Monographs Details:
Authority:
Hopkins, Helen C. F. 1986. Parkia (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 43: 1-124. (Published by NYBG Press)
Hopkins, Helen C. F. 1986. Parkia (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 43: 1-124. (Published by NYBG Press)
Family:
Mimosaceae
Mimosaceae
Synonyms:
Paryphosphaera arborea H.Karst., Parkia paryphosphaera Benth., Parkia oppositifolia Spruce ex Benth., Parkia sylvatica Pulle, Parkia arborea (H.Karst.) J.F.Macbr., Parkia ingens Ducke, Parkia inundabilis Ducke, Parkia alliodora Ducke
Paryphosphaera arborea H.Karst., Parkia paryphosphaera Benth., Parkia oppositifolia Spruce ex Benth., Parkia sylvatica Pulle, Parkia arborea (H.Karst.) J.F.Macbr., Parkia ingens Ducke, Parkia inundabilis Ducke, Parkia alliodora Ducke
Description:
Species Description - Tree to 40 m or more high. Leaves opposite or subopposite, to 28 cm long. Petiole with single elliptical gland on upper side between base and first pair of pinnae. Pinnae 3-9(-12) pairs, opposite or subopposite. Leaflets 21-35(-47) pairs, opposite, usually perpendicular to secondary rachis, oblong, (8.5-)10-25 x 2.5-6.5 mm, often with white coating on underside and less frequently also on upper side, apex rounded or retuse, base strongly or weakly auriculate; main nerve straight at apex. Compound inflorescence axis horizontal or ± ascending, projecting beyond foliage, to 1 m or more long, often branched at base, branches to 70 cm long. Peduncles 1-3 pairs inserted in axils of opposite or subopposite caducous bracts at each of 3-6 nodes of the inflorescence axis, when more than one pair then serially inserted, all pendent, 2.5-16 cm long. Capitula 4.5-8 cm long, biglobose with basal staminodial fringe 4-7.5 cm diam. and apical part ellipsoid to obovoid, 2.2-3.3 cm diam. Hermaphrodite flowers: calyx 6-10 mm long (including pseudopedicel of ca. 1 mm), the lobes 0.5-1.5 mm long; corolla 6.5-11 mm long, the lobes 0.5-2 mm long; filaments exserted ca. 1-3 mm beyond calyx, ± free at base. Nectar-secretingyZmmx calyx 5.5-11 mm long. Staminodial flowers: calyx 6.5-15 mm long; corolla 8-16 mm long, the lobes either 1-3.5 mm long or in some flowers towards base of capitulum free almost to base; filaments exserted up to 20-35 mm beyond calyx, united for part of length. Pods strapshaped, often falcate, ca. 20-40 cm long [including stipe of 1-7(-12) cm] and (3.3-) 4-5.5(-6) cm broad, the sutures somewhat thickened and the coriaceous, indehiscent, glabrous or glabrescent valves shallowly corrugated; the cavity when fresh containing amber-colored sticky or crystalline gum. Seeds to ca. 20(-23) per pod, ca. 17-22 x 8-11 x 5.5-8.5 mm; testa black. Field characters. Medium sized or large trees, often with a large rounded or rarely somewhat flattened crown; briefly deciduous. Bark grayish, sometimes smelling of methyl salicylate or garlic. Buttresses in large specimens to 2 m high. The white waxy coating which is sometimes present on the leaves is always absent in newly flushed leaves, seedlings, and small saplings. When present the wax develops with age and then flakes off as the leaves become old. The upper side of old leaves is sometimes dark gray-green and ± shiny, giving the crown a silvery appearance. Buds brown. Capitula at anthesis have a creamy-white to yellow-orange staminodial fringe, sometimes tinged with red, and bright yellow fertile flowers, but turn dirty yellow the day after flowering. The pods are dark brown or black, but the abaxial suture often remains green. A considerable range in dimensions can sometimes be found within a population (pers. obs., near Manaus). The pod wall is very tough compared with P. panurensis and P. igneiflora the pod morphology of which is otherwise similar.
