The genus Macrocarpaea, with 105 species and two hybrids of 0.5 m herbs, shrubs, epiphytes and small trees to 10 m tall, is the largest genus of the tribe Helieae of the gentian family (Gentianaceae). Species of Macrocarpaea have diurnal and nocturnal pollinators, visited during the day by hummingbirds, insects and butterflies, and at night by bats, moths and many different kinds of insects. The common name for the genus is 'Moon-gentian'. No species are known in cultivation.
Characteristics Species of this genus have white, cream, yellow to green flowers. Most have a large, open campanulate to funnel-form corolla adapted to nocturnal bat pollination. This genus is one of the few of the gentian family that have species with hairs on their leaves.
Distribution Macrocarpaea has a relatively broad distribution in mountainous regions of the Neotropics, the tropical parts of the New World in Mesoamerica and South America. The gentian tribe Helieae, to which Macrocarpaea belongs, is restricted to the Neotropics. The overall distribution pattern of Macrocarpaea is typical of many Neotropical taxa. The genus is found in five major geographic regions: the Andes [ranging from Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, to Bolivia] (85 species), southern Mesoamerica [Costa Rica and Panama] (6 species), the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean [Cuba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica] (3 species), the Pantepui of the Guayana Shield [Venezuela, and adjacent regions in Brazil and Guyana] (6 species), and southeastern Brazil (5 species).
Highlighted species Macrocarpaea dies-viridis "Named for the American punk rock music group Green Day, whose music we listened to, especially while driving to localities throughout Ecuador during out 2006 expedition". Published in Harvard Papers in Botany 11(2): 132. 2007. The common name for the plant is "the Green Day moon-gentian".
Macrocarpaea apparata Named for the verb to apparate, made popular in the book Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (1998) "When we first found this new species, we could only find sterile individuals. After looking all afternoon, and only just before dusk, we finally found several flowering plants that seem to have 'apparated' in front of us, appearing out of nowhere." Published in Harvard Papers in Botany 8(1): 66. 2003. The common name is the "Apparating moon-gentian". See photos to the right.
Macrocarpaea pringleana Named to honour Dr. James Pringle, Plant Taxonomist at Canada's Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton and Burlington, Ontario. Dr. Pringle has contributed extensively over a very long and distinguished career to both the systematics of the Gentian family and to floras of South America. Published in Harvard Papers in Botany 9(1): 11–49.
Species
Macrocarpaea affinis Ewan Macrocarpaea angelliae J.R. Grant & Struwe Macrocarpaea angustifolia J.S. Pringle Macrocarpaea apparata J.R. Grant & Struwe Macrocarpaea arborescens Gilg Macrocarpaea auriculata Weaver & J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea autanae Weaver Macrocarpaea ayangannae J.R. Grant, Struwe & Boggan Macrocarpaea bangiana Gilg Macrocarpaea berryi J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea betancuriana J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea biremis J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea bracteata Ewan Macrocarpaea browallioides (Ewan) A. Robyns & Nilsson Macrocarpaea bubops J.R. Grant & Struwe Macrocarpaea callejasii J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea calophylla Gilg Macrocarpaea canoëfolia J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea chthonotropa J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea cinchonifolia (Gilg) Weaver Macrocarpaea claireae J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea cochabambensis Gilg-Ben. Macrocarpaea densiflora (Benth) Ewan Macrocarpaea dillonii J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea dies-viridis J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea domingensis Urb. & Ekman Macrocarpaea duquei Gilg-Ben. Macrocarpaea elix J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea ericii J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea ewaniana Weaver & J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea fortisiana J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea gattaca J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea gaudialis J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea glabra (L.f.) Gilg Macrocarpaea glaziovii Gilg Macrocarpaea gondoloides J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea gracilis Weaver & J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea gran-pajatena J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea gravabilis J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea gulosa J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea harlingii J.S. Pringle Macrocarpaea hilarula J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea illecebrosa J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea innarrabilis J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea jactans J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea jalca J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea jensii J.R. Grant & Struwe Macrocarpaea jocularis J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea kayakifolia J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea kuelap J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea kuepferiana J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea lacrossiformis J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea laudabilis J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea lenae J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea loranthoides (Griseb.) Maas Macrocarpaea luctans J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea lucubrans J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea luna-gentiana J.R. Grant & Struwe Macrocarpaea luteynii J.R. Grant & Struwe Macrocarpaea luya J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea macrophylla (Kunth) Gilg Macrocarpaea maguirei Weaver & J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea marahuacae Struwe & V.A. Albert Macrocarpaea maryae J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea