Talisia floresii Standl.

  • Authority

    Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro. 2003. Meliococceae (Sapindaceae): . Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 87: 1-178. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Sapindaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Talisia floresii Standl.

  • Type

    Type. Mexico. Yucatán: Progreso, Mar 1931 (Fr), R. S. Flores s.n. (holotype, F 633290).

  • Description

    Species Description - Tree 6-30 m tall, branching on upper portion; trunk to 1 m in diam. Twigs nearly obtusely angled, sulcate, ferruginous-tomentose, becoming terete, glabrous, and noticeable lenticellate with age. Leaves paripinnate; distal process filiform, early deciduous, leaving a truncate base; leaflets 2-6, opposite or less often alternate, ovate, lanceolate or elliptic, 5.5-11.5 × 2.6-6.6 cm, coriaceous, glabrous, the adaxial surface lustrous, the abaxial surface dull, drying lighter, the venation brochidodromus, with tertiary veins highly reticulate, these plane or slightly sunken on adaxial surface, prominent on abaxial surface, tertiary veins reticulate, the margins entire, undulate, revolute, the apex obtuse, rounded, acute or acuminate, the base rounded or obtuse, sometimes asymmetrical; petiolules cylindrical, rugose, grayish, 5-10 mm long, furrowed along adaxial surface, appressed-puberulous or pubescent; rachis 1.5-7 cm long, nearly terete, bisulcate along adaxial surface, appressed-puberulent, lenticellate; petioles 3-6.5 cm long, slightly flattened along adaxial surface, slightly enlarged at base, appressed-puberulent, lenticellate. Thyrses panicleshaped, axillary or distal, 10-20 cm long; cataphylls wanting; axes slightly flattened, sulcate, ferruginous-tomentose; bracts early deciduous, oblong-lanceolate, ca. 4 mm long, with same indumentum as the axis; bracteoles similar but smaller; dichasia compound; peduncles terete, 3-4 mm long, tomentose; pedicels < 1 mm long, articulate at the apex, with same indumentum as the peduncle. Calyx yellowish, ca. 5 mm long, tomentose, the sepals 3-4 mm long, ovate-deltate, slightly concave; petals narrowly elliptic, 3.5-4.5 mm long, reflexed at anthesis, yellowish, adaxially glabrous, abaxially villose, the apex acuminate, the base clawed; appendages as long as the petals, adaxially villous, abaxially glabrous, adnate along margins of lower half of the petal to form a pocket, the apex acuminate; disc annular, 5-lobed, glabrous, 1-1.5 mm tall; stamens 8, the filaments of unequal length, 3-4 mm long, glabrous, the anthers 1-1.2 mm long, ovate, glabrous, obtuse at apex; ovary conical, ferruginous-tomentose, the stigma cylindric-trigonous, tomentulose. Fruits asymmetrically depressed-ovoid, woody, densely ferruginous-sericeous, brown when ripe, 3.5-4.2 × 4.5-5 cm, the pericarp 2-5 mm thick Seeds one per fruit, ovoid, ca. 3 cm long, with a fleshy white cover. Embryo with cotyledons superimposed, of equal size.

  • Discussion

    The specific epithet honors Dr. Roman S. Flores, collector of the type specimen.

    Fruits are reported as edible (Standley, 1931); dry fruits are used as rattles and the woody mesocarp is used in the construction of toys, similar to a whirligig

    Phenology. Known to flower from April to August and to fruit in February, July and November.

    .

  • Common Names

    Poloc

  • Distribution

    Endemic to the Yucatan Peninsula (Guatemala and Mexico), in tall, moist and rain forests.

    Mexico North America| Campeche Mexico North America| Quintana Roo Mexico North America| Tabasco Mexico North America| Yucatán Mexico North America| Guatemala Central America| Petén Guatemala Central America|