Melicoccus antioquensis Acev.-Rodr.
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Authority
Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro. 2003. Meliococceae (Sapindaceae):
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Family
Sapindaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type. Colombia. Antioquia: Mun. San Luís, Cañon del Río Claro, northern sector, 325 m, 5° 53' N, 74° 39' W, 2 Apr 1984 (fr), Cogollo, A. 1568 (holotype, JAUM; isotype, HUA).
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Description
Latin Diagnosis - A. M. novogranatensi Acevedo-Rodríguez caulibus et foliolis furfuraceis, foliolis abrupte acuminatis differt.
Species Description - Tree 12-26 m tall. Young stems ferruginous-furfuraceous, slightly angled, becoming terete and lenticellate with age. Leaves paripinnate; distal process filiform, ca. 7 mm long, early deciduous leaving a truncate base 2-3 mm long; leaflets 4, opposite or the lower pair alternate, 9.5-23.5 × 3.2-7.5 cm, oblong, elliptic, to nearly oblanceolate, subcoriaceous, the adaxial surface glabrous, slightly shiny or dull, with sunken or prominulous midvein, the abaxial surface ferruginous-furfuraceous, sparsely papillate, with prominent primary and secondary veins, the venation brochidodromus, secondary veins alternate or subopposite, arching toward the margin, tertiary veins finely reticulate, inconspicuous, the margins entire, the apex abruptly acuminate, the base slightly asymmetrical, one side attenuate the other obtuse; petiolules nearly cylindrical, enlarged, wrinkled when dry, 6-10 mm long, ferruginous furfuraceous; rachis 3-7 cm long, terete, striolate, ferruginous-furfuraceous to tomentulose; petioles 5-12 cm long, with same indumentum as rachis, striate or less often lenticellate, adaxially flattened, enlarged at base. Inflorescence a fasciculate panicle, axillary or ramiflorous; cataphylls acicular, furfuraceous, 3-7 mm long, clustered at base of inflorescence; axes 1.5-7 cm long, angled, ferruginous-tomentulose; bracts lanceolate, persistent, 1.5-1.8 mm long, with same indumentum as the axis, bracteoles oblong-elliptic, ca. 1 mm long, with same indumentum as the axis; dichasia reduced to a single flower subtended by a bract and two bracteoles; pedicels ca. 0.5 mm long, articulate at base. Calyx ca. 1.5 mm long, ferruginous-tomentulose, adaxially puberulous, the sepals ovate-lanceolate, free to the base, obtuse at apex; petals lanceolate, ca. 1.5 mm long, sparsely woolly on both surface, densely so on adaxial lower portion, the apex obtuse, the base obtuse-cuneate; appendages wanting; disc annular, 5-lobed, glabrous, ca. 0.2 mm tall; stamens 8, the filaments woolly, apparently equal in length, the anthers lanceolate, 0.8 mm long, glabrous, apiculate at apex; pistillode woolly. Fruits globose-ellipsoid, yellow, smooth, ferruginous-sericeous, 2-2.2 cm, apiculate at apex, the pericarp crustose, ca. 0.6 mm thick, the endocarp granulate, glabrous. Seed globose-ellipsoid, ca. 1.5 cm long, with tasty, yellow sarcotesta. Embryo with erect cotyledons of similar size.
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Discussion
Melicoccus antioquensis seems to be closely related to M. novogranatensis because they share numerous morphological features. Melicoccus antioquensis differs from the latter by the ferruginous furfuraceous stems and abaxial surface of leaflets (vs. glabrous), and the leaflets with abruptly acuminate apex (vs. obtuse). The specific epithet refers to the Colombian Department where the type was collected.
Phenology. Collected in flower during November and in fruit during April. -
Distribution
Known only from the type locality.
Colombia South America| Antioquia Colombia South America|