Monographs Details:
Authority:
Pennington, Terence D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28: 1-359, 418-449, 459-470. (Published by NYBG Press)
Pennington, Terence D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28: 1-359, 418-449, 459-470. (Published by NYBG Press)
Family:
Meliaceae
Meliaceae
Description:
Species Description - Young branches with indumentum varying from minutely appressed puberulous to pubescent with short straight erect hairs to villose soon becoming ± glabrous, mid to pale brown or greyish, with small lenticels. Bud scales absent. Leaves imparipinnate, (8.5-) 13-25 cm long; petiole and rhachis terete or semiterete, villose, pubescent, puberulous or glabrous; petiolule (1-)2-5(-9) mm long, petiolule of terminal leaflet usually much longer than laterals. Leaflets opposite or subopposite, (5-)7-9(-11), oblanceolate or cuneiform, apex usually attenuate, acuminate or obtusely cuspidate, rarely rounded, base acute or cuneate, usually chartaceous, (7.8-) 10-17(-30)[12.7] cm long, 3.5-7.1(-10)[5.1] cm broad, glabrous above or midrib puberulous to pubescent, lower surface with midrib and secondary veins sparsely puberulous to dense villose with long, straight, erect hairs, lower lamina puberulous to pubescent or glabrous, with or without granular red papillae, usually finely glandular-punctate and -striate; venation eucamptodromous, midrib flat or slightly sunken; secondaries 12-18 on either side of midrib, ± straight or slightly arcuate, parallel; intersecondaries obscure or absent; tertiaries obscure, ± oblique. Flowers unisexual, plants dioecious (Allen & Armour 7269 from El Salvador is apparently hermaphrodite); inflorescence in axils of new leaves, 7-20(-30) cm long, paniculate, usually slender or less frequently pyramidal, flowers often in rather dense umbellate fascicles on short lateral branches, sparsely and minutely puberulous to villose; pedicel 1-2(-3) mm long. Calyx patelliform to shallowly cyathiform, 1-1.5 mm long with (4-)5(-6) ovate or triangular, acute lobes, 1/2-3/4 length of calyx, aestivation open, puberulous, appressed puberulous or pubescent. Petals (4)5(-6), free, imbricate, 2.5-4 mm long, 1-1.5 mm broad, oblong to lanceolate or rarely elliptic, apex acute, usually appressed puberulous and papillose or appressed pubescent outside, sometimes subglabrous, papillose or glabrous inside. Staminal tube cyathiform, (1-)1.5-2(-2.5) mm long, 1.5-2.5 mm wide; filaments usually fused 1/4-1/2 their length, rarely free almost to base, apex rounded or truncate or terminated by 2 short acute lobes, sparsely coarse pubescent to glabrous outside, inside glabrous in lower half, barbate at throat; anthers 8-10, 0.4-0.7(-0.9) mm long, often prolonged slightly into a short point, nearly always sparsely hairy; antherodes narrower, not dehiscing, without pollen. Nectary in 8 flowers a swollen annulus surrounding base of vestigial ovary and fused to base of staminal tube, reduced or absent in 9 flowers, nearly always pubescent. Ovary ovoid, 2-3-locular, loculi with 2 collateral ovules, densely pubescent; style stout, short, pubescent; style-head capitate or clavate; pistillode conical, with or without vestigial ovules. Capsule ovoid or globose with a ± truncate base, smooth, drying trigonous and a characteristic pale or dark brown, densely granular papillose intermixed with sparse or less frequently moderately dense short hairs, 0.9-1.3 cm long, 2-3-valved, valves reflexing; pericarp 0.3-0.5 mm thick, leathery; endocarp thin, cartilaginous. Seeds 2, collateral in each valve, 0.7-1.1 cm long, shaped like the segment of an orange, surrounded by a thin fleshy orange arillode, basal part of seed sometimes exposed; arillode thickened around apex of seed and along adaxial side, free except for a thin line of attachment along raphe to micropyle; seed coat thin and soft, containing numerous large pale fat bodies. Embryo with thick plano-convex, collateral cotyledons; radicle apical, extending to surface or slightly exserted; small amount of residual endosperm sometimes present.
