Guarea pubescens (Rich.) A.Juss. subsp. pubescens

  • Authority

    Pennington, Terence D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28: 1-359, 418-449, 459-470. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Meliaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Guarea pubescens (Rich.) A.Juss. subsp. pubescens

  • Type

    Type. Leblond 61, Cayenne, fl (holotype, G; isotype, frag. P).

  • Synonyms

    Trichilia pubescens Rich., Guarea pubescens (Rich.) A.Juss., Guarea affinis A.Juss., Guarea richardiana A.Juss., Guarea spicata C.DC., Guarea huberi C.DC., Guarea ulei Harms, Ruagea microsepala Harms, Guarea microsepala (Harms) J.Macbr., Guarea davisii Sandwith, Guarea rhabdotocarpa Harms, Guarea concinna Sandwith, Guarea huberi var. peruviana C.DC. & J.Macbr.

  • Description

    Species Description - Usually a small treelet up to 3-5 m but in western Amazonia some specimens attain 20 m. In the Guianas and in central Amazonia it is common enough to be a characteristic feature of the forest understory. In the early stages of growth it is monopodial and usually unbranched and often bears pale grey or greyish-white strongly suberized, fissured bark. The first leaves are unifoliolate, and these are followed by pinnate leaves without the usual terminal bud of the genus, or if the terminal bud is present, then it is inactive. Finally the plant produces pinnate leaves with indeterminate apical growth. The flowers have a red or pink calyx and cream or white petals and the fruit is dull dark red or purple. The pericarp is slightly fleshy and the seed is surrounded by a fleshy orange sarcotesta. Flowering and fruiting occurs throughout the year.

  • Discussion

    In all cases, the character defining each of the above forms is found to intergrade through a series of less distinct specimens so that none are clearly definable. There is little or no character correlation, nor geographical or ecological replacement, as all occur in the area of Guyana-Cayenne-Amapá, Brazil. The species described as G. davisii Sandwith (Guyana) combines the characters of "huberi" (globose, tuberculate fruit), "richardiana" (suberous bark), and "concinna" (lax inflorescence). The inflorescence is capable of intermittent growth so it may vary from fasciculate to a long lax raceme on the same plant. Indumentum varies from uniformly coarsely pubescent through a series of intermediate conditions to glabrous. The capsule varies from depressed globose and prominently ribbed to globose and smooth, or globose with ribs, or globose with minute tuberculi. The variation pattern described here is far too diffuse to allow any subdivision into formal taxonomic units.

    Relationships

    This subspecies is very variable and contains forms which at first sight appear to be distinct. The salient features of these are enumerated below. They are named after the species under which each form was originally described.

    1. Form "pubescens" is similar to the type specimen from Cayenne, with ± glabrous leaflets, flowers with a large cyathiform calyx, sometimes irregularly split; fruit usually depressed globose and ribbed but occasionally smooth. Frequent in Amapa, Brazil and Cayenne. This form is close to subsp, pubiflora but lacks the winged rhachis and raised midrib of the latter.

    2. Form "huberi" has a smaller calyx than "pubescens," and is characterized by the parallel secondary veins and very numerous and closely set tertiaries. The fruit is larger (up to 2 cm diameter) and globose, often minutely tuberculate, and ribbed or not. It is most commonly found in western Amazonia but occurs sporadically elsewhere.

    3. Form "affinis" has a prominent rather coarse indumentum on the lower leaflet surface and the fruit is smooth with a rather dense indumentum. It is found in Cayenne and adjacent Amapa, Brazil.

    4. Form "richardiana" often has suberous bark on the young branches, usually obovate leaflets with convergent secondary veins, and depressed globose, usually ribbed fruits. Known from the Guianas to central Amazonia.

    5. Form "concinna" has glabrous leaflets with numerous parallel tertiary veins and a long lax axillary inflorescence. It occurs in Guyana and Amapa, Brazil.

  • Common Names

    Dangouti, Payaw’risili, Herbe du Cariacou, Kufiballi, Soro-sali, Tortolito Blanco

  • Distribution

    Northern South America from western Venezuela through the Guianas to Territory Amapa, Brazil and also in western and central Amazonia. A plant of non-flooded lowland forest. Specimens are recorded from riverbanks in Cayenne and Amapa Territory, Brazil, where populations are intermediate between subsp, pubescens and subsp, pubiflora.

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