Species Description - Tree to 40 m or more high. Leaves opposite or subopposite, to 28 cm long. Petiole with single elliptical gland on upper side between base and first pair of pinnae. Pinnae 3-9(-12) pairs, opposite or subopposite. Leaflets 21-35(-47) pairs, opposite, usually perpendicular to secondary rachis, oblong, (8.5-)10-25 x 2.5-6.5 mm, often with white coating on underside and less frequently also on upper side, apex rounded or retuse, base strongly or weakly auriculate; main nerve straight at apex. Compound inflorescence axis horizontal or ± ascending, projecting beyond foliage, to 1 m or more long, often branched at base, branches to 70 cm long. Peduncles 1-3 pairs inserted in axils of opposite or subopposite caducous bracts at each of 3-6 nodes of the inflorescence axis, when more than one pair then serially inserted, all pendent, 2.5-16 cm long. Capitula 4.5-8 cm long, biglobose with basal staminodial fringe 4-7.5 cm diam. and apical part ellipsoid to obovoid, 2.2-3.3 cm diam. Hermaphrodite flowers: calyx 6-10 mm long (including pseudopedicel of ca. 1 mm), the lobes 0.5-1.5 mm long; corolla 6.5-11 mm long, the lobes 0.5-2 mm long; filaments exserted ca. 1-3 mm beyond calyx, ± free at base. Nectar-secretingyZmmx calyx 5.5-11 mm long. Staminodial flowers: calyx 6.5-15 mm long; corolla 8-16 mm long, the lobes either 1-3.5 mm long or in some flowers towards base of capitulum free almost to base; filaments exserted up to 20-35 mm beyond calyx, united for part of length. Pods strapshaped, often falcate, ca. 20-40 cm long [including stipe of 1-7(-12) cm] and (3.3-) 4-5.5(-6) cm broad, the sutures somewhat thickened and the coriaceous, indehiscent, glabrous or glabrescent valves shallowly corrugated; the cavity when fresh containing amber-colored sticky or crystalline gum. Seeds to ca. 20(-23) per pod, ca. 17-22 x 8-11 x 5.5-8.5 mm; testa black. Field characters. Medium sized or large trees, often with a large rounded or rarely somewhat flattened crown; briefly deciduous. Bark grayish, sometimes smelling of methyl salicylate or garlic. Buttresses in large specimens to 2 m high. The white waxy coating which is sometimes present on the leaves is always absent in newly flushed leaves, seedlings, and small saplings. When present the wax develops with age and then flakes off as the leaves become old. The upper side of old leaves is sometimes dark gray-green and ± shiny, giving the crown a silvery appearance. Buds brown. Capitula at anthesis have a creamy-white to yellow-orange staminodial fringe, sometimes tinged with red, and bright yellow fertile flowers, but turn dirty yellow the day after flowering. The pods are dark brown or black, but the abaxial suture often remains green. A considerable range in dimensions can sometimes be found within a population (pers. obs., near Manaus). The pod wall is very tough compared with P. panurensis and P. igneiflora the pod morphology of which is otherwise similar.
