Monographs Details:
Authority:
Kaastra, Roelof C. 1982. A monograph of the Pilocarpinae (Rutaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 33: 1-198. (Published by NYBG Press)
Kaastra, Roelof C. 1982. A monograph of the Pilocarpinae (Rutaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 33: 1-198. (Published by NYBG Press)
Family:
Rutaceae
Rutaceae
Description:
Species Description - Tree 5-6 m tall with brown-hyaline pubescence of appressed hairs to 0.1 mm long; branchlets 3-4 mm in diam., grayish-brown, becoming glabrous. Leaves alternate, 1-foliolate, the leaflet sessile; petiole semiterete, winged, strongly ribbed, 7-10 mm long, the wings ca. 0.2 mm broad, ending in an ear 2-4 × 0.9-2.5 mm with rounded lateral-apical tip; leaflet blade (narrowly) elliptic, 6.518 × 2.5-7 cm, obtuse at base, the margin slightly revolute towards the base, acuminate and often somewhat recurved at apex with an emarginate tip 5-7 mm long, the blade chartaceous to subcoriaceous, shining above, dull beneath, glands inconspicuous, glabrous except for midvein and base, venation brochidodromous, midvein plane and ribbed above. Infructescences several, lateral, axillary, erect or spreading, paniculate, shorter than the leaves, 4-5 × 2-4 cm, pubescent with hairs to 0.2 mm; with many young fruits but only 1 in each infructescence usually maturing, the side branchlets alternate; bracts and bractlets caducous. Flowers (studied on young fruits of which 1 or 2 loculi are transformed into galls) probably ca. 4 mm in diam.; calyx lobes depressedly triangular, 0.6-0.9 × 1-1.3 mm, obtuse, thickly coriaceous, glabrous above, appressed-pubescent below; petals persistent, broadly ovate, ca. 1.4 × 1.1 mm, acute and slightly thickened at apex, coriaceous, pubescent as the calyx lobes; filaments persistent, glabrous; disc probably glabrous; carpels provided with an appressed-pubescent apophysis. Fruits 1-2 per vegetative branch, broadest in the upper half, 1.8-2.3 × ca. 2.5 cm when dehisced, slightly yellowish-hoary with appressed hairs 0.1 mm long; loculi provided 1/3 to 1/2 from tip with a blunt apophysis 1-2 mm long, obsoletely wrinkled, septicidally dehiscent from base to tip, often becoming completely free when old and finally falling off, the exocarp internally smooth, its nerves only slightly visible on the sides externally; seeds (only 1, empty, seed observed in Cowan 38833 (F)), probably 1 per loculus, very obliquely tear-shaped ca. 7×4×4 mm, with apex 0.2 mm long; testa brown, shining, finely irregularly colliculate with interspaces 0.05 mm in diam., chalazal area irregularly shaped, ca. 3 × 2 mm, black, shining; hilum 0.6 mm broad; embryo unknown.
Phenology - Collected in fruit in Dec.
Species Description - Tree 5-6 m tall with brown-hyaline pubescence of appressed hairs to 0.1 mm long; branchlets 3-4 mm in diam., grayish-brown, becoming glabrous. Leaves alternate, 1-foliolate, the leaflet sessile; petiole semiterete, winged, strongly ribbed, 7-10 mm long, the wings ca. 0.2 mm broad, ending in an ear 2-4 × 0.9-2.5 mm with rounded lateral-apical tip; leaflet blade (narrowly) elliptic, 6.518 × 2.5-7 cm, obtuse at base, the margin slightly revolute towards the base, acuminate and often somewhat recurved at apex with an emarginate tip 5-7 mm long, the blade chartaceous to subcoriaceous, shining above, dull beneath, glands inconspicuous, glabrous except for midvein and base, venation brochidodromous, midvein plane and ribbed above. Infructescences several, lateral, axillary, erect or spreading, paniculate, shorter than the leaves, 4-5 × 2-4 cm, pubescent with hairs to 0.2 mm; with many young fruits but only 1 in each infructescence usually maturing, the side branchlets alternate; bracts and bractlets caducous. Flowers (studied on young fruits of which 1 or 2 loculi are transformed into galls) probably ca. 4 mm in diam.; calyx lobes depressedly triangular, 0.6-0.9 × 1-1.3 mm, obtuse, thickly coriaceous, glabrous above, appressed-pubescent below; petals persistent, broadly ovate, ca. 1.4 × 1.1 mm, acute and slightly thickened at apex, coriaceous, pubescent as the calyx lobes; filaments persistent, glabrous; disc probably glabrous; carpels provided with an appressed-pubescent apophysis. Fruits 1-2 per vegetative branch, broadest in the upper half, 1.8-2.3 × ca. 2.5 cm when dehisced, slightly yellowish-hoary with appressed hairs 0.1 mm long; loculi provided 1/3 to 1/2 from tip with a blunt apophysis 1-2 mm long, obsoletely wrinkled, septicidally dehiscent from base to tip, often becoming completely free when old and finally falling off, the exocarp internally smooth, its nerves only slightly visible on the sides externally; seeds (only 1, empty, seed observed in Cowan 38833 (F)), probably 1 per loculus, very obliquely tear-shaped ca. 7×4×4 mm, with apex 0.2 mm long; testa brown, shining, finely irregularly colliculate with interspaces 0.05 mm in diam., chalazal area irregularly shaped, ca. 3 × 2 mm, black, shining; hilum 0.6 mm broad; embryo unknown.
Phenology - Collected in fruit in Dec.
Discussion:
Unfortunately the flowers of Esenbeckia cowanii are poorly known, but the position of the species is most likely to be in subgen. Lateriflorens. As to the fruit E. cowanii is close to E. leiocarpa, but the fruit is less grayish and more yellow-ish-hairy. In vegetative characters however, there are distinct differences, e.g. the 1-foliolate leaves with winged petioles and obtuse leaflet-bases.Many young fruits of both known collections are transformed into galls, echinoid in appearance, with numerous thin prickly protuberances ca. 5 mm long and pilose at tip with hairs 0.05 mm long.This species was dedicated to Dr. Cowan, the collector of the specimens. He made his first botanical investigations in the Rutaceae, on which he has published several articles.
Unfortunately the flowers of Esenbeckia cowanii are poorly known, but the position of the species is most likely to be in subgen. Lateriflorens. As to the fruit E. cowanii is close to E. leiocarpa, but the fruit is less grayish and more yellow-ish-hairy. In vegetative characters however, there are distinct differences, e.g. the 1-foliolate leaves with winged petioles and obtuse leaflet-bases.Many young fruits of both known collections are transformed into galls, echinoid in appearance, with numerous thin prickly protuberances ca. 5 mm long and pilose at tip with hairs 0.05 mm long.This species was dedicated to Dr. Cowan, the collector of the specimens. He made his first botanical investigations in the Rutaceae, on which he has published several articles.
Distribution:
French Guiana South America|
French Guiana South America|