Authority:

Gentry, Alwyn H. 1992. Bignoniaceae--part II (Tribe Tecomeae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 25: 1-370. (Published by NYBG Press)

Family:

Bignoniaceae

Synonyms:

Bignonia copaia Aubl., Jacaranda procera (Willd.) Spreng.

Description:

Subspecies Description - Large tree 25-35 m tall, to at least 40 cm dbh., the branchlets subtetragonal to subterete, glabrous. Leaves bipinnate, with 5-9 pinnae, the rachis not winged, with 5-9 leaflets, these 2-9 cm long, 1.3-4.5 cm wide, symmetrically elliptic or oblong-elliptic, obtuse, narrowly cuneate at base, subcoriaceous to chartaceous, sparsely lepidote, otherwise glabrous, drying dark, the petiole 5-10 cm long, the petiolules 2-4 mm long, minutely lepidote to glabrate as the rachis. Inflorescence a large terminal panicle, the branchlets puberulous. Flowers with the calyx cupular, minutely and irregularly 5-dentate, puberulous, 5-6 mm long, 3-4 mm wide; corolla purplish-blue with white throat, tubular-campanulate above the basal constriction, 2.5-3 cm long, 0.7-1 cm wide at mouth of tube, the tube 2.2-2.4 cm long, the lobes 0.5-0.6 cm long, densely puberulous outside with dendroid trichomes, puberulous inside, the tube pubescent abaxially and at level of stamen insertion; stamens monothecate, the theca 1.5 mm long, the filaments ca. 8-10 mm long, the staminode 1.6-1.8 cm long, glandular pubescent at apex and center; pistil 1.5 cm long, the ovary flattened-cylindrical, ca. 1.5 mm long, 1.2 mm wide, glabrous, the ovules few-seriate in each locule; disk cylindric, 0.6 mm long, 1.2 mm wide. Fruit a flattened-oblong capsule, woody, with straight margins, 9-13 cm long, 7-10 cm wide, glabrous, blackish when dry; seeds not seen.

Discussion:

This subspecies is not as clearly allopatric with subsp. spectabilis as previously suggested by Gentry (1978). Both subspecies have been collected at Jari, Brazil, and subsp. spectabilis is now known from the Guianas. Thus it is quite possible that two distinct species exist; we have maintained these as only subspecifically distinct in large part out of deference for the very widespread use of J. copaia for subsp. spectabilis in extra-Guayanan South and Central America.

Distribution:

Venezuela South America| Delta Amacuro Venezuela South America| Guyana South America| Suriname South America| French Guiana South America| Brazil South America| Amapá Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Maranhão Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America|

Common Names:

koepaia, koepaja, njamoesere, goebai, goebaja, foete-i, jaifi, jasi man boon, marupauba, parapara, para-para, para’y