Cinchona capuli

Cinchona capuli
Preserved specimen of Cinchona capuli, consisting of brown twigs, leaves, and fruits
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Rubiaceae
Genus: Cinchona
Species:
C. capuli
Binomial name
Cinchona capuli
L.Andersson

Cinchona capuli is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae. It is a tree with papery leaves, reddish flowers, and capsule fruits. The species is native to Ecuador.

Cinchona capuli was described in 1994, and is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN.

Taxonomy

The species was described by Bengt Lennart Andersson in 1994.

Distribution

Cinchona capuli is native to the wet tropical biome of central and southern Ecuador. It grows in the eastern Andes,: 34  at elevations of 900–3,000 metres (3,000–9,800 ft).

Description

Cinchona capuli is a tree. It grows up to 18 metres (59 ft) high, and 40 centimetres (16 in) wide at breast height.: 34 

The leaves are thin, elliptical to obovate, papery when dry, 6.1–21 centimetres (2.4–8.3 in) long, and 2.6–6.2 centimetres (1.0–2.4 in) wide. The leaves have domatia. The leaf stems are 1–1–2.2 centimetres (0.39–0.39–0.87 in) long.: 34 

The calyx is 1.8–2.5 millimetres (0.071–0.098 in) long, and has 0.6–0.9 millimetres (0.024–0.035 in) long lobes. The corolla is a reddish tube, measuring 8.2–9.2 millimetres (0.32–0.36 in) long. The corolla has 3.8–4.6 millimetres (0.15–0.18 in) long lobes.: 34 

The fruits is a dehiscent, more or less cylindrical capsule, measuring 13–30 millimetres (0.51–1.18 in) long, and 5–6 millimetres (0.20–0.24 in) wide. The endocarp is papery. The seeds are 7.3–8.5 millimetres (0.29–0.33 in) long, and 0.8–2.3 millimetres (0.031–0.091 in) wide.: 34 

Cinchona capuli is similar to Cinchona pubescens, Cinchona barbacoensis, or Cinchona lancifolia.: 34 

Conservation

In 2024, the IUCN assessed Cinchona capuli as Near Threatened.

Nomenclature

In Spanish, the species is known as Hoja de capulí.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Román, R.; Fernández Fernández, D.; Palacios, W.A. (2026). "Hoja de capulí". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (in Spanish). 2026 e.T46006A228544672. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2026-1.RLTS.T46006A228544672.es. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
  2. ↑ "Cinchona capuli L.Andersson". International Plant Names Index (IPNI). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Harvard University Herbaria & Libraries; Australian National Botanic Gardens.
  3. 1 2 "Cinchona capuli". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Andersson, Lennart (30 January 1998). A revision of the genus Cinchona (Rubiaceae-Cinchoneae). Bronx, N.Y., U.S.A: New York Botanical Garden. ISBN 0893274178. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  5. ↑ "Cinchona capuli L.Andersson". CatalogueOfLife.org. Catalogue of Life. Retrieved 25 August 2026.