micrantha Gilg Macrocarpaea neblinae Maguire & Steyermark Macrocarpaea neillii J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea nicotianifolia Weaver & J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea noctiluca J.R. Grant & Struwe Macrocarpaea normae J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea obnubilata J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea obtusifolia (Griseb.) Gilg Macrocarpaea opulenta J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea ostentans J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea pachyphylla Gilg Macrocarpaea pachystyla Gilg Macrocarpaea pajonalis J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea papillosa Weaver & J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea pinetorum Alain Macrocarpaea piresii Maguire Macrocarpaea pringleana J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea quechua J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea quizhpei J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea revoluta (Ruiz & Pavon) Gilg Macrocarpaea robin-fosteri J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea rubra Malme Macrocarpaea rugosa Steyerm. Macrocarpaea schultesii Weaver & J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea silverstonei J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea sodiroana Gilg Macrocarpaea stenophylla Gilg Macrocarpaea subcaudata Ewan Macrocarpaea subsessilis Weaver & J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea tabula-fluctivagifolia J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea tahuantinsuyuana J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea thamnoides (Griseb.) Gilg Macrocarpaea umerulus J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea valerii Standl. Macrocarpaea viscosa (Ruiz & Pavon) Gilg Macrocarpaea voluptuosa J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea wallnoeferi J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea weaveri J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea weigendiorum J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea wurdackii Weaver & J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea xerantifulva J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea ypsilocaule J.R. Grant Macrocarpaea zophoflora Weaver & J.R. Grant
Catalogue of hybrids Macrocarpaea x acuminata J.R. Grant (M. subcaudata x M. valerii) Macrocarpaea x mattii J.R. Grant (M. noctiluca x M. subsessilis)
References
Carlquist, S. 1984. Wood anatomy of some Gentianaceae: Systematic and Ecological Conclusions. Aliso 10(4): 573–582. Carlquist and J.R. Grant. 2005. Wood anatomy of Gentianaceae, tribe Helieae: Diversification in relation to ecology, habit, and systematics; the effect of sample diameter. Brittonia 57(3): 276–291. Ewan, J. 1948. A revision of 'Macrocarpaea', a neotropical genus of shrubby gentians. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 29: 209–250. 1950. New records of neotropical Gentianaceae. Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 63: 163–166. 1951. New records of neotropical Gentianaceae-II. Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 64: 131–134. Gilg, E. 1895. Gentianaceae. Pg 50–108 of A. Engler and K. Prantl, Eds., Die Natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien. Vol. 4(2). Verlag von Wilhelm Engelmann, Leipzig. Grant, J.R. 2003. De Macrocarpaeae Grisebach (ex Gentianaceis) speciebus novis II: Typification of the Ruiz & Pavon names. Harvard Papers in Botany 7(2): 423–436. 2004. De Macrocarpaeae Grisebach (ex Gentianaceis) speciebus novis V: Twenty-three new species largely from Peru, and typification of all species in the genus. Harvard Papers in Botany 9(1): 11–49. 2005a. De Macrocarpaeae Grisebach (ex Gentianaceis) speciebus novis VI: seed morphology, palynology, an infrageneric classification, and another twenty-three new species, largely from Colombia. Harvard Papers in Botany 9(2): 305–342. 2005b. Seed and pollen morphology of the Neotropical moon-gentians (Macrocarpaea: Gentianaceae). P1148. XVII International Botanical Congress, Vienna, Austria. 17–23 July 2005. Abstracts. P. 420. Robidruck, Vienna. 2007. De Macrocarpaeae Grisebach (ex Gentianaceis) speciebus novis VII: four new species and two natural hybrids. Harvard Papers in Botany 11(2): 129–139. 2008. De Macrocarpaeae Grisebach (ex Gentianaceis) speciebus novis VIII: two new species from Ecuador. Harvard Papers in Botany 13(2): 253–259. Grant, J.R. and L. Struwe. 2000. Morphological evolution and neotropical biogeography in 'Macrocarpaea''' (Gentianaceae: Helieae). American Journal of Botany 87 (suppl.): 131. 2001. De Macrocarpaeae Grisebach (ex Gentianaceis) speciebus novis I: An introduction to the genus 'Macrocarpaea' and three new species from Colombia, Ecuador, and Guyana. Harvard Papers in Botany 5: 489–498. 2003. De Macrocarpaeae Grisebach (ex Gentianaceis) speciebus novis III: Six new species of moon-gentians (Macrocarpaea, Gentianaceae: Helieae) from Parque Nacional Podocarpus, Ecuador. Harvard Papers in Botany 8(1): 61–81. Grant, J.R. and R.E. Weaver. 2003. De Macrocarpaeae Grisebach (ex Gentianaceis) speciebus novis IV: Twelve new species of 'Macrocarpaea' (Gentianaceae: Helieae) from Central and South America, and the first report of the presence of a stipule in the family. Harvard Papers in Botany 8(1): 83–109. Grisebach, A. H. R. 1839 . Genera et Species Gentianarum. Stuttgart. Nilsson, S. 1968. Pollen morphology in the genus 'Macrocarpaea' (Gentianaceae) and its taxonomical significance. Svensk Bot. Tidskr. 62: 338–364. Struwe, L., and V. A. Albert. Eds. 2002. Gentianaceae: Systematics and Natural History. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Thiv, M., and J. R. Grant. 2002. 'Macrocarpaea' (Gentianaceae) in: Flora de la República de Cuba, Fasc. 6(1): 23–26. Weaver, R. E. 1969. Cytotaxonomic notes on some neotropical Gentianaceae. Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 56: 439–443. 1972b. The genus 'Macrocarpaea' in Costa Rica. J. Arnold Arb. 53: 553–557. 1974. The reduction of 'Rusbyanthus' and the tribe Rusbyantheae (Gentianaceae). J. Arnold Arb. 55: 300–302. Weaver, R. E., and L. Rüdenberg. 1975. Cytotaxonomic notes on some Gentianaceae''. J. Arnold Arb. 56(2): 211–222.
External links Jason Grant at Université de Neuchâtel Lena Struwe's homepage