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GRAY HERBARIUM HARVARD UNIVERSITY 
PLANTS OF COLOMBIA 
Basellaceae 
Boussingaultia 
Department of Cundinamarca, Southwest of Bogota, 
1 km. Northwest of the represa de Muna on the 
road to El Colegio. Steep slopes Southwest of 
the road overlooking the Rio Bogota. Dry rocky 
slopes with hard clay soil, scrubby brush and 
brambles. Succulent vine to 1+.0 m. climbing 
over brush. Infloresence dense, much branched; 
Flowers yellow-orange in bud, cream colored when 
open, not expanding fully, becomming yellow- 
orange then black when fruit is mature; perianth 
surrounding fruit at maturity; fruit falling early; 
flowers observed visited by many small flies. 
Stems red or reddish, dextrosely twining, base of 
stem very fleshy, with a brown papery epidermis at 
base, sending up new shoots from base; leaves, 
especially the larger, cordate, younger leaves 
not obviously cordate, leaves reddish, the margins 
red, very fleshy, not producing tubercles in the 
leaf axils; perianth segments not keeled, stamens 
reflexed; anthers withering or falling quite 
early; stigma capitate, not divided, scarcely 
lobed but more or less triangular. Many seedlings 
observed. 
Coll. Calvin R. Sperling 
No. 5255 3 October 1981 
