Authority:

Hopkins, Helen C. F. 1986. Parkia (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 43: 1-124. (Published by NYBG Press)

Family:

Mimosaceae

Synonyms:

Parkia microcephala Kleinhoonte

Description:

Variety Description - Large tree, the bole to 1.5 m dbh, sometimes with plank buttresses to 2 m high and extending outwards for ca. 1.5 m. Crown large and rounded, briefly deciduous. Leaves darkish green and somewhat shiny above. Buds covered with greenish-hoary pubescence. Capitula at anthesis like tiny powder puffs, creamy white with white filaments and yellow anthers, and a strong sweet smell, turning yellow the next day. Pods densely velutinous, and green or fawn when young, brown or reddish-brown when mature, and glabrescent when old.

Discussion:

Local names. Venezuela: Caro, clavelino, clavellina. Guyana: Uya. Surinam: Agrobigi, kleinbloemige agrobigi, kojalidan, dodomissinga (Paramaka), basra-ajoewa, basra-tonto-awha, koejari topaitje, lialiadan harilaroe, kwatakama. French Guiana: Totomissonga (Saramaca), dodomissonga (Bosch), acacia mâle (Creole). Brazil: Fava esponja, paricá de esponja, esponjeira, paricá, ufaneperum.

Taxonomic history and variation. Harms originally described material collected by Ule from near the Rio Madeira as Leucaena ulei. This species was transferred to Parkia by Kuhlmann in 1925, and in the same year Kleinhoonte described P. microcephala from Surinam, saying that his species was closely related to P. ulei. He compared his species with that of Harms and mentioned minor differences (shorter peduncles, smaller capitula, shorter corollas, and longer leaf rachides in P. microcephala), as well as differences in the pods, although Harms had not mentioned these. In 1933, Kleinhoonte reduced his species to a variety, P. ulei var. surinamensis, after comparing his material with specimens collected by Ducke, presumably therefore with those from northeastern Amazonian Brazil. However, I can find no differences between material from these two regions, and Kleinhoonte’s name is maintained here to refer to all material from the northeastern part of the range. In 1938, Ducke described Parkia parviceps based on a single gathering from near the Rio Negro. He said that it differed from by being smaller, by having a more elongated petiolar gland, smaller leaflets which are paler below, larger capitula, and shorter pods with more readily detached pubescence. However, when other collections are considered, especially Vieira et al. 136, there is a greater overlap between P. parviceps and P. ulei sensu Ducke in some of the characters which he regarded as distinguishing them, and I can find no diagnostic morphological differences in the leaves, flowers, or capitula. The type of P. ulei, Ule 6085, came from the same or perhaps the adjacent degree square to Vieira et al. 136. It was from a 6-18 m high tree, no habitat is given, and it lacks pods, which are the most reliable feature for distinguishing between P. parviceps and P. ulei sensu Ducke. It is thus likely, though not certain, that Ule 6085 belongs to the same taxon as Vieira et al. 136, and not to P. ulei sensu Ducke. In view of the morphological similarity and the confusion of names, it seems prudent to regard P. parviceps and P. ulei sensu Ducke as belonging to the same species, and thus they are treated as geographically and ecologically vicariant varieties.

Distribution and Ecology: Eastern Amazonian Brazil, the Guianas and northeastern Venezuela, usually in terra firme forest. Two collections from Surinam are from riverine forest. Flowering occurs principally from June to September but there are records from March and April. Fruits are recorded mostly from August to December.

Distribution:

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

Common Names:

caro, clavelino, clavellina, uya, agrobigi, kleinbloemige agrobigi, kojalidan, Dodomissinga, basra-ajoewa, basra-tonto-awha, koejari topaitje, lialiadan harilaroe, kwatakama, Totomissonga, dodomissonga, acacia mâle, fava esponja, paricá de esponja, esponjeira, paricá, ufaneperum