Rendle, J. Bot. 51: 125. 1913.

Type: JAMAICA. Westmoreland: [Without locality], Purdie s.n. (holotype: K! [photo]).

Description:— Trees hermaphrodite, functionally unisexual, 15‒20 m tall; branches glabrous, striate, brown or blackish; ochrea 10–15 mm, glabrescent-puberulebt, membranaceous to coriaceous, apex oblique or truncate bilobed. Leaves simple, alternate; petiole 3–5 cm long, 2–3 mm diameter, glabrous, articulated above the base or in the middle part of the ochrea; leaf oblong-elliptic, broadly ovate or oval, membranaceous to subcoriaceous 13–32 cm long, 7–27 cm wide, apex obtuse to bluntly acuminate, base cordate, rarely truncate, margin entire, flat or slightly undulate, glabrous on both surfaces, venation brochidodromous, prominent adaxially, 6–10 pairs of lateral veins, reticulate. Inflorescence racemiform, arranged in a large sympodial panicle, branches>5, main axis reduced, 1.5–3 cm long, 3–5 mm diameter, striate, glabrous to puberulent; racemiform portion 12–21 cm long, rachis ribbed, striate, glabrous or glabrate, 2.3 mm diameter; bracteole 0.3 mm long, cymbiform, puberulent; ochreola 0.5–0.8 mm long, tubular, lacerate, membranaceous, glabrous; pedicels in flower 0.5–0.8 mm long, pedicels in fruit 1.5–2 mm long, thicker, glabrous. Flowers in two whorls, outer tepals 3, inner tepals 2, alternate; flowers functionally male (1) 2–3 × fascicle; hypanthium 1–1.2 mm long, glabrous to puberulent, campanulate, not abruptly narrowed at the pedicel; outer tepals glabrous, coriaceous, inner tepals glabrous, papery; tepals 1.2–1.5 mm long; stamens 8, 2–2.5 mm long, filaments filiform 2 mm long, anthers 0.5 mm long; ovary 0.5–0.8 mm long, trigonous, glabrous, style 3, 0.5 mm long; flowers functionally female solitary, hypanthium 1–1.2 mm long, glabrous to puberulent, campanulate, not abruptly narrowed at the pedicel; outer tepals glabrous, coriaceous, inner tepals glabrous, papery; tepals 1.2–1.5 mm long; stamens 8, 1–1.5 mm long, filaments filiform 1 mm long, anthers 0.5 mm long; ovary 2–2.5 mm long, trigonous, glabrous, style 3, 1 mm long. Fruit acrosarcum, 15–17 mm long, 5–7 mm diameter, ovoid, apex acute, base truncate or rounded, not abruptly contracted at junction with pedicel, dark brown to black, glabrous; hypanthium accrescent, succulent, almost completely enclosing achene, tepals accrescent, erect at the apex tuberculate of the achene, forming a crown. Achene not seen.

Etymology:—This species is named in honor to the French botanist Charles Plumier (1646–1704), whose most important work is “Description des plantes de l’Amérique”.

Phenology:—Flowers from April to May; and fruits from August to September.

Distribution and ecology:— Coccoloba plumieri is endemic to Jamaica ( Fig. 16C ), inhabits wooded limestone hillside, at elevations of 700 m.

Provisional conservation status:—Given the extremely narrow geographic distribution (AOO= 20 km 2) and the small number of occurrences (five). Neither of the two occurrences are located within protected natural areas. Furthermore, occurrences are found within or around vegetation severely fragmented by urban growth and agriculture. Under the IUCN Red List criteria ( IUCN Standards and Petitions Committee 2024), we propose a preliminary IUCN Red List Assessment of Vulnerable [VU D2]. Any future documentation of negative population trends, increased threats, or lapses in appropriate fire management that would degrade habit quality would likely change the assessment toward Endangered under the B criteria.

Specimens examined: — JAMAICA. [Without locality], 1858, W. T. March 1941 ( GOET). Manchester: Moorlands estate, 2 miles northeast of Spur Tree, Wooded limestone hill, 05 Jul. 1955, 2500 ft, R.A. Howard & G. Proctor 14439 ( MO, NY, US) ; Moorlands estate, W miles northeast of Spur Tree, 24 Aug 1955, G.R. Proctor 10593 ( NY) ; Mandeville to Brown’s Town, 3–7 Sep 1908, N.L. Britton 3233 ( NY). Saint Ann: Soho, A large tree up to 60 ft., 17°55’59”N 076°27’00”W, 1400 ft, 13 May 1915, W.H. Harris 12023 ( MO, NY, US) ; Moneague , 9 Apr 1850, Marck s.n. (K). Saint Elizabeth: Pepper, parish of St. Elizabeth, 14 Mar 1931, G.S. Miller 1366 ( US) ; Westmoreland: Town Head to Bushmout, 400 ft, 27 Dec 1962, C.D. Adams 12025 ( MO) .

Figures

FIGURE 16. A. Specimen of Coccoloba plumieri (G.R. Proctor 10593, NY); B. Portion of inflorescence and fruits; C. Geographical distribution.