Christiana africana DC.
Creators: name: Coutinho, Thales Silva
name: Barbosa-Silva, Rafael G.
name: Dorr, Laurence J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Malvales
Malvaceae
Christiana
Christiana africana

description: 1.Christiana africanaDC., Prodr. 1: 516. 1824.
Figs 1 A, B, 2, 3 A
Christiana cordifolia Hook. f., Niger Fl. 238. 1849. Type. Nigeria, Quorra, oppos [ite] Stirling, s. d. (fr), T. Vogel 200 (lectotype, here designated: K [K 000241734; digital image!]; isolectotypes: K [K 000241733; digital image!], K [K 000241735; digital image!]).
Carpodiptera schomburgkii Baill., Adansonia 10: 181. 1872. (“ Carpodiptera? Schomburgkii ”). Type. Guyana [“ British Guiana ”]. Sine loc., [1840] (fl), R. H. Schomburgk 800 [= ser. I, 800] (lectotype, here designated: P [P 02143016]!; isolectotypes: B † [= F neg. no. 9254], K [K 000381143]!, K [K 000381144]!, P [P 02143017]!, U [U 0006904]!, U [U 0006905]!, W [W 0002458]!).
Christiana madagascariensis Baill., Bull. Soc. Linn. Paris 1 (68): 542. 1885 (“ C [hristiana]? madagascariensis ”). Type. Madagascar. Semberano [sic], Dec 1879 (fl), J. M. Hildebrandt 3262 (lectotype, here designated: P [P 00077799; digital image!]; isolectotypes: JE [JE 00003688; digital image!], K [K 000241730; digital image!], P [P 00077800!], W [1889-0089776]!).
Speirostyla tiliifolia Baker, J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 25 (171): 299, pl. 50. 1889 (“ tiliæfolia ”). Type. Madagascar. Sembirano [sic], Dec 1879 (fl), J. M. Hildebrandt 3262 (first-step lectotype, designated by Capuron, 1963, pg. 93, second-step lectotype, here designated: K [K 000241730; digital image!]; isolectotypes: JE [JE 00003688; digital image!], P [P 00077799; digital image!], P [P 00077800; digital image!], W [1889-0089776]!).
Type.
Congo. Sine loc., s. d. (fr), C. Smith s. n. (lectotype designated by Mabberley in Capuron and Mabberley 1999, pg. 22): BM [BM 000795022; digital image!]; isolectotypes: GH [GH 00247483]!, K [K 000241731; digital image], K [K 000241732; digital image!], MO [MO-036957] [n. v.], P [P 00368004; digital image!]).
Description.
Trees, 2–16 m tall. Leaves: petioles 6–12 cm long, leaf blades 33 × 20.5–21 cm, widely ovate, concolorous to discolorous, bases cordate, margins entire, apices acuminate, stellate trichomes above and below. Inflorescences long peduncled; flowers attached on second or third order axes. Capsules apocarpous, 1.2–1.3 cm long, depressed-globose, wings absent.
Distribution and habitat
(Fig. 2). Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Guyana, Ecuador, and Brazil (Ceará, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Pará, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro, Rondônia, Roraima and Tocantins), Central and West Africa, and Madagascar. In Brazil, Tschá et al. (2002) indicated the species occurred in Alagoas state but the specimen they cited (M. T. Monteiro 22831) is actually a species of Cordiaceae.
Phenology.
Flowering and fruiting specimens collected throughout the year.
Conservation status.
A widespread species, Christiana africana can be assessed as Least Concern (LC) according to IUCN (2012) criteria.
Vernacular names.
Mexico: Patashtillo; Belize: Palo mulato; Nicaragua: Palo piedra; Costa Rica: Piedra; Venezuela: Cabeza de negro, however this common name is possibly misapplied as it usually refers to Apeiba tibourbou Aubl. (Malvaceae, Grewioideae); Ecuador: Balsa real; and Brazil: Caaguassu, coração, fruta-de-pombo, gargaúba, and jangada.
Etymology.
The specific epithet refers to the African continent, where the type was collected.
Additional specimens examined.