Species Description - Young branches with indumentum varying from minutely appressed puberulous to pubescent with short straight erect hairs to villose soon becoming ± glabrous, mid to pale brown or greyish, with small lenticels. Bud scales absent. Leaves imparipinnate, (8.5-) 13-25 cm long; petiole and rhachis terete or semiterete, villose, pubescent, puberulous or glabrous; petiolule (1-)2-5(-9) mm long, petiolule of terminal leaflet usually much longer than laterals. Leaflets opposite or subopposite, (5-)7-9(-11), oblanceolate or cuneiform, apex usually attenuate, acuminate or obtusely cuspidate, rarely rounded, base acute or cuneate, usually chartaceous, (7.8-) 10-17(-30)[12.7] cm long, 3.5-7.1(-10)[5.1] cm broad, glabrous above or midrib puberulous to pubescent, lower surface with midrib and secondary veins sparsely puberulous to dense villose with long, straight, erect hairs, lower lamina puberulous to pubescent or glabrous, with or without granular red papillae, usually finely glandular-punctate and -striate; venation eucamptodromous, midrib flat or slightly sunken; secondaries 12-18 on either side of midrib, ± straight or slightly arcuate, parallel; intersecondaries obscure or absent; tertiaries obscure, ± oblique. Flowers unisexual, plants dioecious (Allen & Armour 7269 from El Salvador is apparently hermaphrodite); inflorescence in axils of new leaves, 7-20(-30) cm long, paniculate, usually slender or less frequently pyramidal, flowers often in rather dense umbellate fascicles on short lateral branches, sparsely and minutely puberulous to villose; pedicel 1-2(-3) mm long. Calyx patelliform to shallowly cyathiform, 1-1.5 mm long with (4-)5(-6) ovate or triangular, acute lobes, 1/2-3/4 length of calyx, aestivation open, puberulous, appressed puberulous or pubescent. Petals (4)5(-6), free, imbricate, 2.5-4 mm long, 1-1.5 mm broad, oblong to lanceolate or rarely elliptic, apex acute, usually appressed puberulous and papillose or appressed pubescent outside, sometimes subglabrous, papillose or glabrous inside. Staminal tube cyathiform, (1-)1.5-2(-2.5) mm long, 1.5-2.5 mm wide; filaments usually fused 1/4-1/2 their length, rarely free almost to base, apex rounded or truncate or terminated by 2 short acute lobes, sparsely coarse pubescent to glabrous outside, inside glabrous in lower half, barbate at throat; anthers 8-10, 0.4-0.7(-0.9) mm long, often prolonged slightly into a short point, nearly always sparsely hairy; antherodes narrower, not dehiscing, without pollen. Nectary in 8 flowers a swollen annulus surrounding base of vestigial ovary and fused to base of staminal tube, reduced or absent in 9 flowers, nearly always pubescent. Ovary ovoid, 2-3-locular, loculi with 2 collateral ovules, densely pubescent; style stout, short, pubescent; style-head capitate or clavate; pistillode conical, with or without vestigial ovules. Capsule ovoid or globose with a ± truncate base, smooth, drying trigonous and a characteristic pale or dark brown, densely granular papillose intermixed with sparse or less frequently moderately dense short hairs, 0.9-1.3 cm long, 2-3-valved, valves reflexing; pericarp 0.3-0.5 mm thick, leathery; endocarp thin, cartilaginous. Seeds 2, collateral in each valve, 0.7-1.1 cm long, shaped like the segment of an orange, surrounded by a thin fleshy orange arillode, basal part of seed sometimes exposed; arillode thickened around apex of seed and along adaxial side, free except for a thin line of attachment along raphe to micropyle; seed coat thin and soft, containing numerous large pale fat bodies. Embryo with thick plano-convex, collateral cotyledons; radicle apical, extending to surface or slightly exserted; small amount of residual endosperm sometimes present.
Discussion:
RelationshipsTrichilia martiana is surprisingly consistent in vegetative, floral and fruit morphology throughout its range. The number of leaflets is nearly always 3-4 pairs and they are always (at least the uppermost pair) oblanceolate or cuneiform with characteristic parallel secondary veins, and the flower and fruit varies hardly at all throughout the range of the species. In spite of this, several variants have been given specific status and they are here reduced to synonymy. These species reflect the very narrow geographical view of a species which some authors held, rather than any actual morphological distinction.The indumentum of the young parts and of the leaves is the only character showing substantial variation, from glabrous to minutely puberulous through short pubescent to villose, in all cases the hairs being erect and straight (not matted). The extremes are quite distinct, but many intermediates occur throughout the range of the species. Plants with glabrous or finely puberulous leaflets predominate on the wetter Atlantic slopes of Central America, while those with the conspicuous densely pubescent or villose indumentum are typical of the dry deciduous forests on the Pacific coastal lowlands. The presence of both extremes of indumentum type and intermediates on the Pacific slopes of Central America reflects the greater diversity of climate and habitat in this region. The differences in indumentum are not correlated with other morphological characters nor with any known phenological differences.Trichilia martiana is closely related to T. hirta, and shares part of its range, including records from the same locality (e.g. Pearl Archipelago, Panama), but it is not known how the two species are biologically isolated. Trichilia martiana appears to be a plant of wetter situations than T. hirta and it is certainly evergreen, whereas T. hirta is known to be frequently deciduous. Whatever the means of maintaining their separation, it is very effective as there are no known intermediates and though the distinguishing features are slight, there is no difficulty in identifying them. The differences are summarized below.T. martiana Bark smooth or slightly scaling Bud scales: absent Leaflets (5-)7-9(-ll) Leaflets (terminal pair); oblanceolate to cuneiform, base symmetric Leaflet length (terminal pair) (7.8-)10-17(-30) cm long Secondary veins 12-18, parallel Intersecondary veins obscure or absent Tertiaries ± oblique Flowers often in ± umbellate fascicles Petals puberulous or pubescentT. hirta Bark fissured Bud scales usually present Leaflets 13-21(-25) Leaflets oblong, elliptic, lanceolate, rarely oblanceolate, base asymmetric Leaflets 3-11.5(-14) cm long Secondary veins (6-)8-12(-16) usually convergent Intersecondaries present, often prominent Tertiaries reticulate Inflorescence thyrsoid Petals usually glabrous
