Wimmeria mexicana
Encyclopedia
Wimmeria mexicana is a large shrub
or small tree
, often reaching 8 metres (26.2 ft) in height, that is common to southeast North America
, Oaxaca
, Chihuahua, and central to eastern Sonora
. It is commonly called Papelío and Algodoncillo.
. Young twigs, petioles
, and flower axils sometimes have short, tiny hairs, but are mostly glabrous. The crown
is spread out and sparse. The leaves, exstipulate and 2–6 cm in length, alternate and vary in shape
between lanceolate, elliptic, and obovate. Flowers tend to be 7.5–8 mm wide, white to cream colored, bisexual, with 5 petals on 5 sepal
s, and arranged
in axillary cyme. The fruits, 1–1.4 cm across, are papery, one-seeded, three-lobed samara
s, similar to species of Dodonaea
.
W. mexicana mass flowers around July to October, or often after heavy Autumn rain, attracting a large number of insects, particularly bee
s and flies
. The leaves have serrated edges due to insects.
, and cilantro.
's Icones Plantarum. W. confusa was named by William Hemsley in 1878, based on a plant collected by Karl Hartweg
. The same year, Ludwig Radlkofer
described W. pallida, based on the same Hartweg specimen as well as specimens collected by Thaddäus Haenke
(perhaps in Acapulco
) and Frederik Liebmann
. This was confusingly also called W. confusa in Biologia Centrali-Americana.
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
or small tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
, often reaching 8 metres (26.2 ft) in height, that is common to southeast North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
, Chihuahua, and central to eastern Sonora
Sonora
Sonora officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 72 municipalities; the capital city is Hermosillo....
. It is commonly called Papelío and Algodoncillo.
Description
The branches and trunk, 30 centimetres (11.8 in) in diameter, are erect to ascending, making it more tall than wide. Large, flaky, papery, gray plates cover its smooth, white barkBark
Bark is the outermost layers of stems and roots of woody plants. Plants with bark include trees, woody vines and shrubs. Bark refers to all the tissues outside of the vascular cambium and is a nontechnical term. It overlays the wood and consists of the inner bark and the outer bark. The inner...
. Young twigs, petioles
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
, and flower axils sometimes have short, tiny hairs, but are mostly glabrous. The crown
Crown (botany)
The crown of a plant refers to the totality of the plant's aboveground parts, including stems, leaves, and reproductive structures. A plant canopy consists of one or more plant crowns growing in a given area....
is spread out and sparse. The leaves, exstipulate and 2–6 cm in length, alternate and vary in shape
Leaf shape
In botany, leaf shape is characterised with the following terms :* Acicular : Slender and pointed, needle-like* Acuminate : Tapering to a long point...
between lanceolate, elliptic, and obovate. Flowers tend to be 7.5–8 mm wide, white to cream colored, bisexual, with 5 petals on 5 sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s, and arranged
Inflorescence
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...
in axillary cyme. The fruits, 1–1.4 cm across, are papery, one-seeded, three-lobed samara
Samara (fruit)
A samara is a type of fruit in which a flattened wing of fibrous, papery tissue develops from the ovary wall. A samara is a simple dry fruit and indehiscent . It is a winged achene...
s, similar to species of Dodonaea
Dodonaea
Dodonaea is a genus of about 70 species of flowering plants in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae, with a cosmopolitan distribution in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions of Africa, the Americas, southern Asia and Australasia. By far the highest species diversity is in Australia...
.
W. mexicana mass flowers around July to October, or often after heavy Autumn rain, attracting a large number of insects, particularly bee
Bee
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
s and flies
Fly
True flies are insects of the order Diptera . They possess a pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax...
. The leaves have serrated edges due to insects.
Uses
Wood from the tree is commonly used to make fence posts, house beams, and firelogs. Also, the Guarijío prepare an herbal tea, malo en el cuerpo (pain in the body), from W. mexicana, chamomileChamomile
Chamomile or camomile is a common name for several daisy-like plants of the family Asteraceae. These plants are best known for their ability to be made into an infusion which is commonly used to help with sleep and is often served with either honey or lemon. Because chamomile can cause uterine...
, and cilantro.
Taxonomy
Wimmeria confusa, a synonym of W. mexicana, was so named because it had been previously confused with Wimmeria concolor and was so figured in William HookerWilliam Jackson Hooker
Sir William Jackson Hooker, FRS was an English systematic botanist and organiser. He held the post of Regius Professor of Botany at Glasgow University, and was the first Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He enjoyed the friendship and support of Sir Joseph Banks for his exploring,...
's Icones Plantarum. W. confusa was named by William Hemsley in 1878, based on a plant collected by Karl Hartweg
Karl Theodor Hartweg
Karl Theodor Hartweg was a German botanist. He collected numerous new species of plants in Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico and California in the United States, collecting for the London Horticultural Society...
. The same year, Ludwig Radlkofer
Ludwig Adolph Timotheus Radlkofer
Ludwig Adolph Timotheus Radlkofer , was a noted Bavarian taxonomist and botanist, who was Professor of Botany at the University of Munich....
described W. pallida, based on the same Hartweg specimen as well as specimens collected by Thaddäus Haenke
Thaddäus Haenke
Thaddäus Xaverius Peregrinus Haenke was a geographer and explorer in South America.-Biography:Thaddaeus Haenke was born of ethnic German extraction in the Bohemian village of Kreibnitz , near the Sudeten Mountains in 1761...
(perhaps in Acapulco
Acapulco
Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...
) and Frederik Liebmann
Frederik Michael Liebmann
Frederik Michael Liebmann was a Danish botanist. Liebmann studied botany at the University of Copenhagen, although he never obtained a formal qualification. He went on study tours of Germany and Norway before becoming lecturer at the Danish Royal Veterinary and Agricultural College in 1837...
. This was confusingly also called W. confusa in Biologia Centrali-Americana.