Mexico. Chiapas: La Gloria, al E de Salto de Agua, 80 m, 17 Jun 1952 (fl), F. Miranda 7536 (US). Mpio. Ococingo, a 3 km al S de Frontera Corozoza, sobre la orilla del río Usumacinata, 120 m, 2 Oct 1984 (fl), E. Martínez S. 7983 (NY, 2 sheets). Mpio Ocosingo, al N de la Estación Chajul, camino a la Petatillera, 25 May 1999 (fr), S. Sinaca C. 2624 (NY).
Belize [“ British Honduras ”]. Sine loc., 1926 (fl), H. W. Winzerling III. 7 (US). Nicaragua. Río San Juan: Rio San Juan, bosque situado al Oeste del Poblado de Boca de Sábalos (finca de Simeón Parrales Ulloa), 11 ° 03 ' N, 084 ° 31 ' W, 17 Jul 1994 (fl bud), R. Rueda et al. 2097 (US!). Without province: “ E. Nicaragua, ” 1949 (st), P. J. Shank 118 [= Museum Yale School of Forestry Ser. No. 46904] (WIS). Costa Rica. Alajuela: Canton de Los Chiles, R. N. V. S. Caño Negro, Llanuras de Los Guatusos, Caño Negro, 10 ° 54 ' 50 " N, 084 ° 46 ' 05 " W, 40 m, 17 Feb 1994 (fr), J. F. Morales et al. 2386 (K, MO, NY). R. N. V. S. Caño Negro, Los Chiles. Caño Negro, camino a Playuelas, 10 ° 50 ' 10 " N, 084 ° 50 ' 02 " W, 40 m, 18 Feb 1994 (fr), V. Ramírez et al. 261 (NY, US).
Venezuela. Bolívar: Parque Caroní, San Félix-Pto. Ordaz, Sep l 965 (fl, fr), L. Aristeguieta 5872 (NY, VEN, 3 sheets). Zulia: Dtto. Colón, alrededores de Casigua El Cubo, sector Los Manueles, vía Casigua-Palmira, cerca de la aldea Querrequerre, unos 12–15 km al N de Casigua, 31 Jul 1979 (im fr), G. S. Bunting & M. Fucci 7749 (NY, VEN). Guyana. U. Takutu-U. Essequibo Region: 0–4 km N of Dadanawa, 100–120 m, 02 ° 50 ' N, 059 ° 31 ' W, 1 Jul 1989 (fl), L. J. Gillespie 1949 (NY, US); Kanuku Mts., Rupununi R., Bush Mouth near Witaru Falls, 90–120 m, 03 ° 04 ' N, 059 ° 28 ' W, 11 Feb 1985 (fr). M. J. Jansen-Jacobs et al. 154 (US); Rupununi Distr., Dadanawa, 120 m, 9 Jun 1995 (fl), M. J. Jansen-Jacobs et al. 4000 (NY, U [digital image], US), ibid., 120 m, 10 Jun 1995 (fl), M. J. Jansen-Jacobs et al. 4019 (NY, U [digital image], US); Siriuma [sic], Sep 1842 (fl), M. R. Schomburgk 759 (A, B †); Roraima, 1842–43 (fl bud), R. H. Schomburgk 474 (G, P, 2 sheets, W, 2 sheets). Ecuador. Guayas: Bosque protector Cerro Blanco, hacía la fabrica de cemento, 02 ° 10 ' S, 079 ° 58 ' W, 250 m, 18 Mar 2003 (fl), X. Cornejo & C. Bonifaz 7615 (US). El Oro: Cerca a El Porvenir, 80 m, 15 Apr May 1979 (fr), L. Albert de Escobar 1171 (QCA); Bosque Petrificado Puyango, al Norte Puyango, 03 ° 52 ' S, 080 ° 04 ' W, 450 m, 1 Jun 1995 (fr), X. Cornejo et al. 4007 (US); Puyango and vicinity, 300–900 m, Aug 1978 (fr), D. C. Daly 043 (NY). Loja: Bosque Petrificado Puyango, al Este Puyango, 03 ° 52 ' S, 080 ° 04 ' W, 300 m, 13 Apr 1996 (fl), X. Cornejo & C. Bonifaz 5026 (US); Bosque Petrificado Puyango, camino a Querada Quemazones, 03 ° 52 ' S, 080 ° 04 ' W, 300 m, 14 Apr 1996 (fl), X. Cornejo & C. Bonifaz 5054 (US). Brazil. Ceará: “ M. N. Plantas