Guarea kunthiana A.Juss.

  • 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 kunthiana A.Juss.

  • Type

    Type. Poiteau s.n., Cayenne, fl, fr (holotype, P-JU (without data); isotypes, K, G).

  • Synonyms

    Guarea densiflora Poepp. & Endl., Guarea kunthiana var. densiflora (Poepp. & Endl.) C.DC., Guarea poeppigii C.DC., Guarea glauca Triana & Planch., Guarea pohlii C.DC., Guarea pohlii var. glabra C.DC., Guarea kunthiana var. hahnii C.DC., Guarea kunthiana var. hahniana Duss ex Krug & Urb., Guarea oblongiflora C.DC., Guarea grandifoliola C.DC., Guarea simplicifolia C.DC., Guarea williamsii C.DC., Guarea membranacea Rusby, Guarea steinbachii Harms, Guarea depauperata Harms, Guarea megaphylla Cuatrec., Guarea macrantha Standl. & L.O.Williams

  • Description

    Species Description - Young branches often canaliculate, usually minutely appressed puberulent less frequently sparsely to densely softly pubescent, soon becoming glabrous, brown to greyish-brown, without lenticels. Leaves pinnate with a terminal bud showing some intermittent growth, rarely unifoliolate, 7.5-35(-100) cm long; petiole semi-terete, rhachis canaliculate above, appressed puberulous or less frequently pubescent becoming glabrous; petiolule (1-)2-5(-10) mm long. Leaflets 2-6(-10) pairs, broadly to narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate, apex obtusely cuspidate to short or long attenuate less frequently acuminate, obtuse, or rounded, base acute, cuneate, or attenuate rarely rounded or truncate, chartaceous to subcoriaceous, (10-) 15-25(-34)[18.7] cm long, (3.5-)5-10(-20)[7.9] cm broad, usually glabrous less frequently lower surface sparsely to densely puberulous or softly pubescent (erect hairs), usually obscurely glandular-punctate and -striate; venation eucamptodromous, midrib flat; secondaries 8-12(-24) on either side of midrib, ascending, arcuate above, ± parallel or slightly convergent; intersecondaries absent or if present then short and inconspicuous; tertiaries widely spaced and obscure. Inflorescence usually axillary, occasionally supra-axillary or lateral on young wood, indeterminate with intermittent growth from apex, (1-)3.5-25(-30) cm long, a slender to broadly pyramidal thyrse with lower branches to 12 cm long, minutely appressed puberulous to sparsely or densely pubescent. Pedicel (1-)2-3(-4) mm. Calyx cyathiform to patelliform, 1.5-3(-5) mm long, with (3-)4 irregularly rounded, obtuse or less frequently acute lobes, 0.5-2.5 mm long or margin ± truncate, sparsely appressed puberulous outside. Petals (3-)4, valvate, (6-)7-12(-13.5) mm long, 1.5-4(-4.5) mm broad, oblong to lanceolate, apex acute and often hooded, densely appressed puberulous or appressed pubescent outside, glabrous inside. Staminal tube often slightly narrowed at apex, 5.5-10 mm long, (1.5-)2-3(-4) mm broad, margin truncate, undulate, or crenulate, glabrous or sparsely to moderately appressed puberulous outside, glabrous inside; anthers (7-)8(-10), (1-) 1.2-1.8 (-2) mm long. Nectary broadly stipitate, sometimes expanded to form an annulus below ovary, 0.5-2.5(-3) mm long, glabrous. Ovary ovoid, (3-)4-locular, loculi with 2 superposed ovules (Cuatrecasas 13155 from Colombia has uniovulate loculi), glabrous or rarely sparsely strigose; style glabrous. Capsule ellipsoid to globose sometimes ± quadrangular in section or often irregularly shaped, apex rounded to acute sometimes apiculate, base acute to rounded sometimes with a very short stout stipe, smooth or rarely obscurely verrucose, usually with large pale lenticels, glabrous, 1.5-4.5(-7.5) cm long, 1.5-3.5(-6.5) cm broad, 4-valved, valves with 2 superposed seeds; pericarp 1-4 mm thick, leathery. Seeds 1-2, ellipsoid when solitary or when superposed then upper truncate at base and lower at apex, to 2.5 cm long, 1.8 cm broad, surrounded by a fleshy sarcotesta thickened on adaxial surface; seed coat thick, woody. Hilum large, extending length and breadth of adaxial surface. Embryo with thick plano-convex, superposed cotyledons; radicle abaxial, extending to surface.

