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Family:

Lecythidaceae (Magnoliophyta)

Primary Citation:

Prodr. (DC.) 3: 293. 1828

Accepted Name:

This name is currently accepted.

Description:

Description: Understorey, canopy, or emergent trees. Leaves scattered along branches, small to large-sized (5-59 cm long), glabrous; venation reticulate. Inflorescences cauline, terminal, or axillary, racemose or spicate or once-branched paniculate arrangements of racemes or spikes, growth of rachises determinate. Flowers present with, zygomorphic; sepals (4)6; petals (4)6, flat at apices; staminal lip present; androecial hood fully coiled, bearing vestigial stamens, the stamens not reflexed, the anthers laterally dehiscent; ovary 2(4)-locular, ovules numerous, attached to base of locular, the style without stylar collar. Fruit dehiscent, remaining on tree at maturity, usually globose or depressed globose, less frequently turbinate, pericarp relatively thin to thick. Seeds not winged, few to numerous per locule, thick, often flat on two sides and rounded on the other two, not embedded in pulp, the testa glabrous; cotyledons absent; embryo macropodial.

Distribution: The most widely distributed genus of Lecythidaceae. From Mexico to Panama in Central america but not common until Costa Rica and Panama. In South America on the Pacific coast of Colombia, the northern interandean vallies, throughout Amazonia and the Guianas, and in the coastal forests of eastern Brazil.

Ecology: Mostly in lowland forests on well-drained soils and less common above 1000 meters and in dry areas.

Number of species: About 90 described species and a significant number of undescribed species.

Taxonomic notes: Molecular studies (Huang et al., in review; Mori et al., 2007) have revealed three separate clades in the genus that are not sister to one another. The smallest clade (E. tetrapetala) is made of three species endemic to the coasal forests of eastern Brazil and is characterized by vestigial stamens on both the exterior and interior sides of a single-coiled androecial hood and a basal aril; the next largest clade (E. integrifolia clade) is found in eastern Panama, the inter Andean valleys, and with two species in western Amazonia and is characterized by triple-coiled androecial hoods and either spreading or half I-beam arils; and the largest clade is widespread nearly throughout the distribution of Eschweilera sensu lato and is characterized by a double androecial hood and a lateral aril that does not overlap at either of the ends of the seeds.

Flora and Monograph Treatment(s):

Eschweilera Mart. ex DC.: [Article] Mori, S. A. 1987. The Lecythidaceae of a lowland Neotropical Forest: La Fumée mountain, French Guiana. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 44: 1-190.
Eschweilera Mart. ex DC.: [Article] Mori, S. A. & Prance, Ghillean T. 1990. Lecythidaceae - Part II: The zygomorphic-flowered New World genera (Couroupita, Corythophora, Bertholletia, Couratari, Eschweilera, & Lecythis). With a study of secondary xylem of Neotropical Lecythidaceae by Carl de Zeeuw. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 21: 1-376.
Eschweilera Mart. ex DC.: [Article] Mori, S. A. & Lepsch da Cunha, Nadia M. 1995. The Lecythidaceae of a central Amazonian moist forest. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 75: 1-55.