Ficus macrosyce Pittier (1937: 54)

Pederneiras, Leandro Cardoso, Mansano, Vidal De Freitas & Romaniuc-Neto, Sergio, 2017, Taxonomic synopsis of the Ficus sect. Pharmacosycea (Moraceae) from Colombia, Phytotaxa 313 (1), pp. 1-22 : 11-12

10. Ficus macrosyce Pittier (1937: 54) .

Type:— VENEZUELA. Distrito Federal: Caracas, Selvas del Avila, Mar 1937, E. Delgado 39 (lectotype designated by DeWolf (1965): VEN!).

Terrestrial trees, 10–40 m tall. Leaf blade 16–31 cm long, 11–17 cm wide, elliptic, apex acute to rounded or cuspidate, base cuneate to rounded, glabrous adaxially, hispid, puberulent to glabrous abaxially, secondary veins 9–14 pairs; petiole 3.5–9.0 cm long, glabrous, periderm flaking off; stipules caducous, 3.0–6.0 cm long, hispid. Syconia solitary; peduncle 5.0– 15 mm long, hispid; lateral bracts absent; receptacle 2.0– 2.5 cm in diam. when dry, verrucose, hispid, apex crateriform ( Fig. 6A, B ).

Distribution and habitat in Colombia: — Antioquia, Cundinamarca, Magdalena, Norte de Santander and Risaralda, in montane forests at 1000–1700 m elevation ( Fig. 5 ).

Selected specimens: — COLOMBIA. Antioquia: Urrao, Corregimiento Encarnación, Parque Nacional de Las Orquídeas, Callejas R. 2697 (HUA, NY); Rionegro, Parque Nacional Natural Las Orquideas, Cogollo 2647 (COL, JAUM); Urrao, Parque Nacional Natural Las Orquídeas, veredas Calles, Londoño 80 (HUA); Urrao, Parque de Las Orquídeas, Rentería E. 3844 (HUA, JAUM).— Cundinamarca: Viotá, Enrique 70 (COL).— Magdalena: Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, leste de Quebrada Indiana, Kirkbride 2159 (COL, NY, US); Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Magdalena, Alto Río Guachaca, Madriñán 140 (COL, GH, K, NY); Alto Río Buritaca, Ciudad Perdida, Madriñan 366 (GH); Santa Marta, Valparaiso, Smith 1453 (GH, K, NY, P, US).—Norte de Santander: Cordillera oriental, región del Sarare, Cuatrecasas 12386 (COL, F, K, US); Cordillera oriental, región del Sarare, hoya del Río Margua entre Junín y Córdoba, Cuatrecasas 13366 (COL, F, US).—Risaralda: Pereira, entre el corregimiento La Florida y el Santuario de Flora y Fauna Otún-Quimbaya, Vargas 7911 (HUA).

Notes— Ficus macrosyce was considered a synonym of Ficus tonduzii by DeWolf (1965), Berg & Simonis (2000), and Berg (2009), but the first species differs from F. tonduzii mainly by peduncle (0.5–1.5 vs. 0.1–0.2 cm long) and the the apex of the syconium (crateriform vs. rounded).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Distribution of Ficus gigantosyce, F. insipida, F. macrosyce, F. maxima, F. mexicana, F. mutisii and F. pulchella in Colombia based on herbarium specimens.

FIGURE 6. Twigs with syconia and stipules. A, B. Ficus macrosyce (Cogollo 2647, Londono 80). C. F. maxima (Renteria 1829). D. F. mexicana (Cuatrecasas 16118).