RelationshipsTrichilia martiana is surprisingly consistent in vegetative, floral and fruit morphology throughout its range. The number of leaflets is nearly always 3-4 pairs and they are always (at least the uppermost pair) oblanceolate or cuneiform with characteristic parallel secondary veins, and the flower and fruit varies hardly at all throughout the range of the species. In spite of this, several variants have been given specific status and they are here reduced to synonymy. These species reflect the very narrow geographical view of a species which some authors held, rather than any actual morphological distinction.The indumentum of the young parts and of the leaves is the only character showing substantial variation, from glabrous to minutely puberulous through short pubescent to villose, in all cases the hairs being erect and straight (not matted). The extremes are quite distinct, but many intermediates occur throughout the range of the species. Plants with glabrous or finely puberulous leaflets predominate on the wetter Atlantic slopes of Central America, while those with the conspicuous densely pubescent or villose indumentum are typical of the dry deciduous forests on the Pacific coastal lowlands. The presence of both extremes of indumentum type and intermediates on the Pacific slopes of Central America reflects the greater diversity of climate and habitat in this region. The differences in indumentum are not correlated with other morphological characters nor with any known phenological differences.Trichilia martiana is closely related to T. hirta, and shares part of its range, including records from the same locality (e.g. Pearl Archipelago, Panama), but it is not known how the two species are biologically isolated. Trichilia martiana appears to be a plant of wetter situations than T. hirta and it is certainly evergreen, whereas T. hirta is known to be frequently deciduous. Whatever the means of maintaining their separation, it is very effective as there are no known intermediates and though the distinguishing features are slight, there is no difficulty in identifying them. The differences are summarized below.T. martiana Bark smooth or slightly scaling Bud scales: absent Leaflets (5-)7-9(-ll) Leaflets (terminal pair); oblanceolate to cuneiform, base symmetric Leaflet length (terminal pair) (7.8-)10-17(-30) cm long Secondary veins 12-18, parallel Intersecondary veins obscure or absent Tertiaries ± oblique Flowers often in ± umbellate fascicles Petals puberulous or pubescentT. hirta Bark fissured Bud scales usually present Leaflets 13-21(-25) Leaflets oblong, elliptic, lanceolate, rarely oblanceolate, base asymmetric Leaflets 3-11.5(-14) cm long Secondary veins (6-)8-12(-16) usually convergent Intersecondaries present, often prominent Tertiaries reticulate Inflorescence thyrsoid Petals usually glabrous
Distribution and Ecology: From the Pacific and Caribbean slopes of southeastern Mexico through Central America to Panama and northern South America. Present in the Antilles only in St. Vincent. On the Pacific side of Central America Trichilia martiana is a plant of lowland tropical deciduous and subdeciduous forest, but elsewhere it extends into lowland and lower montane rain forest in those areas with a more evenly distributed rainfall. Specimens taken from dry deciduous forest habitats are often recorded from sites with a plentiful water supply such as river banks, and it is not clear if the species is ever deciduous. Also present in southeastern Brazil where it is known only from wet lowland rainforest.
Field Characters: A tree to 35 m but often flowering as a small treelet of 2-3 m. The bark is smooth, pale greyish. Flowering probably takes place several times during the year, and there are records for most months. The fragrant flowers are greenish-yellow and are followed by the orange or yellowish capsule. The seed is surrounded by a red aril which is attractive to birds (Leek, 1969; McDiarmid et al., 1977).
Distribution:
Mexico North America| Guatemala Central America| Belize Central America| Honduras Central America| El Salvador Central America| Nicaragua Central America| Costa Rica South America| Panama Central America| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines South America| Colombia South America| Venezuela South America|
Mexico North America| Guatemala Central America| Belize Central America| Honduras Central America| El Salvador Central America| Nicaragua Central America| Costa Rica South America| Panama Central America| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines South America| Colombia South America| Venezuela South America|
Common Names:
Bastard Grand Betty, Ixbahach, carbón, Carboncillo, Cola de Pavo, Mapahuite simaron, caobillo, Palo de Bejuco, cedrillo, Matapiojo, Canjuro, Mantequero, trompillo, cedro dulce, fruta de paloma, Suipo Blanco
Bastard Grand Betty, Ixbahach, carbón, Carboncillo, Cola de Pavo, Mapahuite simaron, caobillo, Palo de Bejuco, cedrillo, Matapiojo, Canjuro, Mantequero, trompillo, cedro dulce, fruta de paloma, Suipo Blanco