Duguetia tobagensis
Encyclopedia
Duguetia tobagensis is a small tree in the plant family Annonaceae
which is endemic to Trinidad and Tobago
. The species is only known from Tobago
.
s with 2 to 4 flowers. The petals are cream-coloured, 12 – long and 4–7 mm (0.15748031496063–0.275590551181102 ) wide. The fruit of the species has never been collected.
in 1921. Urban's description was based on a collection made by Walter Elias Broadway in Tobago in 1912. It was transferred to the genus Duguetia
by Robert Elias Fries
in 1934.
Duguetia tobagensis is very similar to D. pycnastera. In their 2001 monograph on the genus Duguetia Paul Maas and colleagues expressed doubts as to whether the two plants were actually different species, but preferred to keep the two species separate, at least until collections could be made of the fruit of D. tobagensis.
, the authors of a recent assessment of the endemic plant species of Trinidad and Tobago considered it a vulnerable species
, as it is known from fewer than five localities.
Annonaceae
Annonaceae, also called the custard apple familyis a family of flowering plants consisting of trees, shrubs or rarely lianas.With about 2300 to 2500 species and more than 130 genera,...
which is endemic to Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
. The species is only known from Tobago
Tobago
Tobago is the smaller of the two main islands that make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located in the southern Caribbean, northeast of the island of Trinidad and southeast of Grenada. The island lies outside the hurricane belt...
.
Description
Dugetia tobagensis is a small tree, the height of which is unknown. The leaves are 6 to 16 cm (2.4 to 6.3 in) long and 2.5 to 6.5 cm (0.984251968503937 to 2.6 in) wide. Flowers are borne among the leaves on inflorescenceInflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s with 2 to 4 flowers. The petals are cream-coloured, 12 – long and 4–7 mm (0.15748031496063–0.275590551181102 ) wide. The fruit of the species has never been collected.
Taxonomy
The species was first described as Alcmene tobagensis by German botanist Ignatz UrbanIgnatz Urban
Ignatz Urban was a German botanist. He is known for his contributions to the flora of the Caribbean and Brazil, and for his work as curator of the Berlin Botanical Garden. Born the son of a brewer, Urban showed an interest in botany as an undergraduate...
in 1921. Urban's description was based on a collection made by Walter Elias Broadway in Tobago in 1912. It was transferred to the genus Duguetia
Duguetia
Duguetia is a genus of trees and shrubs in the plant family Annonaceae with approximately 90 species in central and South America, and four species in west Africa.- Species :*Duguetia aberrans Maas *Duguetia adiscandra Jans.-Jac....
by Robert Elias Fries
Robert Elias Fries
Robert Elias Fries , the youngest son of Thore M. Fries and grandson of Elias Magnus Friesand an expert on mushrooms...
in 1934.
Duguetia tobagensis is very similar to D. pycnastera. In their 2001 monograph on the genus Duguetia Paul Maas and colleagues expressed doubts as to whether the two plants were actually different species, but preferred to keep the two species separate, at least until collections could be made of the fruit of D. tobagensis.
Distribution
Duguetia tobagensis is known from only four collections, all from Tobago. It was first collected in 1912 by Walter Elias Broadway, a Trinidad-based plant collector and botanist. It was again collected by Broadway in 1914, and then by Kew botanist Noel Yvri Sandwith in 1937. A fourth collection was made in 2000 in the Main Ridge Forest Reserve in Tobago.Conservation status
Although Duguetia tobagensis is not listed in the IUCN Red ListIUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
, the authors of a recent assessment of the endemic plant species of Trinidad and Tobago considered it a vulnerable species
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
, as it is known from fewer than five localities.