Table 4 Diagnostic characters of the high elevation species complex (Plukenetia carolis-vegae, P. cf. carolis-vegae, P. huayllabambana) and P. volubilis. Most characters were updated from species descriptions; † = unverified and potentially inaccurate
Character | P. carolis-vegae Bussmann, Paniagua & C.Téllez | P. cf. carolis-vegae | P. huayllabambana Bussmann, C.Téllez & A.Glenn [putative cf. carolis-vegae × volubilis] | P. volubilis L. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Sampled in phylogeny | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Geographic range in Peru | Amazonas | Cusco, Junin, Pasco | Amazonas, Cajamarca | Amazonas, Cusco, Junin, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Pasco, San Martin |
Elevation | 1850 m | 1450–2250 m | 1200–2150 m | 130–900(− 1800) m |
Leaf stipels | 1–2 thick stipels | 1–2 thick stipels | 1–2 thick stipels | 1 knob (thick stipel) |
Staminate sepals | 4 (rarely 5) †| 5 (sometimes 4 + 1 very thin, rarely 4) | 4 | 4 |
Staminate nectaries | Absent †| Large irregularly shaped segments intermixed between stamens | Large irregularly shaped segments intermixed between stamens | Absent |
Filament length | 0.5–1 mm †| 1–1.5 (2) mm | 0.1–0.5 (1) mm | ~ 0.5 mm |
Style length | 4–7 mm †| 5–12 mm | 6–7.5 mm | (9–)15–35 mm |
Seed size measurements (length x width x thickness) | 27 × 25 × 20 mm | 19–20 × 17–18.6 × 13–15.8 mm | 25–28 × 22–27 × 17–20 mm | 13–22 × 11.8–18 × 5–9 mm |
Seed size category | XL | L | XL | (M) L |