Identifying Mesechites sp. on Hispaniola

Both Powo and Flora of the West Indies (available from https://naturalhistory2.si.edu/botany/WestIndies/catalog.htm ) agree that there just two species of Mesechites on Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic): Mesechites angustifolius and Mesechites repens.

Both species have been included in the book "On the Apocynaceae of South America" (1878) by John Miers on pages 229 and 230 respectively. These pages are available online here
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/37510523
And here
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/37510524
Aaccording to this publication the two species are easy to tell apart as M. repens has red flowers and M. angustifolius has white flowers.

As for the Moment, i am finding 14 observations of Mesechites from Hispaniola on iNat. 3 have been identified as Mesechites roseus (a Cuban endemic) based on their redish flowers. One has been identified as Mesechites citrifolius (from Columbia). And one yellow (sic!) flowered Apocynaceae has been identified as Mesechites angustifolius. The remaining 9 are without species level identification. The current species level identifications for Mesechites seem all wrong and have to be fixed. Which should be easy given the characters in "On the Apocynaceae of South America" as linked above.

Publicado el octubre 22, 2024 01:17 TARDE por mreith