''Varronia rupicola'', synonym ''Cordia rupicola'', commonly known as the Puerto Rico manjack, is a critically endangered species of

flowering A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...

shrub in the

borage Borage ( or ; ''Borago officinalis''), also known as starflower, is an annual herb in the flowering plant family Boraginaceae. It is native to the Mediterranean region, and has naturalized in many other locales. It grows satisfactorily in gard ...

family,

Boraginaceae Boraginaceae, the borage or forget-me-not family, includes about 2,000 species of shrubs, trees and herbs in 146, to 156 genera with a worldwide distribution. The APG IV system from 2016 classifies the Boraginaceae as single family of the or ...

, that is native to the islands of

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...

and

Anegada Anegada is the northernmost of the British Virgin Islands (BVI), a group of islands that form part of the archipelago of the Virgin Islands. It lies approximately north of Virgin Gorda. Anegada is the only inhabited British Virgin Island for ...

Taxonomy

The species was discovered by German botanical collector

Paul Sintenis Paul Ernst Emil Sintenis (4 April 1847 Seidenberg, Oberlausitz, Prussia – 6 March 1907) was a German botanist, pharmacist and important plant collector. Biography He studied at the gymnasium in Görlitz, became a pharmacist's apprentice ...

in 1886.

Description

''Varronia rupicola'' is a small woody shrub that measures in height. Its leaves are oval-elliptical measuring from . The leaf upper surface is rigidly scabrous, puberulous underneath, and the strigose petioles (the stalk of the leaves) are long. It produces small white

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s which yield a one-

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...

ed red

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

measuring .Proctor, G. 1991. Status survey of ''Cordia rupicola''. In: Puerto Rican Plant Species of Special Concern: Status and Recommendations. Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Distribution and habitat

The species was believed to be

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

until it was described from the island of

in 1987. The species was discovered in Los Indios, between Guayanilla and '' barrio'' Barinas in

Yauco Yauco () is a town and municipality in southern Puerto Rico. Although the downtown is inland, the municipality stretches to a southern coast facing the Caribbean Sea. Yauco is located south of Maricao, Lares and Adjuntas; east of Sabana G ...

in 1886. A year later it was found in Guánica. Two reports of a single specimen exist from the island of

Vieques Vieques (; ), officially Isla de Vieques, is an island and municipality of Puerto Rico, in the northeastern Caribbean, part of an island grouping sometimes known as the Spanish Virgin Islands. Vieques is part of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, ...

but no population has been confirmed. In 1995 fifteen plants were found east of the historical locations at ''El Peñón'' in Peñuelas. ''El Peñón'' is a privately owned subtropical dry forest site located in a

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

substrate. The area has a sparse, low brush () with a few taller trees reaching . These trees include ''

Bourreria ''Bourreria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the borage family, Boraginaceae. Members of the genus are commonly known as strongbark or strongback. The generic name was chosen by Patrick Browne to honour German pharmacist Johann Ambrosius Beu ...

'' ''succulenta'' var. ''succulenta'', ''

Bucida ''Bucida'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Indian almond family, Combretaceae. It contains the following species (but this list may be incomplete): * '' Bucida angustifolia'' * '' Bucida buceras'' L. - Bullet tree (southern Mexico, Centr ...

buceras'', and '' Bursera simaruba''. Average rainfall in the area is less than .Breckon, G. J. and D. A. Kolterman. 1996. Cordia rupicola Urban. Final Report under Cooperative Agreement No. 1448-0004-94-9113 between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus. Two Anegada sites, each with a few dozen individuals, have been confirmed. Both sites are located in the western part of the island and cover an area of less than . In Anegada the species is locally abundant in limestone and sand dunes, showing a slight preference for limestone. The IUCN assessment considered all Puerto Rican populations

extirpated Local extinction, also known as extirpation, refers to a species (or other taxon) of plant or animal that ceases to exist in a chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere. Local extinctions are contrasted with global extinct ...

Taxonomy

Description

Distribution and habitat

See also

References

Further reading