da Comm. Scient. da Prov. Do Ceará, ” s. d. (fr / st), Fr. Allemão & M. de Cysneiros 136 (P, 2 sheets, R, 2 sheets). Maranhão: Fazenda São Francisco, estrada Alto Alegre-Lago Verde km 9, Município de Lago Verde, 21 Mar 1985 (st), A. B. Anderson et al. 2026 (NY); Fazenda São Francisco, 11 km N of Km 337 of BR 316, 04 ° 00 ' S, 044 ° 56 ' W, 25 Sep 1980 (fr), D. C. Daly et al. D 260 (INPA [digital image], NY, US); Codó, 18 Jun 1907 (fl), A. Ducke HG 610 (INPA [digital image]); Sine loc., BR 135, Km 41–42, 18 Feb 1979 (fr), A. Fernandes et al. s. n. (EAC 5580 [digital image]); Maracassumé River Region, Campo do Cusins [sic, Caixas], 9 Sep 1932 (fr), R. Froes 1874 (A, K, MICH, MO, NY, US, WAG [digital image], WIS); Beira do Rio Itacaiuna, Surubim, 19 Jun 1949 (fr), L. Fróes & G. A. Black 24607 (NY, US); Estreito, ao lado da agrofloresta da fazenda Balneário rio das Pedras, 22 Feb 2005 (fr), G. Pereira-Silva et al. 9585 (CEN [digital image]); Estreito, margen direita do Rio Tocantins / foz do Rio Feio, 14 Jan 2008 (fl), G. Pereira-Silva et al. 12610 (CEN [digital image]); Ilha dos Bótes, a duas léguas abaixo de Carolina, Rio Tocantins, 24 May 1950 (fr), J. M. Pires & G. A. Black 1981 (IAN [n. v.], UB [n. v.], US); Engenho, município de Vitória do Arari, Campo temporariamente alagado, Cerrado, 30 Jun 1978 (fr), N. A. Rosa 2484 (IAN [digital image], NY, U [digital image], UFG [n. v.]). Margem do Rio Grajaú, km 285 da Red. BR- 316, Campo temporiamente alagado, 15 Dec 1978 (fr), N. A. Rosa & H. Vilar 3003 (MG [n. v.], NY). Mato Grosso: Aripuanã, Salto dos Dardanelos, 10 ° 09 ' S, 059 ° 27 ' W, 11 Dec 1999 (fl), B. Dubs 2639 (K, NY, UFMT); Source of the Jatuarana River, Machado River region, 17 Dec 1931 (fl), B. A. Krukoff 1571 (A, K, MICH, NY, P, U [digital image]). Pará: São Geraldo do Araguaia, Santa Cruz do Araguaia, margem esquerda do rio Araguaia, 13 Jul 1995 (fr), I. Aragão & M. N. Bastos 207 (IAN [digital image], MFS [digital image]); São Geraldo do Araguaia, Parque Estadual da Serra dos Martírios-Andorinhas, 29 Aug 2018 (fr), L. Catarino & J. C. Freitas 2760 (IAN [digital image]); Rio Vermelho, região do Tocantins, 22 Apr 1951 (fl bud), R. L. Fróes 26955 (IAN [digital image], NY, RB [digital image]); [Santarém], Rio Curuatinga, Planalto de Santarém, onde fei feito o levantamento estatístico florestal pelo IAN, SPVEA e FAO, 11 Mar 1955 (fl), R. L. Fróes 31618 (IAN [digital image!], NY!); Beira do Rio Itacaiuna, Surubim, 19 Jun 1949 (fr), R. L. Fróes & G. A. Black 24607 (IAN [digital image], US); Sine loc., Rio Araguaia, região de Xambioá, 11 Mar 1961 (fr), E. Oliveira 1368 (IAN [digital image]); Rio São Manoel a 150 km da foz, limite Pará-Mato Grosso, várzea alta, 3 Jan 1952 (fl), J. M. Pires 3765 (IAN [n. v.], US); Alto Tapajós, frSão Raimundo, foz do Rio Cururu, margem esquerda, 16 May 1977 (fr), N. A. Rosa & M. R. Santos 1924 (K, INPA [digital image], NY); Tucuruí, Rio Tocantins, 03 Jun 1980 (fr), M. G. Silva 5337 (INPA [digital image]); Itaituba, São Luiz, margem do Rio Tapajós, 07 Oct 1977 (fr), M. Silva & L. Coêlho 2307 (INPA [digital image]); Breu Branco, Tucuruí, 3 Jun 1980 (fr), M. G. Silva & C. Rosário 5337 (IAN [digital image!], NY!). Pernambuco: São Lourenço da Mata, Estação Ecológica do Tapacurá, 08 ° 00 ' 46 " S, 034 ° 57 ' 01 " W, 17 Aug 2001 (fr), K. Almeida 183 (IPA [n. v.], CEN [digital image], NY); Recife, Mata de Dois Irmãos, 01 Jun 1950 (fl), D. Andrade-Lima 488 (IAN); Recife, Dois Irmãos, Mata dos Macacos, 15 Mar 2013 (fl), M. O. Barbosa et al. 1 (UFP [digital image]); Nazaré de Mata, 4 Jan 1959 (fl), J. Coêlho de Moraes 2036 (A); Pernambuco, 1838 (fl), G. Gardner s. n. (K); [São Lourenço da Mata] Tapera, 15 Apr 1967 (fl), A. Krapovickas 12871 (P); [São Lourenço da Mata] Tapera, border of the river Tapacurá, 10 Sep 1932 (fr), B. Pickel 3098 (US); Recife, entrada da Guabiraba, margem da mata de Dois Irmãos, 14 Apr 1962 (fl), S. Tavares 923 (HST [n. v.], UFP [digital image], US!); Camaragibe, Aldeia, 17 Feb 2013 (fl), J. E. L. Torres & W. B. Santos s. n. (HST 19975 [n. v.], HUEFS [000139628, digital image]). Rio de Janeiro: (Rio Janeiro) [illegible], s. d. (fr), A. Glaziou 10314 (K, NY, P); Rio de Janeiro, São Cristóvão, 16 Apr 1883 (fl), A. Glaziou 14513 (K, NY, P, R [digital image]; Rio Janeiro, Quinta, 12 Mar 1888 (st), A. Glaziou 16705 (BR [digital image], K, LY [digital image], P); (Rio Janeiro), Quinta, 12 Mar 1888 (fl), A. Glaziou 16709 (P); Vicinity of Rio de Janeiro & D’Ouro, A. Glaziou s. n. (P); Sine loc., s. d. (fr, st), A. Glaziou s. n. (NY p. p., P, US). Rondônia: Machadinho do Oeste, Tabajara, Rio Machado, 31 May 2015 (fr), N. C. Bigio et al. 1633 (RON [digital image], US); Sine loc., território de Rondônia, 13 Aug 1975 (fr), M. R. Cordeiro 541 (IAN [digital image]). Roraima: Boa Vista, ilha no meio do Rio Branco, ilha 1, parcela 2. Floresta de várzea; 15 Mar 2021 (fr); R. G. Barbosa-Silva 1466 (MG); Territorio do Rio Branco, Rio Branco, Fazendas São Bento, Capela e Bom Intento, 3 Sep 1951 (fr), G. A. Black 51-13316 (IAN [n. v.], P); Boa Vista, Rio Branco, 10 Sep 1943 (fr), A. Ducke 1387 (A, NY, US, 2 sheets); Boa Vista (near Guyana), Rio Branco, Jul 1913 (fl), J. G. Kuhlmann 3641 (U [digital image!]); Amazonas-Expedition, bei S. Marcos, Rio Branco, Jun 1909 (fl), E. Ule 7871 (B †, K [K 001214111; digital image], L [digital image], MG [n. v.]). Tocantins: Araguatins, margem do Rio Araguaia, 17 Apr 1976, (fl), J. E. de Paula 989 (UB). Without state or definite locality: “ Brazilian Amazon, ” received 11 Jul 1933, A. Ducke 189 [= Museum Yale School of Forestry Ser. No. 23651] (A); Altamira (PA) - Rio Xingu, Ilha Belo-Horizonte, 11 Oct 1986 (fr), S. A. de M. Souza et al. 253 (IAN [n. v.], MO).
