Diploön cuspidatum (Hoehne) Cronquist

  • Authority

    Pennington, Terence D. 1990. Sapotaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 52: 1-750. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Sapotaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Diploön cuspidatum (Hoehne) Cronquist

  • Synonyms

    Chrysophyllum cuspidatum Hoehne, Diploon venezuelanum Aubrév.

  • Description

    Species Description - Tree; young shoots minutely appressed puberulous, often subglabrous, pale greyish, smooth, lenticellate. Leaves spaced, alternate and distichous or weakly spiralled, 6.5-11.5 × 1.9-4 cm, usually elliptic, less frequently oblanceolate, apex long narrowly acuminate or caudate, base narrowly attenuate, chartaceous, glabrous; venation brochidodromous, marginal vein present, midrib flat or slightly raised on the upper surface, secondary veins 17-20 pairs, joining to form a submarginal vein, parallel, straight or slightly arcuate; sometimes impressed on the upper surface; intersecondaries long, often extending to the margin; tertiaries parallel to the secondaries and descending from the margin. Petiole 4-8 mm long, slightly channelled, subglabrous. Fascicles 3-10-flowered, axillary and below the leaves. Pedicel 4-5 mm long, with sparse minute appressed hairs. Flowers bisexual. Sepals 4-5, 1-1.5 mm long, ovate, apex acute or rounded, sparsely appressed puberulous outside or glabrous. Corolla 2.5-3 mm long, tube ca. 0.5 mm long, lobes 4-5, 2-2.5 mm long, broadly elliptic or spathulate, apex rounded, slightly hooded, glabrous. Stamens 4-5, fixed at the top of the corolla tube (strong filament traces to base of tube); filaments 1-1.5 mm long, thickened below, glabrous; anthers 1-1.25 mm long, ovate to lanceolate, glabrous. Ovary ovoid, glabrous; style 0.5-1 mm long after anthesis, glabrous; style-head simple. Fruit 1.8-2 cm long, broadly ellipsoid or globose, apex and base rounded, smooth, glabrous. Seed solitary, ca. 1.5 cm long, broadly ellipsoid, rounded at base and apex, testa smooth, shining, ca. 0.3 mm thick; scar basal or basi-ventral, cordate, ca. 7 × 5 mm, roughened. Field characters. Tree to 30 m high and 50 cm diam. buttressed, and with slightly fluted bole; bark reddish-brown, scaling, with white latex. Flowers cream-white, fruit ripening reddish to black. The outer pericarp is tough, but the inner pericarp forms a thin fibrous-fleshy layer adherent to the seed. The seed, together with this fleshy layer are eaten by birds and monkeys (Hoehne, 1933: 304). Flowering Sep to Dec (throughout its range), fruit Nov to Feb.

  • Common Names

    Bacumicha, bapeba preta, batinga roxa, Cacho

  • Objects

    Specimen - 374997, P. K. H. Dusén 15319, Diploön cuspidatum (Hoehne) Cronquist, Sapotaceae (269.0), Magnoliophyta; South America, Brazil, Paraná, Jaguariaíva Mun.

    Specimen - 885035, A. F. M. Glaziou 9505, Pouteria cuspidata (A.DC.) Baehni, Sapotaceae (269.0), Magnoliophyta; South America, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro

    Specimen - 375002, O. Handro 956, Diploön cuspidatum (Hoehne) Cronquist, Sapotaceae (269.0), Magnoliophyta; South America, Brazil, São Paulo, São Paulo Mun.

  • Distribution

    Venezuela, Guyana, Southern Amazonian Peru and Bolivia, a single record from central Amazonian Brazil, coastal Brazil from Alagoas to Paraná. A species of lowland rain forest on non-flooded land, altitudinal range sea level to 750 metres. In Guyana a component of rain forest dominated by Ocotea rodiaei.

    Venezuela South America| Distrito Federal Venezuela South America| Guyana South America| Peru South America| Madre de Dios Peru South America| Alagoas Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Bahia Brazil South America| Espirito Santo Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Paraná Brazil South America| Rio de Janeiro Brazil South America| Rondônia Brazil South America| São Paulo Brazil South America| Bolivia South America| La Paz Bolivia South America|