Discussion:
The bark is astringent, antihaemorrhagic, and used for washing cuts and ulcers (Corrêa, 1926-1969; Le Cointe, 1947). An infusion of the bark is also used for headaches and rheumatism (Chagas INPA1074). Unripe green seeds are edible (J. Revilla, pers. comm.).Local names and uses. Panama: Ajo. Colombia: Guarango, gan-he, hee-chee-reé-koo (Yukuna), bö (Puinave), too-han-son-ma-ta (Makuna), pa-a? (Makú) (the last four from Schultes & Cabrera 16485). Venezuela: Makumik (Arekuna), caro montañero, caro blanco, huesco de pescado. Guyana: Black manariballi (Arawak), uya. Surinam: Oja, oeja, or ajoewa, agrobigi, grootbloemige agrobigi, famune ululu, oeloeloe (and other spelling variants), tontoeawha, plokonie, tamoené, bosch tamarinde. French Guiana: Dodomissinga (Paramaka), acacia mâle (Creole), bois balle, bois macaque. Ecuador: Emu-ka-hë (Siona). Peru: Goma pashaca, brea huayo, bellaco caspi. Brazil: Faveira, faveira grande, faveira benguê, faveira pé de arara, fava esponja, arara-tucupi, japacanim, visgueiro, coré, paricá, arapary branco, faveira branca. Bolivia: Toco colorado. The bark is astringent, antihaemorrhagic, and used for washing cuts and ulcers (Corrêa, 1926-1969; Le Cointe, 1947). An infusion of the bark is also used for headaches and rheumatism (Chagas INPA1074). Unripe green seeds are edible (J. Revilla, pers. comm.).Relationships and variation. Parkia nitida is distinguished from all other neotropical species of section Parkia with pendent capitula, except P. gigantocarpa, by the arrangement of the peduncles in opposite pairs or groups. Leaflet shape, size, and venation vary within narrow limits and are also diagnostic. The bark chemistry, the amount of white wax on the leaves, and the length of the peduncle are variable and some of the variants have previously been recognized as distinct species. The four names reduced to synonymy here for the first time are discussed below. (1) Parkia oppositifolia. Both Bentham and Ducke regarded this as distinct. Ducke described P. nitida (as P. ingens) as having leaflets larger by half and lacking the white flaky material on the lower side characteristic of P. oppositifolia, having inner bark without a specific smell, and yellow staminodia, while in P. oppositifolia the inner bark smelt of methyl salicylate and the staminodia were white. To determine whether there is any discernable geographical pattern to the variation in leaflet characters, more than 120 collections from throughout the range were scored. White wax on the lower surface of the leaflets was recorded as present, absent, or intermediate (a thin white or shiny layer present but not flaking). When specimens were located by degree square, some geographical separation was apparent, for material from the Guianas, Venezuela, Panama, eastern Colombia, and Ecuador usually lacked the waxy layer. Within the Amazon basin however, no particular trend was discernable, and specimens with and without white wax sometimes occurred in the same or in adjacent degree squares. Variation in the presence of wax according to the age of the leaves and the plant is unlikely to account for this situation. When the maximum leaflet length from specimens with and without white wax were compared (ignoring intermediates) waxy leaflets had a tendency to be smaller, but there was considerable overlap (with wax, mean 13.0 mm, range 8-16(-25) mm; without wax, mean 16.2 mm, range 10-22 mm) (details in Hopkins, 1981). It does not seem possible to distinguish two taxa on the basis of the leaves, and the other characters which Ducke mentions are too trivial to use in the absence of more diagnostic ones. (2) Parkia alliodora. Ducke distinguished this species from P. oppositifolia by the bark smell, P. alliodora smelling of rotting onions. This character does not appear to be associated with any consistent morphological differences however. (3) Parkia inundabilis. In the protologue, Ducke distinguished this from P. oppositifolia by a greater number of pairs of pinnae, lack of a waxy flaking layer on the leaves, larger capitula, and longer peduncles. In his key however, he failed to distinguish it from P. nitida which he did not record from the upper Amazon (Ducke, 1949), where P. inundabilis grows in high várzea. Values for the number of pairs of pinnae per leaf (8-13) and peduncle length (ca. 12-18 cm) are both high for P. nitida but there is no discontinuity with values from material from elsewhere.(4) Parkia arborea. The type is from central Colombia and there are two morphologically similar collections from southern Panama. The peduncles are particularly short (ca. 2.5-6 cm) but not outside the range for P. nitida. However, this material does not show the arrangement of the peduncles. Karsten’s illustration shows a capitulum held more or less erect in a leaf axil, which is unlikely to be correct. The leaves are within the range of variation of P. nitida and the pods are indistinguishable.Rather than regard each of the variants which have previously been given specific rank as separate taxa, it seems better to treat them all as forming part of a widespread but variable species.