Senegal. Tambacounda: Berge Gambie, 11 Dec 1948 (fr), J. - G. Adam 2465 (MO, P [digital image]); Nieri-ko, 26 Nov 1964 (fr), J. - G. Adam 20028 (MO). Guinea-Bissau. Porto de Canamine, 11 ° 08 ' 30 " N, 015 ° 02 ' 55 ' E, 8 Nov 1995 (fr), F. Malaisse & V. Claes 14838 (WAG [digital image]). Guinea. Forécariah Préfecture: Sikhourou, Moribaya, derrrièrre Kambilaya, a côté de la rivière Kitemou, 09 ° 41 ' 26.3 " N, 012 ° 51 ' 39.4 " W [sic], 215 m, 7 Dec 2022 (fr), G. Konomou et al. 1040 (K [digital image]). Mali. Kayes: Chutes des Félou près Kayes, 28 Nov 1958 (fr), P. Jaeger 5666 (P [digital image], WAG [digital image]). Sierra Leone. Kabala: Kruto, 6 Feb 1966 (st), J. - G. Adam 23590 (MO). Liberia. Nimba: Certos River bridge, E of Tapeta, 8 Oct 1961 (fr), A. G. Voorhoeve 520 (WAG, 2 sheets [digital images]). Côte d’Ivoire. 47 km S of Bavé, 09 ° 19 ' N, 004 ° 10 ' W [sic], 20 Jun 1968 (fl), J. Bokdam 2868 (K [n. v.], MO, WAG [digital image]); Lamto Station, riverine forest of Bandama River, 06 ° 15 ' N, 005 ° 03 ' W, 12 Jul 1968, F. J. Breteler 5280 (K [n. v.], US, WAG [digital image]). Ghana. Kwahu Tafo-Asuboni Rd., 24 Feb 1962 (fr), J. Deaw Sp 650 (MO, US). Ejura, Jun 1930 (fl), C. Vigne 2030 (A, MO, US). Togo. Plateaux Region: Badou, sur la route Badou-Danyi konta, Nov 1986 (fr), K. Akpagana 1155 (TOGO [digital image]). Nigeria. Ibadan, Hadan, Oyo Aroba Hills F. R., Line 40, 18 Oct 1943 (fr), A. P. D. Jones F. H. I. 4061 (K, MO). Cameroon. 1 km S of Badékok, W of km 45 of road, Yokadouma-Moloundou, left bank Badékok R., near conjunction with Boumba R., 475 m, 14 Jul 1965 (fl), A. J. M. Leeuwenberg 6108 (BR [digital image], MO, WAG [digital image]); Likombe-Pflanzung, 15–35 km NE von Victoria; 50–100 m, Regenwald, Dec 1928 (st), J. Mildbraed 10748 (A). Central African Republic. Région de Yalinga, Haut Oubangui, 1923–34 (fl), G. Le Testu 3887 (BR, 2 sheets [digital images], MO, P [digital image]). Republic of the Congo. Modzaka (Oubangui), May 1889 (fl bud), M. Thollon 63 (A, BR [digital image], MO, P [digital image]). Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mai-Ndombe: Bolobo (terr. Mushi), 25 Aug 1953 (fr), G. Gilbert 14716 (BR [digital image], NY, US). South Sudan [“ Anglo Egyptian Sudan ”]. Equatoria: River Sue, 40 mi NE of Yambio, 24 Aug 1938 (im fr), J. G. Myers 9376 (A). Tanzania [“ Tanganyika ”]. Utete Road, mile 10, 13 Jan 1940 (fl), J. H. Vaughan 2939 (BR [digital image]). Angola. Uige: Damba (Congo), Feb 1942 (fl), J. Gossweiler 13363 (LISC [digital image], WAG [digital image]). Madagascar. Antsiranana: Diana Region, Diana, Ambanja, Bemanevika, Bandrakorony, près d’une rivière affluente de la grande rivière de Bandrakorony sur la Péninsule d’Ampasindava, 13 ° 45 ' 45 " S, 047 ° 59 ' 09 " E, 47 m, 29 Jan 2000 (fl), C. Rakotovao et al. 4316 (TAN, US). Mahajanga: Près du village d’Analanambe, campement 1, direction W à 2 km, Anjiamangirana I, Antsohihy, 15 ° 09 ' 21 " S, 047 ° 44 ' 09 " E, 150 m, 26 May 2000 (fr), P. Ranaivojaona et al. 323 (P [n. v.], US). Without province: “ Chiefly from North-west Madagascar, ” recd. Sep 1887 (fl), R. Baron 5742 (syntype of Speirostyla tiliifolia: K, 2 sheets [K 000241728, K 000241729]).
