Roupala
(said to be the native name in Guiana). Otherwise spelt by various authors Rhopala, Ropala, and Rupala. ORD. Proteaceae. A genus of handsome stove, glabrous, or ferruginously-tomentose trees, natives of tropical America. About thirty species have been enumerated; but they are very difficult to distinguish, entire, toothed, and pinnate leaves being sometimes found on the same tree. Flowers regular, twin-pedicellate, disposed in axillary or lateral racemes; perianth cylindrical, the segments eventually becoming recurved at apex. Fruit a hard, obliquely two-valved, shortly stipitate capsule. Leaves alternate, coriaceous, rigid, entire or toothed, undivided or on the sterile branches (of young trees?) pinnate. The species best known to cultivation are described below. They thrive in a compost of peat and loam. Propagation may be effected by cuttings, inserted in sand, under a glass, with bottom heat.
R. Boissieriana (Boissier's). fl, yellow; racemes axillary, solitary or twin, sub-sessile, 5in. to 6in. long. l. ovate, 3in. to 4in. long, long-acuminate, rounded at base, shortly decurrent into petioles 1in. to 1 1/2in. long. New Grenada, 1853.
R. complicata (folded-leaved). fl. pale rufous, very sweet-scented, in rather loose racemes, 3in. to 5in. long. l. ovate, thickly coriaceous, glaucescent, 1 1/2in. to 5in. long, 1in. to 3in. broad, entire or rarely with a few remote or obtuse teeth, attenuated-acuminate, broadly rounded at base, decurrent to petioles about 1in. long. h. 6ft. to 8ft. Columbia, 1853. R. corcovadensis (Corcovado). A synonym of R. Pohlii. R. elegans (elegant). l. impari-pinnate, 8in. to 12in. long, nine to twelve-jugate; leaflets lanceolate, acuminate, serrate, 2in. to 4in. long, with mucronulate teeth; lateral ones falcate, very unequal at base; terminal ones not larger. Branches slenderly striate. Brazil. R. heterophylla (variable-leaved).* fl. racemes axillary, solitary or twin, sub-sessile, about 3in. long. l. remotely obtuse-toothed, or occasionally entire at base, shining above, the nerves elevated on both surfaces. Branches twiggy, densely leafy. Brazil. (R. G. 1863, 402.) R. media (middle). fl. green; racemes rufous-tomentose, longer than the leaves. May. l. elliptic, acute and acuminate, mostly simple, but occasionally pinnately trifoliolate, with ovate, entire leaflets. h. 10ft. Guiana, 1823. R. montana (mountain). fl. sweet-scented, with yellow or fulvous tomentum; racemes terminal and axillary, solitary or twin, 5in. to 6in. long, sub-sessile, April. l. elliptic, rigid, 2in. to 3in. long, shortly acute or acuminate, nearly entire, decurrent, on slender petioles, with a few obsolete teeth. h. 10ft. Guiana, 1823.
R. obovata (obovate-leaved). fr. 1in. long, sessile, oblong, subfalcate. l. obovate, very shortly acuminate, cuneate-attenuated at base, remotely toothed and here and there entire, 3in. to 6in. long, 2 1/2in. broad; petioles 1in. long. h. 24ft. Popayan, 1855.
R. Pohlii (Pohl's).* fl. orange-red, clustered in dense, rufouswoolly racemes, which are 6in. to 12in. long, sessile and solitary in the uppermost axils. l. rigid, pinnatisect or entire, ovate or elliptic, acuminate at both ends, irregulary serrate, glabrous, and shining above, woolly-tomentose beneath. h. 6ft. to 20ft. Minas Geraes. (B. M. 6095.) SYN. R. corcovadensis.