The bark is astringent, antihaemorrhagic, and used for washing cuts and ulcers (Corrêa, 1926-1969; Le Cointe, 1947). An infusion of the bark is also used for headaches and rheumatism (Chagas INPA1074). Unripe green seeds are edible (J. Revilla, pers. comm.).Local names and uses. Panama: Ajo. Colombia: Guarango, gan-he, hee-chee-reé-koo (Yukuna), bö (Puinave), too-han-son-ma-ta (Makuna), pa-a? (Makú) (the last four from Schultes & Cabrera 16485). Venezuela: Makumik (Arekuna), caro montañero, caro blanco, huesco de pescado. Guyana: Black manariballi (Arawak), uya. Surinam: Oja, oeja, or ajoewa, agrobigi, grootbloemige agrobigi, famune ululu, oeloeloe (and other spelling variants), tontoeawha, plokonie, tamoené, bosch tamarinde. French Guiana: Dodomissinga (Paramaka), acacia mâle (Creole), bois balle, bois macaque. Ecuador: Emu-ka-hë (Siona). Peru: Goma pashaca, brea huayo, bellaco caspi. Brazil: Faveira, faveira grande, faveira benguê, faveira pé de arara, fava esponja, arara-tucupi, japacanim, visgueiro, coré, paricá, arapary branco, faveira branca. Bolivia: Toco colorado. The bark is astringent, antihaemorrhagic, and used for washing cuts and ulcers (Corrêa, 1926-1969; Le Cointe, 1947). An infusion of the bark is also used for headaches and rheumatism (Chagas INPA1074). Unripe green seeds are edible (J. Revilla, pers. comm.).Relationships and variation. Parkia nitida is distinguished from all other neotropical species of section Parkia with pendent capitula, except P. gigantocarpa, by the arrangement of the peduncles in opposite pairs or groups. Leaflet shape, size, and venation vary within narrow limits and are also diagnostic. The bark chemistry, the amount of white wax on the leaves, and the length of the peduncle are variable and some of the variants have previously been recognized as distinct species. The four names reduced to synonymy here for the first time are discussed below. (1) Parkia oppositifolia. Both Bentham and Ducke regarded this as distinct. Ducke described P. nitida (as P. ingens) as having leaflets larger by half and lacking the white flaky material on the lower side characteristic of P. oppositifolia, having inner bark without a specific smell, and yellow staminodia, while in P. oppositifolia the inner bark smelt of methyl salicylate and the staminodia were white. To determine whether there is any discernable geographical pattern to the variation in leaflet characters, more than 120 collections from throughout the range were scored. White wax on the lower surface of the leaflets was recorded as present, absent, or intermediate (a thin white or shiny layer present but not flaking). When specimens were located by degree square, some geographical separation was apparent, for material from the Guianas, Venezuela, Panama, eastern Colombia, and Ecuador usually lacked the waxy layer. Within the Amazon basin however, no particular trend was discernable, and specimens with and without white wax sometimes occurred in the same or in adjacent degree squares. Variation in the presence of wax according to the age of the leaves and the plant is unlikely to account for this situation. When the maximum leaflet length from specimens with and without white wax were compared (ignoring intermediates) waxy leaflets had a tendency to be smaller, but there was considerable overlap (with wax, mean 13.0 mm, range 8-16(-25) mm; without wax, mean 16.2 mm, range 10-22 mm) (details in Hopkins, 1981). It does not seem possible to distinguish two taxa on the basis of the leaves, and the other characters which Ducke mentions are too trivial to use in the absence of more diagnostic ones. (2) Parkia alliodora. Ducke distinguished this species from P. oppositifolia by the bark smell, P. alliodora smelling of rotting onions. This character does not appear to be