5255
GRAY HERBARIUM HARVARD UNIVERSITY
PLANTS OF COLOMBIA
Basellaceae
Boussingaultia
Department of Cundinamarca, Southwest of Bogotá,
1 km. Northwest of the represa de Muña on the
road to El Colegio. Steep slopes Southwest of
the road overlooking the Rio Bogota. Dry rocky
slopes with hard clay soil, scrubby brush and
brambles. Succulent vine to 4.0 m. climbing
over brush. Inflorescence dense, much branched;
Flowers yellow-orange in bud, cream colored when
open, not expanding fully, becoming yellow-
orange then black when fruit is mature; perianth
surrounding fruit at maturity; fruit falling early;
flowers observed visited by many small flies.
Stems red or reddish, dextrosely twining, base of
stem very fleshy, with a brown papery epidermis at
base, sending up new shoots from base; leaves,
especially the larger, cordate, younger leaves
not obviously cordate, leaves reddish, the margins
card red, very fleshy, not producing tubercles in the
leaf axils; perianth segments not keeled, stamens
reflexed; anthers withering or falling quite
early; stigma capitate, not divided, scarcely
lobed but more or less triangular. Many seedlings
observed.
Coll. Calvin R. Sperling
No. 5255 3 October 1981