Naucleopsis ulei (Warb.) Ducke

• Authority

  Berg, Cornelius C. 2001. Moreae, Artocarpeae, and (Moraceae): With introductions to the family and and with additions and corrections to Flora Neotropica Monograph 7. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 83: 1-346. (Published by NYBG Press)

• Family

  Moraceae

• Scientific Name

  Naucleopsis ulei (Warb.) Ducke

• Synonyms

  Uleodendron ulei (Warb.) Rauschert, Acanthosphaera ulei Warb.

• Description

  Species Description - Revised description: Tree, to 25(-40) m tall; internodes often distinctly different in length, the parts with short internodes bearing only stipules. Leafy twigs 4-12 mm thick, brownish to yellowish-puberulous or subglabrous; periderm irregularly wrinkled, flaking off in very small flakes. Lamina oblong to subobovate to oblanceolate, (10-) 15-40(-60) × 3-15(-21) cm, coriaceous; apex acuminate; base cordate to rounded to subacute or to acute; upper surface glabrous; lower surface (sub)glabrous or minutely puberulous to subhispidulous (and then scabridulous) on the veins; lateral veins (13-) 17-35 pairs, at least in the lower part of the lamina mostly not distinctly loop-connected; tertiary venation partly scalariform to reticulate; petiole 0.4-1.5 cm long; stipules 0.8-2.5(-3.5) cm long, yellowish appressed to patent-puberulous, mainly at the base, often curved, often subpersistent (especially on parts of the leafy twigs with short internodes). Staminate inflorescences in the leaf axils or below the leaves, up to 4 together, (0.2-)0.5-1.5 cm diam., subsessile or peduncle to 1.2 cm long; receptacle slightly concave; involucral bracts in ca. 6-7 rows, reniform to suborbiculate, obtuse, sparsely to densely yellowish appressed-puberulous; flowers slightly connate at the base; perianth ca. 2 mm long, 4-7-fid to -parted, sparsely puberulous; stamens 1-4; anthers 0.5-1 × 0.2-0.3 mm. Pistillate inflorescences below the leaves, (0.7-)1-3.5 cm diam., sessile or subsessile; involucral bracts in ca. 7 series, reniform to deltoid to ovate to lanceolate, obtuse, grayish-puberulous (to pubescent); flowers numerous, sometimes few (35?); free parts of the tepals subulate, 0.2-2 cm long, puberulous; style 2-7 mm long; stigmas band-shaped, (3-)7-10 mm long. In fructescences 3-15 cm diam.; free parts of the tepals subulate to narrowly pyramidate, 1-5 cm long, ± curved; fruit ca. 2-3 × 2-2.5 cm.

• Discussion

  The range of distribution has expanded considerably with new discoveries in Costa Rica, Panama, and the Pacific Coastal lowlands of Colombia and Ecuador. For this material a new subspecies had to be recognized, subsp. puberula. New collections made the distinction between Naucleopsis ulei and N. amara more and more problematical; the latter had to be reduced to a subspecies of the former. A fourth taxon, still rather poorly known, is included as subsp, subandina.