Monographs Details:
Authority:
Acevedo-RodrÃguez, Pedro. 2003. Meliococceae (Sapindaceae):. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 87: 1-178. (Published by NYBG Press)
Acevedo-RodrÃguez, Pedro. 2003. Meliococceae (Sapindaceae):
Family:
Sapindaceae
Sapindaceae
Description:
Species Description - Tree, (4-) 10-30 m tall; trunk to 20 cm in diam. Young stems striate, pubescent or puberulent, becoming terete and lenticellate with age. Leaves paripinnate or less often imparipinnate; distal process minute, truncate; leaflets (6) 8-10 (-12), alternate, subopposite or opposite, 9-24 (44) × (2.5) 5-9 (-12) cm, elliptic, oblong or oblanceolate, chartaceous to coriaceous, the adaxial surface glabrous, with prominent midvein and slightly impressed secondary veins, the abaxial surface puberulent along midvein or glabrous, the venation brochidodromus, midvein and secondary veins prominent, secondary veins alternate or subopposite, arched, forming a 20°-40° angle with the midvein and a strong submarginal loop, tertiary veins clathrate, the margins entire or wavy, revolute, the apex acuminate to caudate, usually mucronate, the base attenuate or obtuse, asymmetrical; petiolules nearly cylindrical, 6-15 mm long, glabrous or puberulent, wrinkled when dry; rachis 1936 cm long, puberulent, striate, adaxially bicarinate on distal portion, slightly flattened on proximal portion; petioles striate or less often lenticellate, adaxially flattened. Thyrses fasciculate, cauliflorous or ramiflorous; cataphylls acicular, 2-4 mm long; axes 2-7 cm long, angled, ferruginous-pubescent; bracts subulate, persistent, ca. 2 mm long, with same indumentum as the axis; dichasia simple or compound, nearly sessile; pedicels ca. 1 mm long, articulate at upper third. Calyx 2.5-3.2 mm long, the sepals free nearly to the base, elliptic, obtuse at apex; petals elliptic or less often ovate, obtuse at apex, (3-) 4-5.8 mm long, reflexed at anthesis, abaxially glabrous; appendages as long as the petals, elliptic, erect, abaxially puberulent and papillate, adaxially villous; disc cup-shaped, 5-lobed, ca. 1 mm tall; stamens 8, the filaments in two or three sets of unequal lengths, the shorter 2-2.5 mm long, the longer 4-5 mm long, glabrous, the anthers ca. 0.6 mm long, ovate, glabrous, apiculate at apex; ovary ovoid, densely sericeous, the stigma elongated, trigonous, pubescent. Fruits ellipsoid to brownish-yellow, nearly smooth, densely sericeous but glabrous at maturity, 2-3 × 1.1-2 cm long, obtuse at apex, with short apiculum, the pericarp 1-3 mm thick, the endocarp granulate, glabrous. Seed ellipsoid, 1-1.3 cm long, with sweet, white sarcotesta. Embryo with cotyledons superimposed, of equal size.
Species Description - Tree, (4-) 10-30 m tall; trunk to 20 cm in diam. Young stems striate, pubescent or puberulent, becoming terete and lenticellate with age. Leaves paripinnate or less often imparipinnate; distal process minute, truncate; leaflets (6) 8-10 (-12), alternate, subopposite or opposite, 9-24 (44) × (2.5) 5-9 (-12) cm, elliptic, oblong or oblanceolate, chartaceous to coriaceous, the adaxial surface glabrous, with prominent midvein and slightly impressed secondary veins, the abaxial surface puberulent along midvein or glabrous, the venation brochidodromus, midvein and secondary veins prominent, secondary veins alternate or subopposite, arched, forming a 20°-40° angle with the midvein and a strong submarginal loop, tertiary veins clathrate, the margins entire or wavy, revolute, the apex acuminate to caudate, usually mucronate, the base attenuate or obtuse, asymmetrical; petiolules nearly cylindrical, 6-15 mm long, glabrous or puberulent, wrinkled when dry; rachis 1936 cm long, puberulent, striate, adaxially bicarinate on distal portion, slightly flattened on proximal portion; petioles striate or less often lenticellate, adaxially flattened. Thyrses fasciculate, cauliflorous or ramiflorous; cataphylls acicular, 2-4 mm long; axes 2-7 cm long, angled, ferruginous-pubescent; bracts subulate, persistent, ca. 2 mm long, with same indumentum as the axis; dichasia simple or compound, nearly sessile; pedicels ca. 1 mm long, articulate at upper third. Calyx 2.5-3.2 mm long, the sepals free nearly to the base, elliptic, obtuse at apex; petals elliptic or less often ovate, obtuse at apex, (3-) 4-5.8 mm long, reflexed at anthesis, abaxially glabrous; appendages as long as the petals, elliptic, erect, abaxially puberulent and papillate, adaxially villous; disc cup-shaped, 5-lobed, ca. 1 mm tall; stamens 8, the filaments in two or three sets of unequal lengths, the shorter 2-2.5 mm long, the longer 4-5 mm long, glabrous, the anthers ca. 0.6 mm long, ovate, glabrous, apiculate at apex; ovary ovoid, densely sericeous, the stigma elongated, trigonous, pubescent. Fruits ellipsoid to brownish-yellow, nearly smooth, densely sericeous but glabrous at maturity, 2-3 × 1.1-2 cm long, obtuse at apex, with short apiculum, the pericarp 1-3 mm thick, the endocarp granulate, glabrous. Seed ellipsoid, 1-1.3 cm long, with sweet, white sarcotesta. Embryo with cotyledons superimposed, of equal size.
Discussion:
The specific epithet refers to the tertiary venation which is perpendicular to the secondary veins.
The specific epithet refers to the tertiary venation which is perpendicular to the secondary veins.