Licania gentryi Prance
-
Authority
Prance, Ghillean T. 1989. Chrysobalanaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 9S: 1-267. (Published by NYBG Press)
-
Family
Chrysobalanaceae
-
Scientific Name
-
Type
Type. Colombia. Valle: Bajo Calima, 15 km N of Buenaventura, 3°56' N, 77°08' W, 50 m, 16 Feb 1983 (fl), A. Gentry et al. 40355 (holotype, MO; isotype, NY).
-
Description
Latin Diagnosis - Species a L. cabrerae affinis, foliis 27-47 cm longis x 22-26 cm latis, inflorescentiis ramifloris, receptaculo crasso, staminibus circa 60 differt.
Description - Tree 10 m tall. Leaf lamina elliptic, chartaceous, 21-41 cm x 22-26 cm, rounded at base, abruptly mucronate at apex, the mucro 5-7 mm long, densely ferrugineous-lanate-pubescent beneath, lanate above when young, becoming glabrous with age, the pubescence persisting only along veins; midrib prominent beneath, plane above, with a ferrugineous-lanate-pubescence contrasting with the caducous lighter pubescence of upper surface and lateral veins; primary veins 25-29 pairs, prominent beneath, slightly impressed above; petioles 20-25 mm long, ferrugineous-lanate-pubescent, terete, eglandular. Stipules axillary, ca. 12 mm long, membranous, sparsely lanate on exterior, glabrous on inner surface. Inflorescences of panicles borne on the woody branches, the rachis and branches tomentellous; bracts large and membranous to 20 mm long, persisting at base of inflorescence; bracteoles membranous, to 20 mm long, tomentellous on exterior, glabrous within. Flowers 67 mm long, sessile. Receptacle cupuliform, fer-rugineous-lanate-pubescent on exterior, the walls thick, restricting the inner cavity, tomentose within. Calyx lobes five, triangular, lanate on exterior, tomentellous within. Petals five, white. Stamens ca. 60, inserted in several rows around a complete circle, the filaments glabrous, exceeding calyx lobes, free to base, with a dense ring of reflexed hairs around base on interior of receptacle. Ovary inserted at base of receptacle, small, tomentose. Style longer than filaments, villous for three-fourths of length. Fruit not seen. This species (distribution in Fig. 40), most closely related to the highland Licania cabrerae, differs in the very much larger and broader leaves, in the inflorescence borne on woody branches, the much thicker walls of the receptacle with only a very small ovary at the base, and the greater number of stamens. It is the largest-leaved species of Licania so far described. It is related to the other large-leaved, lanate pubescent species of Licania subgenus Moquilea, but is quite distinct from them by the leaf size and shape and the ramiflorous nature of the inflorescence.