Talisia furfuracea Sandwith
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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. Guyana. Mazaruni: Mazaruni Station, 1 Mar 1934 (fl), Davis 359 (Forest Dept of British Guiana 2352) (holotype, K, n.v.; isotypes, NY, K-3).
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Description
Species Description - Tree to 30 m tall, branching on upper portion to produce a dense crown; trunk to 45 cm in diam., bark grayish brown, rough. Young growth conspicuously ferruginous-tomentose intermixed with short papilliform hairs. Twigs nearly terete, sulcate, rough, glabrescent with age. Leaves paripinnate; distal process cylindrical, truncate, ca. 4 mm long, early deciduous; leaflets 4-8, opposite, elliptic to oblanceolate, 6.5-21 × 2.6-8 cm, rigid-coriaceous, the adaxial surface slightly lustrous, glabrous, depressed along both sides of the prominulous midvein, sometime with scattered, raised, conical insect galls, the abaxial surface dull, sparingly appressed-pubescent, especially along the strongly prominent mid and secondary veins, the venation brochidodromus, forming a marginal loop, tertiary venation reticulate, the margins entire, revolute to strongly revolute, the apex obtuse, or shortly acuminate, the base obtuse, cuneate or rounded sometimes slightly asymmetrical; petiolules cylindrical, slightly enlarged at base, rugose, grayish, 4-10 mm long, furrowed along adaxial surface, puberulous; rachis 1.5-14 cm long, nearly terete, or obtusely angled on young leaves, bisulcate along adaxial surface, ferruginous-papillate intermixed with soft, long hairs, becoming glabrous with age; petioles 3.5-9 cm long, slightly flattened along adaxial surface, slightly enlarged at base, with same indumentum as the rachis. Thyrses panicle-shaped, axillary or congested on distal portion of branches, to 21 cm long, the lateral branches to 12 cm long; cataphylls absent; axes slightly obtusely angled, sulcate, ferruginous-papillate intermixed with soft, long hairs; bracts persistent, oblong-lanceolate, ca. 4 mm long, with same indumentum as the axis; bracteoles similar but smaller; dichasia simple, sessile; pedicels 1.5-2 mm long, articulate on lower half, with same indumentum as the axis. Calyx pale green, 4-4.5 mm long, papillate-sericeous to tomentose, the sepals ca. 3 mm long, ovate to elliptic, slightly concave; petals elliptic-ovate, 4.5-6 mm long, white, adaxially papillate, abaxially densely appressed-pubescent on lower half, the apex obtuse, the base clawed; appendages deltate, as long as the petals, adaxially densely sericeous on upper half, abaxially papillate, adnate along margins of lower half of the petal to form a pocket, the apex obtuse; disc annular, 5-lobed, fleshy, tomentulose, 1-1.2 mm tall; stamens 8, the filaments of unequal length, 2.7-4.5 mm long, glabrous, the anthers ca. 1 mm long, ellipsoid, glabrous, obtuse at apex; ovary conical, ferruginous-tomentose, the stigma cylindric-trigonous, papillate. Fruits ovoid or ellipsoid, woody, densely ferruginous-sericeous, yellowish brown, 2.5-2.8 cm long, the pericarp ca. 3 mm thick Seeds one per fruit, ellipsoid, ca. 2 cm long, with a thin fleshy cover. Embryo with cotyledons superimposed, the upper cotyledon slightly larger than the lower one.
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Discussion
The specific epithet seems to refer to the indumentum found on this species, however, it is better described as sericeous or appressed-pubescent, rather than furfuraceous.
Phenology. Known to flower from September to March and to fruit from October to May. -
Distribution
Endemic to the Guianas, in mixed forests on sandy soil or loam.
Guyana South America| Cuyuni-Mazaruni Guyana South America| Demerara Guyana South America| Suriname South America| Brokopondo Suriname South America| French Guiana South America| Sinnamary French Guiana South America|