  • Discussion

    There is great individual variation in the size and shape of the fruit, to some extent dependent on the number of seeds which develop (Fig. 64).

    The intermittent growth of the inflorescence, which has already been discussed under “field characters,” also produces great diversity in this structure, and has been used as the basis for several former species (e.g. G. depauperata and G. densiflora).

    In montane forest and cloud forest in the Andes and in the mountains of Costa Rica between 1000 and 2500 m altitude there occurs a form of G. kunthiana in which the leaflets are thicker and more coriaceous and the pericarp of the fruit is somewhat thickened. In all other respects it is the same as the lowland form, and it often intergrades with the lowland form, so it is not considered sufficiently distinct for formal recognition.

    Field characters: Tree to 30(-50) m, though often flowering when a small treelet. Larger specimens sometimes with small buttresses. Bark greyish-brown, smooth in young plants but becoming scaly in older specimens. The canaliculate young branches provide a useful field character. The inflorescence is indeterminate and exhibits intermittent growth, with resultant great individual variation. Initially it may be subfasciculate (described as G. depauperata Harms) but after several periods of growth the final inflorescence can be a slender panicle as much as 30 cm long. The degree of branching of the inflorescence is also very variable.

    Flowers: This species also demonstrates great flexibility in the onset of flower production. The extreme case (described as G. simplicifolia C.DC.) is the production of flowers while the plant still has its juvenile unifoliolate leaves. Otherwise flowering has been recorded on everything from small pinnate-leaved treelets up to forest giants of 40 m or more. The flowers, which are sometimes fragrant, have a cream-coloured or pinkish-red corolla and the mature capsule varies from brown to reddish-brown or rarely maroon, but nearly always with conspicuous pale lenticels. The pericarp is leathery and usually contains a small amount of white exudate. The fruit dehisces to reveal a white interior, containing the seeds which are surrounded by a brilliant orange sarcotesta and possess a large white hilum on the adaxial surface. The seeds are pendulous on a long funicle (to 2 cm) and hang below the open fruit.

    Phenology: The species flowers and fruits throughout the year.

    Distribution and Ecology: From Costa Rica and Panama throughout tropical South America, including the Atlantic coastal forests of Brazil to Parana (Brazil), Paraguay and Bolivia. There is one record from the Lesser Antilles (Martinique). In the Andes and the mountains of Costa Rica it is present in montane forest and cloud forest up to 2500 m altitude. In the lowlands it is generally a tree of evergreen nonflooded forest but there are occasional records of it from seasonally flooded forest in western Amazonia. In those parts of its range with a drier, more seasonal climate, as in the planalto of Brazil, it is confined to gallery forest fringing the rivers.

  • Common Names

    Mancore, Figo do matto, Peloteira, Trompillo del monte, Djankoi-mata, Guamaron, Yolombo, Sacha Tocota, Chocha, Bichauy, Mun Tapakea, Uci tapaki, Bicauy, Wiciynum, Mun Ciahap, Tapake, Sacha Requia, Requilla, Requia blanca, Doifisiri, Zwarte Doifisiri, Cacao Blanco

  • Distribution

    Costa Rica South America| Cartago Costa Rica Central America| Puntarenas Costa Rica Central America| Panama Central America| Darién Panamá Central America| Canal Zone Panamá Central America| Martinique South America| Colombia South America| Vaupés Colombia South America| Huila Colombia South America| Meta Colombia South America| Boyacá Colombia South America| Valle Colombia South America| Cundinamarca Colombia South America| Santander Colombia South America| Norte de Santander Colombia South America| Magdalena Colombia South America| Apure Venezuela South America| Mérida Venezuela South America| Lara Venezuela South America| Monagas Venezuela South America| Distrito Federal Venezuela South America| Guyana South America| Suriname South America| French Guiana South America| Ecuador South America| Santiago-Zamora Ecuador South America| Napo Ecuador South America| Los Ríos Ecuador South America| Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| Amazonas Peru South America| Huánuco Peru South America| San Martín Peru South America| Junín Peru South America| Amazonas Peru South America| Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Amapá Brazil South America| Roraima Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Mato Grosso Brazil South America| Acre Brazil South America| Bahia Brazil South America| Distrito Federal Brazil South America| Goiás Brazil South America| Minas Gerais Brazil South America| Rio de Janeiro Brazil South America| São Paulo Brazil South America| Paraná Brazil South America|