Euplassa pinnata (Lam.) I.M.Johnst.

  • Authority

    Prance, Ghillean T., et al. 2007. Proteaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 100: 1-218. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Proteaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Euplassa pinnata (Lam.) I.M.Johnst.

  • Synonyms

    Roupala pinnata Lam., Adenostephanus guyanensis Meisn., Roupala pinnata (Ruiz & Pav.) Diels & J.F.Macbr., Euplassa meridionalis Salisb., Adenostephanus guianensis Meisn.

  • Description

    Species Description - Tree, to 30 m. Young stems orangish-brown, ferruginous-velutinous to glabrous, the striations narrow, multiple; older branches light brown to black, glabrescent, patchy, sometimes with a thin white coating, striate or small fissured. Lenticels numerous to few, minute and inconspicuous, 0.50.75 mm long, suborbicular to narrowly elliptic, prominent, ferruginous to rufous, rarely producing fissures and if so, very small ones. Petiole 4.8-12(-20) cm long, terete to laterally compressed, 2-3.5(-5.5) mm diam, at the base, velutinous or rarely glabrescent with rows of pilose (villous) hairs. Leaf rhachis 6-21.7(45) cm long, the terminal appendix 1.5-5 mm long, ca. 1 mm in broad, usually absent; leaflets subsessile to short-petiolate, the petiolules to 1.3 cm long, 2.25-2.5 mm diam, at the base. Leaflets 34(-5) pairs, opposite to almost alternate, commonly overlapping, drying olive green to black; coriaceous to subcoriaceous, occasionally chartaceous, if the latter then shiny; glabrous above, glabrous to very sparsely white-puberulent beneath, the indumentum if present short and closely adpressed and concentrated on venation, frequently asymmetrical, elliptic to broadly elliptic, less commonly obovate or ovate, usually curving; basal pair similar to terminal ones, 6.5-14.5(-22.7) × 3.2-5.5(-7.5) cm; lateral leaflets 10.8-13(-24.5) × 4.3-7.6 cm; base equal to rarely weakly oblique, decurrent; apex acute to obtuse, less frequently rounded, truncate or retuse, especially in the basal leaflets, sometimes broadly mucronate; margin entire to denticulate, commonly undulate; venation cladodromous to brochidodromous, with 4-7 lateral veins, midvein prominent throughout, reaching apex, the secondaries faintly prominent, the higher order venation always conspicuous beneath, in coriaceous leaves obscure above. Inflorescence moderately lax, occasionally branched, axillary, 2.1-3 cm diam.; peduncle 2.9-9.4 cm long, 1.5-2 mm diam, immediately below inflorescence; floral rhachis 12.4-16.5 cm long, ferruginous to gray, densely appressed-puberulent; bracteoles heteromorphic, the basal ones unusually long, to 4 mm long, linear, light ferruginous-hirsute, the superior ones smaller, 0.5-1.25 mm long, broadly triangular, not recurved; flower-pair peduncle 1-4 mm long, ferruginous-velutinous; pedicels 1.5-5 mm long. Buds 2.5-3 mm broad at apex, (rostrate) possessing a pronounced beak to 1 mm long, ca. 0.8-1 mm broad at midlength, essentially erect, the indumentum ferruginous-villous, but often sparser and lighter in color. Flowers 7-11 mm long, all tepals recurving at anthesis, rarely one remaining erect; tepals 0.5-0.75 mm across at midlength, keeled or not. Anthers subsessile, 1-1.2 mm long. Hypogynous nectaries fused into a quadrangle or ring 0.5-0.75 mm high and 1-1.25 mm across, the abaxial gap large. Ovary 1.5-2 mm long, narrow, cylindrical-pyriform, square in cross section, rufous-hirsute to short-pilose, the indumentum covering entire ovary, more or less appressed. Infructescence 13.1-14 cm long; fruit pedicel 8-9 mm long, ca. 2 mm thick. Young fruit ovoid, 15-16 mm long and 10-11 mm diam.

  • Discussion

    Euplassa pinnata is most similar to Euplassa chimantensis and E. glaziovii from Venezuela and E. madeirae from Amazonia. They share fused hypogynous nectaries, a sparsely puberulent habit and a rufous-hirsute ovary. Euplassa pinnata shares most characters with E. glaziovii, such as subcoriaceous leaflets (although they are sometimes chartaceous in E. glaziovii), the plane or obscure venation (unlike the very marked and depressed venation of E. chimantensis), and a short rufous-hirsute ovary. However, these two species differ notably by the absence, in E. glaziovii, of the short beak extending from the bud apex, and by the leaflet apex, which is acute in E. pinnata and frequently folded over and obtuse to rounded in E. glaziovii. Euplassa pinnata also possesses straight secondary veins and a more or less brochidodromous venation, while E. glaziovii has frequently wavy or squiggley secondary veins and the pattern is more cladodromous or reticulodromous. The buds of E. cantareirae may sometimes also possess a beak, but in this species, the buds and undersurface of the leaves are densely tomentose.

    The specimen collected by Pires 51685 in Para and the collection LVF 3209-2954 (INPA, K) are unusually large for the species, with the leaf rhachis measuring 45 cm. Their leaflets are almost alternate and have a maximum length of 24.5 cm. They differ importantly from other specimens of Euplassa pinnata by not having appressed-puberulent leaf rhachi as is commonly the case. Instead, the rhachis is glabrescent, with a thin strip of pubescence on the upper side of the rhachis. Unfortunately, both specimens are sterile and their determination remains unclear. Their leaf shape corresponds to E. pinnata and resembles closely BAFOG 1207, but differences in rhachis pubescence and leaflet venation make them rather distinguishable. These specimens have been determined previously as E. guianensis, an unpublished name, and it is very possible that they are leaves of an E. pinnata sapling.

    In van Roosmalen (1985: 364), the following description, probably of a young fruit of this species, is given: "Drupe ellipsoid or subglobose, to 2.5 × 1.5 cm, green, base tapering, apex acuminate over ca. 0.7 cm and continuing into 1.2 cm long, glabrous style, containing a yellowish gum; pyrenes 2, more or less flat."

    Phenology. Flowering Sep-Dec; found with immature fruits in Dec.

    Tall tree, to 30 m and to ca. 45 cm in dbh. Petals pale yellow. Young fruits green.

    Euplassa pinnata is principally characterized by its protruding beak on the bud apex. The leaves are subcoriaceous and the venation is commonly obscure on the upper surface. There are several instances, however, in which the secondary and tertiary venation are quite conspicuous and the leaflets have a shiny upper surface. In these cases, the leaflets are generally towards the upper length scale, and the combination of glabrescence and leaf shape may be diagnostic. The buds of these specimens also possess the characteristic beak on the bud apex. The leaflet apices are frequently folded over.

  • Common Names

    lamoussaie bland, bois grage, bois grage blanc, Loura faia, louro faia

  • Distribution

    Tropical moist forest on terra firme; open forest with Cipoal (liana), sandy soil in French Guiana and eastern Amazonian Brazil.

    Amapá Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Maranhão Brazil South America| Cayenne French Guiana South America| Saül French Guiana South America| French Guiana South America|