Ouratea membranacea (Triana & Planch.) Engl.
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Authority
Maguire, Bassett. 1989. The Botany of the Guayana Highland- Part XIII. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 51: 1-127.
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Family
Ochnaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Tree. Leaves membranous, oblong-elliptic, acuminate at apex, subobtuse to subacute at base, 10-16 cm long, 3-6 cm wide, uniformly obtusely crenate (5 teeth per cm), upper surface with subsulcate lateral nerves widely spreading at 10°- 15°, intermediate nerves lightly impressed, tertiary venation subparallel, subhorizontal or transverse, finely impressed, lower surface with 10-12 primary lateral nerves on each side slightly prominent, intermediate nerves finely impressed but less distinct, tertiary venation subparallel, elongate. Petioles very short, 1-4 mm long. Inflorescence subsimple, relatively few-flowered, 5- 9 cm long, 1-3 cm wide, with or without a basal branch; pedicels 7-8 mm long. Flowers usually 2-fasciculate, arising from short lateral axes or directly from the main rachis. Flower bud oblong- ovoid, subacute, 7-9 mm long, 4-5 m m wide. Sepals lanceolate-oblong, obtusish, 7-9 m m long, 2-3 mm wide. Petals obovate-oblong,
Distribution and Ecology - Wet forests on the lowland ofthe Intendencia del Meta, southeastem Colombia, 450-500 m.
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Discussion
Gomphia membranacea Triana & Planchon, Ann. Sci. Nat. Bot. IV 18: 274. 1862.
Specimens examined. COLOMBIA, meta: Villavicencio, 400 m, Triana s.n. (type collection of Gomphia membranacea, isotype NY); Villavicencio am Rio Meta, Karsten s.n. (NY); Villavicencio, woods along Quebrada Canabrara, 18-20 Mar 1939, Killip 34464 (NY); dense humid forest. Sierra de la Macarena, Caiio Yerly, 450 m, 25 Nov 1949, Philipson, Idrobo & Fernandez 1557 (NY); dense humid forest. Sierra de la Macarena, Rio Guapaya, 5 Dec 1949, Philipson, Idrobo & Fernandez 1713 (NY).
The number of carpels in the great majority of species of Ouratea in the present treatment is 5. The two exceptions are O. discophora {decagyna) with 10, and the above described O. membranacea with 6-8. In the treatment ofthe genus by Engler (loc. cit.) O. membranacea is keyed out under the section having "ovarii carpidia 5" (p. 306), but in the text (p. 343) the carpels are stated to be 6-8 ("ovarii carpidia 6-8"). As shown by type and topotype material studied at N Y , the carpels vary from six to seven.