Vallesia

Description

Vallesia is a genus of plants in the family Apocynaceae first described as a genus in 1794. It is native to South America, Central America, Mexico, Florida, Gal-pagos, and the West Indies. They are shrubs or small trees that reach a size of up to 20 m in height, with white latex . Slightly angular young stems, turning terets with age; conspicuous interpeciolar lines or crests. Leaves alternate, glabrous or hairy, submembranaceous to coriaceous, with an axillary stipulating gland; entire and often revolutionary margins; secondary ribs attached near the margin in a series of curls or curves. Axillary inflorescences, cimosas, with few to many flowers; pedunclesmostly elongated; small bracts. Flowers cut to long pedicels; bractéolas ovadas, approximately half of the pedicel; persistent calyx, wolves 5, ovate, quintally imbricated, basally lacking glands on the inside; corolla hipocraterimorfa, white to cream color, the wolves sinistrorsamente convolutos in the button, reflexos in the anthesis; stamens inserted in the middle of the corolla tube or higher, the lanceolate, subsessile anthers; apocapular ovary, glabrous, rounded apex, the terete style with a slightly thickened stigmatoma. Fruit composed of a single opalescent drupe (by abortion) or by a pair; oblong seeds.