Trymatococcus amazonicus Poepp. & Endl.

Authority

Berg, Cornelius C. 1972. Olmedieae, Brosimeae (Moraceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 7: 1-229. (Published by NYBG Press)

Family

Moraceae

Scientific Name

Trymatococcus amazonicus Poepp. & Endl.

Type

Type. Poeppig sn (or 2167), Peru, (Maynas), near Yurimaguas (W, destroyed; replaced by B).

Synonyms

Lanessania turbinata Baill., Trymatococcus turbinatus Ducke

Description

Description - Shrubs or trees up to 15 m tall; latex yellowish or colorless. Leafy twigs 1-5 mm thick, yellowish to brown appressed-puberulous to hirtellous to (sub)velutinous, usually with uncinate hairs. Leaves (elliptic to) oblong to lanceolate, often broadest above the middle, not or slightly inequilateral, 7-2 2 (-36) cm long, 3-8(-11) cm broad, chartaceous (to subcoriaceous), (acute to) acuminate to caudate, at the base acute to obtuse; margin entire; above glabrous except the costa, sometimes bullate; beneath puberulous to hirtellous on the veins; veins nearly plane to slightly impressed above, prominent beneath, 5-13 pairs of secondary veins, tertiary veins partly parallel; petioles 6-18(-25) mm long, usually with uncinate hairs; stipules 3-8 mm long, appressed-pubescent. Inflorescences turbinate to about fungiform, 4-8 mm high, 4-8 mm in diameter; peduncle 3-7(-13) mm long, shortly brown (sub)-velutinous, often with uncinate hairs; receptacle brown short-velutinous, with or without uncinate hairs; staminate flowers several to many; perianth 1-1.5 mm high, 3-lobed to 3-parted, puberulous, sometimes with uncinate hairs; stamens 3(-2), filaments 0.5-1.5 mm long, narrow or broad, anthers 0.2-0.6 mm long and 0.2-0.8 mm broad, connectives rather narrow, sometimes apiculate; pistillode small, subulate, o.2-0.5 mm long; style 3-3-5 mm long, stigmas 3-4 mm long; bracts ovate to suborbiculate, basally attached or subpeltate, puberulous. Infructescences globose, 2-3 cm in diameter, coronate with the staminate flowers, with sparse or dense uncinate hairs; cotyledons slightly to very unequal. Flowering probably throughout the year.

Discussion

Some of the collections from the area along the Rio Negro to the vicinity of Manaus agree with the description of T. turbinatus, as given by Lanjouw (1935). They are characterized by a denser indument of the (thicker) twigs and the lower leaf surface, the usually thicker leaves, the absent or sparser uncinate hairs on the receptacle at anthesis, and the rather sparse uncinate hairs on the fruiting receptacle. After fertilization the inflorescences seem to retain their turbinate shape longer. The infructescences of these specimens may also reach a larger size (ca 3 cm in diameter). As to their indument, these collections are connected with more typical ones by intermediates, eg sterile specimens from Suriname and a flowering one from Colombia, the basin of Rio Vaupes. Whether the remaining differences (alteration of the shape of the inflorescences during fructification and of the dimensions of the mature infructescence) are real or not could not be verified on the basis of the material at hand. It seems reasonable to unite T. turbinatus with T. amazonicus.

Distribution

(Fig 84). Upper Amazon Basin (Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela), also in Suriname and French Guiana; in non-inundated forests, sometimes on varzea land.

Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Suriname South America| French Guiana South America| Peru South America| Brazil South America|