Discussion.
Christiana africana is easily distinguished from its congeners as it is the only species with a fully apocarpous gynoecium and capsule.
The African-American distribution of Christiana africana is an unusual biogeographic pattern. Burret (1926) postulated a natural migration of Christiana from Madagascar westward to Africa and eastward via the Pacific to South America but there are no obvious adaptations for such long-distance dispersal and the American collections of C. africana do not support an indigenous presence; C. africana occurs sporadically and is invariably found in either secondary vegetation or near households. Kubitzki (1995), also confronted by the odd pantropical distribution of Christiana, simply reiterated Burret’s argument. There are relatively few examples of flowering plant taxa with an amphi-Atlantic disjunction (Thorne 1973; Renner 2004), which mostly can be attributed to long-distance dispersal. Renner (2004) suggested that unlike family or genus level disjunctions between America and Africa that fit this long-distance dispersal hypothesis, species level disjunctions often might be anthropogenic.
An alternative hypothesis is that Christiana africana, at least, was introduced into the Americas by African slaves during the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Superficially, its seeds resemble in shape, color, and lack of indumentum those of castor bean (mamona), Ricinus communis L. (Euphorbiaceae) (Fig. 3), which is native to Africa, and which was brought to the Americas by slaves as a medicinal plant (see e. g., Voeks 1997, 2013; Carney 2013). This would explain its atypical distribution in the Americas and the hypothesis could be tested by a detailed genomic analysis of African and American populations. The four other South American species of Christiana are clearly native and although collected infrequently, they are found in undisturbed habitats.
Christiana africana is “ pollinated ” (i. e., visited) by lepidoptera (fide Cornejo & Bonifaz 5054, in sched.).
Hooker (1849) based Christiana cordifolia Hook. f. on a Vogel collection housed in Kew. In this herbarium, there are three duplicates of Vogel 200, and we designate here one of them (K 000241734) as the lectotype of this name as it has Vogel’s detailed annotations about locality according to protologue.
Carpodiptera schomburgkii Baill. was described by Baillon (1872) based on a collection by R. H. Schomburgk (800) from Guyana. The material studied by Baillon is deposited in Paris (Stafleu and Cowan 1976) where there are now two duplicates of this collection. We designate here the most complete specimen with flowering branch (P 02143016) as lectotype. An isolectotype at P appears to have Baillon’s notes and sketches while an isolectotype at B † was annotated by Burret.
Baillon (1885) described Christiana madagascariensis Baill. based on a collection by Hildebrandt 3262 also housed in Paris. There are two duplicates of this collection now in this herbarium, and we designate one of them (P barcode P 00077799) as the lectotype as it not only is representative but also has Baillon’s detailed annotations about the species.
Speirostyla Baker was proposed by Baker (1889) as a new monotypic genus endemic to Madagascar. Simultaneously, he described S. tiliifolia Baker based on two syntypes: Baron 5742 and Hildebrandt 3262. Capuron (1963) distinguished between the syntype collections when he stated that the latter was the “ Typus ” of this name, but he failed to distinguish between duplicates of the Hildebrandt collection. A second-step lectotype therefore is designated here.
description: Published as part of Coutinho, Thales Silva, Barbosa-Silva, Rafael G. & Dorr, Laurence J., 2025, A synopsis of Christiana DC. (Malvaceae, Brownlowioideae), with a new species from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, pp. 33-56 in PhytoKeys 253 on pages 33-56, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.253.145350