Talisia morii 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. Panama. Darién: North slopes of Cerro Pirre; wet forest, 300-700 m, 4 Apr 1975 (fl), Mori, S. A. & J. Kallunki 5382 (holotype, MO).
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Description
Latin Diagnosis - A T. croatii Acevedo-Rodríguez inflorescentiis dense glanduliferis, et discis 5-glandulosis differt.
Species Description - Tree 4-5 m tall. Stems nearly terete, ferruginous-tomentulose, glabrescent and lenticellate with age. Leaves paripinnate; distal process acicular, ca. 3 mm, deciduous; leaflets 10-14, opposite when distal, alternate or subopposite when proximal, oblong, oblong-elliptic or oblanceolate, 11-40 × 3.5-12 cm, chartaceous, the adaxial surface glabrous except for the puberulent midvein, the abaxial surface flavo-pilosulous along veins, intermixed with scattered glandular hairs, the venation brochidodromus, plane on adaxial surface, prominent on abaxial surface, tertiary venation clathrate, the margins entire, slightly undulate, the apex long-acuminate, usually abruptly so, the base asymmetrical, one side acute the other obtuse; petiolules nearly cylindrical to pulvinate, slightly compressed along adaxial surface, 0.5-1 cm long, flavo-pilose; rachis terete, flavo-pilosulous with scattered glandular hairs, 24-34 cm long; petioles 17-20 cm long, terete, striate, flavo-pilosulous, thickened at base. Thyrses panicle-shaped, compound, terminal, pyramidal, to 25 cm long; cataphylls acicular or dendroid, tomentose, numerous, congested at base of inflorescence or supra-axillary, reaching 4 cm long; axes sulcate, scattered pilosulous to puberulent, densely glandular-pubescent; bracts subulate, puberulent, glandular-pubescent, early deciduous; bracteoles deltate-subulate, 0.5-1 mm long, persistent, pilosulous, glandular-pubescent; dichasia compound, simple or the flowers solitary (due to aborted lateral flowers) along secondary branches; peduncle 1-7 mm long; pedicels 1-3 mm long, pilosulous, with scattered glandular hairs, articulate at the middle. Calyx 3-4.5 mm long, sparsely tomentulose with scattered glandular hairs, the sepals 1.5-3 mm long, ovate or oblong, concave, rounded at apex, ciliolate; petals ovate, ca. 7 mm long, reflexed at anthesis, adaxially glabrous, abaxially tomentulose on lower half, the apex rounded, the base clawed, the margins ciliate on lower half; appendages as long as the petals, erect, oblong, adaxially ferruginous-sericeous-tomentose, abaxially sparsely sericeous-tomentose; disc 5-lobed, tomentulose, the lobes tooth-shaped, ca. 1.6 mm tall; stamens 8, the filaments densely pilose, of unequal lengths, 3-4 mm long, the anthers oblong-elliptic, ca. 2 mm long, glabrous, apiculate at apex. Pistillate flowers unknown. Fruits ellipsoid, ca. 3 cm long, glabrous, granulate, pericarp slightly woody, ca. 2 mm thick, endocarp nearly glabrous, with scattered woolly pubescence. Seed one per fruit, ovoid-ellipsoid, ca. 2 cm long. Embryo with cotyledons superimposed, the upper one slightly larger than the lower one.
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Discussion
Talisia morii is distinguished from all other Talisia by its densely glandular-pubescent inflorescence axes and its nectary disc with 5 prominent, tooth-shaped lobes. Talisia morii seems to be closely related to T. croatii; however, it can be distinguished from the latter by its glandular-pubescent inflorescences axes (vs. puberulent to tomentose without glandular hairs) and by the deeply 5-lobed or 5-glandular disc (vs. disc shallowly 5-lobed). The specific epithet honors Dr. Scott A. Mori, Senior Scientist at the New York Botanical Garden, collector of the type, and eminent plant systematist.
Phenology. Collected in flower during April and May and in fruit during October. -
Distribution
Known only from Panama and Colombia, in moist, lowland forest.
Panama Central America| Darién Panamá Central America| Colombia South America| Antioquia Colombia South America| Santander Colombia South America|