associated with any consistent morphological differences however. (3) Parkia inundabilis. In the protologue, Ducke distinguished this from P. oppositifolia by a greater number of pairs of pinnae, lack of a waxy flaking layer on the leaves, larger capitula, and longer peduncles. In his key however, he failed to distinguish it from P. nitida which he did not record from the upper Amazon (Ducke, 1949), where P. inundabilis grows in high várzea. Values for the number of pairs of pinnae per leaf (8-13) and peduncle length (ca. 12-18 cm) are both high for P. nitida but there is no discontinuity with values from material from elsewhere.(4) Parkia arborea. The type is from central Colombia and there are two morphologically similar collections from southern Panama. The peduncles are particularly short (ca. 2.5-6 cm) but not outside the range for P. nitida. However, this material does not show the arrangement of the peduncles. Karsten’s illustration shows a capitulum held more or less erect in a leaf axil, which is unlikely to be correct. The leaves are within the range of variation of P. nitida and the pods are indistinguishable.Rather than regard each of the variants which have previously been given specific rank as separate taxa, it seems better to treat them all as forming part of a widespread but variable species.
Distribution and Ecology: A widespread and often common species from southern Panama, throughout Amazonia, and the Guianas, and eastern Venezuela, where it is the most frequent species in section Parkia. It occurs in non-flooded forest on clay and sandy soils, in old secondary forest, and in forest seasonally flooded by white water (“Parkia inundabilis"). It has been collected at altitudes to 1200 m. Flowering and fruiting are recorded throughout the year in several areas. In Panama and the Chocó, flowering is in July-August, and peaks of flowering occur in June-August in the Guianas and Venezuela, and in January-May in eastern Amazonia. In western Amazonia flowering has been recorded in November, February, and July. Near Manaus in 1979 there were two flowering periods, the first in April-June, and the second in December-January; new leaves were produced in September-October.
Distribution:
Bolivia South America| Brazil South America| Colombia South America| Ecuador South America| French Guiana South America| Guyana South America| Panama Central America| Peru South America| Suriname South America| Venezuela South America|
Bolivia South America| Brazil South America| Colombia South America| Ecuador South America| French Guiana South America| Guyana South America| Panama Central America| Peru South America| Suriname South America| Venezuela South America|
Common Names:
ajo, Guarango, gan-he, hee-chee-reé-koo, bö, too-han-son-ma-ta, pa-am, Makumik, caro montañero, caro blanco, huesco de pescado, Black manariballi, uya, Oja, oeja, ajoewa, agrobigi, grootbloemige agrobigi, famune ululu, oeloeloe, tontoeawha, plokonie, tamoené, bosch tamarinde, Dodomissinga, acacia mâle, bois balle, bois macaque, Emu-ka-hë, Goma pashaca, brea huayo, bellaco caspi, Faveira, faveira grande, faveira benguê, faveira pé de arara, fava esponja, arara-tucupi, japacanim, visgueiro, coré, paricá, arapary branco, faveira branca, Toco colorado
ajo, Guarango, gan-he, hee-chee-reé-koo, bö, too-han-son-ma-ta, pa-am, Makumik, caro montañero, caro blanco, huesco de pescado, Black manariballi, uya, Oja, oeja, ajoewa, agrobigi, grootbloemige agrobigi, famune ululu, oeloeloe, tontoeawha, plokonie, tamoené, bosch tamarinde, Dodomissinga, acacia mâle, bois balle, bois macaque, Emu-ka-hë, Goma pashaca, brea huayo, bellaco caspi, Faveira, faveira grande, faveira benguê, faveira pé de arara, fava esponja, arara-tucupi, japacanim, visgueiro, coré, paricá, arapary branco, faveira branca, Toco colorado