Campsiandra comosa Benth. var. comosa
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Authority
Maguire, Bassett, et al. 1953. The Botany of the Guayana Highland. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 8 (2): 87-160.
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Family
Caesalpiniaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Low tree, the vegetative parts except the upper surfaces of the leaflets minutely appressed-puberulent; leaves 7-11-foliolate, the petioles 2-4.5 cm. long, narrowly winged, the rachis canaliculate-margined above, 5-16 cm. long, the petiolules 2-4 mm. long, transversely rugose; leaflets opposite or subopposite,(4-)7-15 cm. long, (2-)3-5 cm. wide, lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate or elliptic, the base obtuse or rotund, the apex acute to acuminate, the tip obtuse, the upper surface glabrous, nitid, below glabrous or with very few scattered, minute, appressed hairlets, the primary veins barely prominulous above, below the reticulation of the veins very distinct; inflorescences terminal, panicles of racemes, 7-11 cm. long, sparsely to densely appressed-puberulent, the bracteoles lanceolate, 1.5 mm. long, appressed-puberulent without but glabrous within, the pedicels 1-2 cm. long, articulate at the base of the flower; calyx-tube (3")4-5 mm. long, 3.5-5 mm. wide at the apex, the lobes and tube sparsely appressed-puberulent without, the sepals lance-ovate or ovate-triangular, 3-4 mm. long, 2.5 mm. wide, obtuse; petals cucullate, oblong, 10-12 mm. long, 4.5-5 mm. wide, glabrous except for the ciliolate margin; stamens inflexed in bud, the filaments glabrous, 2.5 cm. long, the anthers oval, about 2 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, villose-hirsutulous on dorsal surface; pistil glabrous, sometimes abortive, the stigma expanded-truncate, the style about 2 cm. long, the ovary linear-oblong, about 5 mm. long, 1.5 mm. wide, 6-10-ovulate, the stipe 4.0-4.5 mm. long; fruit irregularly oblong, acentric on the stipe, 17-30 cm. long, 5-7.5 cm. wide, glabrous, the seed disciform, about 5.5 cm. diameter, the testa reddish-brown, chartaceous.
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Discussion
C. comosa Benth. Jour. Bot. Hook. 2: 93, as to type. 1840.
C. sunnamensis Kleinh. Rec. Trav. Bot. Neerl. 22: 406. 1925.
This typical variety is in its larger flowers more closely associated with variety laurifolia than with C. angustifolia, which it resembles in the glabrous upper leaflet surface and in the shape of the sepals. Variety comosa is separable from variety laurifolia on the glabrous condition of the leaflets already mentioned. It has the narrowest range of all the taxa in the genus, being restricted to British Guiana.