Psychotria marginata

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Psychotria marginata
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Rubiaceae
Genus: Psychotria
Species:
P. marginata
Binomial name
Psychotria marginata
Sw.
Synonyms
  • Myrstiphyllum marginatum (Sw.) Hitchc. (1893)
  • Uragoga marginata (Sw.) Kuntze (1891)
  • Psychotria nicaraguensis Benth. (1853)
  • Uragoga nicaraguensis (Benth.) Kuntze (1891)
Psychotria marginata (29288841922).jpg

Psychotria marginata is a tropical shrub in the gardenia family (Rubiaceae) and native to Central America. [1]

Contents

Distribution and habitat

The species occurs from southern Mexico into tropical South America and grows primarily in wet biomes. [1]

Ecology

Leaves feature pits approximately 1 mm in width that offer habitat to aggressive mites which protect the leaves against other herbivorous species. Dry-season and wet-season leaves are superficially similar but have substantial physiological differences, as the former require only half as much water to create sugar. [2]

References

  1. 1 2 "Psychotria marginata Sw". Plants of the World Online.
  2. Ziegler, Christian; Leigh Jr., Egbert Giles (2002). A Magic Web. New York: Oxford Univ. Press. p. 94. ISBN   0-19-514328-0.