Rubiaceae of the New World

By Piero Delprete and Rocio Cortés
 

GEOPHILA D. Don

Geophila repens              Guyana                    Photo P. Maas

Synonyms: Carinta W. F. Wight; Geocardia Standley

Trailing herbs; raphides present; axillary thorns absent. Stipules interpetiolar, free at base, broadly triangular, ovate or bifid, sheathing at base, with two small (non-foliose) lobes each side, persistent. Leaves opposite, long-petiolate, blades cordate, membranaceous or chartaceous; foliar pellucid glands absent; domatia absent. Inflorescence axillary, cymose or capitate, pauciflorous. Flowers bisexual. Calyx cup-shaped, with small lobes, persistent, lobes 5 to 7, narrowly triangular or linear, minute or small. Calycophylls absent. Corolla hypocrateriform or broadly infundibuliform, actinomorphic, white to cream-white; tube externally glabrous, internally puberulent, with a pubescent ring at stamens insertion point inside; orifice annular thickening absent; lobes (4) 5 to 7, valvate, ovate, acute at apex. Stamens alternate to the corolla lobes, partially exserted (only tips exserted); anthers linear, round at base, round or acute at apex, dehiscing by longitudinal slits, dorsifixed near the middle; filaments attached at the middle of the corolla tube, free at base, filiform, short (anthers subsessil), equal, glabrous. Style included, filiform throughout, glabrous; lobes 2. Ovary inferior, 2-locular, ovoid; placentation axile, ovules 1 per locule. Fruit a berry, with juicy mesocarp. Seeds vertical; wings absent.

Geographic distribution: Northern Central America (up to southern Mexico), southern Central America, northern Chocó area, southern Chocó area, West Indies, Magdalena-Llanos area, Napo-Marañón drainage, southwestern Amazon Basin, western Amazon Basin, Guayana Shield, central Amazon basin, eastern Amazon basin, Brazilian Atlantic coast, Brazilian planalto, Rio Paraná drainage. A pantropical genus of about 20 species.

Number of species: 10.