Buddleja blattaria

Buddleja blattaria
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Genus: Buddleja
Species: B. blattaria
Binomial name
Buddleja blattaria
J. F. Macbr.

Buddleja blattaria is a small shrub endemic to the regions of Piura and Cajamarca in northern Peru.[1] The species was first described and named by J. F. Macbride in 1934.[2]

Description

B. blattaria is a dioecious shrub, < 1 m tall, with brown fissured bark. The young branches are quadrangular and covered with thick tomentum. The leaves are sessile elliptic or oblong-elliptic, 410 cm long by 1.53 cm wide, lanose on both surfaces. The white or cream inflorescence is 38 cm long, comprising sessile flowers borne on one terminal and 13 pairs of globose heads below, in the axils of small leaves, each head 12  cm diameter with 2040 flowers, the corolla 5  mm long.[1]

The species is very similar to B. jamesonii found to the north in southern Ecuador but differs from the latter in having larger leaves with crenate margins, and lacks the foliose axillary branches. B. jamesonii is also trioecious.[1]

Cultivation

The shrub is not known to be in cultivation.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Norman, E. M. (2000). Buddlejaceae. Flora Neotropica 81. New York Botanical Garden, USA
  2. Macbride, J. F. (1934) Candollea 5: 399, 1934.
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