Monographs Details:
Authority:

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.
Family:

Lecythidaceae
Description:

Species Description - Emergent trees, to 42 m tall, buttressed. Bark red, peeling in long, thin strips, the outer bark ca. 1 mm thick, the inner bark 2-3 mm thick, pink, finely laminated. Leaves: petioles 25-30 mm long; blades elliptic, 8-9 x 4 cm, chartaceous, glabrous, with 8-9 pairs of secondary veins, the tertiary veins reticulate, the areoles 2-3 mm diam.; base acute; apex acuminate; margins crenulate toward apex, the teeth widely separate. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, racemes, these often fasciculate; pedicels 15-25 mm long. Flowers when leaves absent; calyx of 6, ovate, rounded lobes ca. 2 mm long; petals oblong, 15-22 mm long, pink; androecial hood pink, ca. 25-30 mm long, the exterior rugose but without echinate appendages; staminal ring with 30-35 stamens inserted in 2 rows extending slightly up ligule; hypanthium glabrous. Fruits smallest of genus in area, cylindrical, 4-6 (excluding stipe) x 2-3.5 cm, the pericarp thin, coriaceous, ca. 0.5-1 mm thick.

Discussion:

Phenology. Flowers from Jan to Mar and fruits from Jul to Nov. Common names. TauarĂ­, tauarĂ­ amarelo, tauarĂ­ branco. Comments. This species is characterized by its (1) bark that peels in long, thin strips, (2) deciduous, relatively small leaves with relatively long petioles, and (3) thin-walled, relatively small fruits.
Distribution:

Venezuela South America| Brazil South America| French Guiana South America| Suriname South America| Guyana South America|