Posoqueria latifolia

Posoqueria latifolia
On Bastimentos Island, Panama
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Rubiaceae
Genus: Posoqueria
Species:
P. latifolia
Binomial name
Posoqueria latifolia
(Rudge) Schult.
Subspecies

See here

Synonyms[2]
  • Solena latifolia Rudge
  • Tocoyena latifolia (Rudge) Poir.

Posoqueria latifolia, also known as Needle Flower Tree,[3][4] is a species of shrub or tree in the family Rubiaceae[5] native to the region spanning from Mexico to tropical South America.[2] Its most remarkable feature is the floral tube of the white flower, which is only 2 or 3 mm wide, but up to 17 cm (6.7 in) long.[6] It is pollinated by a sphinx moth.

Description

Vegetative characteristics

Posoqueria latifolia is a 3–25 m tall shrub or tree[5] with smooth, gray bark[7] and numerous branches.[8]

Generative characteristics

The terminal inflorescence bears pedicellate, tubular,[9] elongate, sphingophilous,[10] nectariferous,[11] fragrant,[8] conspicuous, white flowers.[7] The flower has five petals.[12] The yellow fruit[3][8] bears numerous seeds.[8]

Cytology

The chromosome count is 2n = 32, 34, or 36.[13]

Taxonomy

It was first described as Solena latifolia Rudge by Edward Rudge in 1805.[9][14] It was transferred to the genus Posoqueria Aubl. as Posoqueria latifolia (Rudge) Schult. by Josef August Schultes in 1819.[2][15] Sometimes Josef August Schultes and Johann Jacob Roemer are credited with the transfer.[16][17]

Etymology

The specific epithet latifolia means broad-leaved.[11][12][18]

Subspecies

It has two subspecies:[2]

  • Posoqueria latifolia subsp. gracilis (Rudge) Steyerm.
  • Posoqueria latifolia subsp. latifolia

Distribution and habitat

It occurs in lowland tropical rainforest and in cloud forests[1] of Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.[2]

Ecology

The flowers are moth-pollinated.[10] The fruit is eaten by mammals.[10] The seeds are dispersed by animals,[12][11] such as monkeys.[11]

Conservation

The IUCN conservation status is Least Concern (LC).[1]

Use

The sweet[10][11] or poorly flavoured,[8] yellow fruit[3] is edible.[11][8][10] It is used as an ornamental plant.[8][10]

Common names

It has many common names: Needle Flower Tree, Tree Jasmine,[3][4] Guayaba de Mono,[7] Boca de vieja.,[10] Azuceno de monte,[12] and baga-de-macaco.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b c Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group, Cornejo-Tenorio, G., Ibarra-Manríquez, G. & Lorea Hernández, F. 2019. Posoqueria latifolia. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T136791302A136791304. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T136791302A136791304.en. Accessed on 17 September 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e Posoqueria latifolia (Rudge) Schult. (n.d.). Plants of the World Online. Retrieved September 17, 2025, from https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/1079607-2
  3. ^ a b c d Posoqueria latifolia. (n.d.). Denver Botanic Gardens. Retrieved September 17, 2025, from http://navigate.botanicgardens.org/weboi/oecgi2.exe/INET_ECM_DispPl?NAMENUM=23701
  4. ^ a b Government of Singapore. (n.d.). Posoqueria latifolia. NParks Flora & Fauna Web. Retrieved September 17, 2025, from https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/flora/7/2/7245
  5. ^ a b Gomes, M. & Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro. (n.d.). Posoqueria latifolia (Rudge) Schult. Flora E Funga Do Brasil. Retrieved September 17, 2025, from https://floradobrasil.jbrj.gov.br/FB14150
  6. ^ Fayaz, Ahmed (2011). Encyclopedia of Tropical Plants. Buffalo, N.Y.: Firefly Books. p. 579. ISBN 978-1-55407-489-1.
  7. ^ a b c Harmon, P. (2024, July 11). Posoqueria latifolia. Trees of Costa Rica’s Pacific Slope. Retrieved September 17, 2025, from https://crtrees.org/species-accounts/posoqueria-latifolia/
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Criley, R. A. (2021, February). Expanding Tree Diversity in Hawai‘i’s Landscapes: Needle Flower, Posoqueria latifolia. College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR).
  9. ^ a b Rudge, Edward. (1805). Plantarum Guianae rariorum icones et descriptiones hactenus ineditae (Vol. 1, p. 26). Sumptibus auctoris. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/57849789
  10. ^ a b c d e f g Posoqueria latifolia. (2022, April 25). Osa Arboretum. Retrieved September 17, 2025, from https://osa-arboretum.org/plant/posoqueria-latifolia/
  11. ^ a b c d e f g Posoqueria latifolia. (n.d.-b). Programa Arboretum. Retrieved September 17, 2025, from https://www.programaarboretum.eco.br/especie/177/baga-de-macaco
  12. ^ a b c d Azuceno de monte (Posoqueria latifolia). (n.d.-b). Catálogo Virtual De Flora Del Valle De Aburrá. Retrieved September 17, 2025, from https://catalogofloravalleaburra.eia.edu.co/species/211
  13. ^ Kiehn, M., & Berger, A. (2020). Neotropical Rubiaceae: Synthesis of chromosome data from Costa Rican taxa, with insights on the systematics of the family. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, 105(4), 423–458. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27098317
  14. ^ Solena latifolia Rudge. (n.d.). International Plant Names Index. Retrieved September 17, 2025, from https://www.ipni.org/n/315601-2
  15. ^ Linné, Carl von, Römer, J. J., Schultes, Joseph August, Schultes, Julius Hermann, Sprengel, Kurt Polycarp Joachim, & Cotta, J. G. (1817). Caroli a Linné ... Systema vegetabilium :secundum classes, ordines, genera, species. Cum characteribus, differentiis et synonymiis (Vol. 5, p. 227). Sumtibus J.G. Cottae. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/714939
  16. ^ Posoqueria latifolia (Rudge) Roem. & Schult. (n.d.). International Plant Names Index. Retrieved September 17, 2025, from https://www.ipni.org/n/1079607-2
  17. ^ Missouri Botanical Garden. (n.d.-b). Posoqueria latifolia (Rudge) Roem. & Schult. Tropicos. Retrieved September 17, 2025, from https://www.tropicos.org/name/27903354
  18. ^ Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2025). Flora of Zimbabwe: Species information: Oxalis latifolia. https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=132820, retrieved 17 September 2025
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posoqueria_latifolia