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.
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
Lecythidaceae
Description:
Species Description - Understory trees, to 22 m tall, unbuttressed. Bark often with reddish to maroon cast, smooth, the outer bark ca. 1 mm thick, the inner bark ca. 2 mm thick, tan colored. Leaves: petioles 8-15 mm long; blades elliptic, 10-15(-18) x 4-6(-7) cm, chartaceous, glabrous, with 7-10 pairs of lateral veins; base acute to obtuse; apex acuminate. Inflorescences axillary or ramiflorous, simple racemes; pedicels 25-40 mm long, glabrous to minutely puberulous. Flowers 3.5-5 cm diam.; calyx-lobes imbricate at bases only, 6-11 x 4-7 mm, tinged with red or pink; petals 6, white tinged with varying amounts of pink to red; androecial hood white or yellow, sometimes tinged with pink; ovary 2-locular, the style not well differentiated from summit of ovary, 2-4 mm long. Fruit turbinate to broadly turbinate, the calycine ring inserted near apex, the calyx-lobes often persistent as woody, triangular knobs, 2-4 (excluding operculum) x 2.5-5 cm, the pericarp 3-5 mm thick; operculum convex, umbonate. Seeds hemispherical to triangular in cross section, ca. 2.5 x 2 cm, with lateral, white aril.
Species Description - Understory trees, to 22 m tall, unbuttressed. Bark often with reddish to maroon cast, smooth, the outer bark ca. 1 mm thick, the inner bark ca. 2 mm thick, tan colored. Leaves: petioles 8-15 mm long; blades elliptic, 10-15(-18) x 4-6(-7) cm, chartaceous, glabrous, with 7-10 pairs of lateral veins; base acute to obtuse; apex acuminate. Inflorescences axillary or ramiflorous, simple racemes; pedicels 25-40 mm long, glabrous to minutely puberulous. Flowers 3.5-5 cm diam.; calyx-lobes imbricate at bases only, 6-11 x 4-7 mm, tinged with red or pink; petals 6, white tinged with varying amounts of pink to red; androecial hood white or yellow, sometimes tinged with pink; ovary 2-locular, the style not well differentiated from summit of ovary, 2-4 mm long. Fruit turbinate to broadly turbinate, the calycine ring inserted near apex, the calyx-lobes often persistent as woody, triangular knobs, 2-4 (excluding operculum) x 2.5-5 cm, the pericarp 3-5 mm thick; operculum convex, umbonate. Seeds hemispherical to triangular in cross section, ca. 2.5 x 2 cm, with lateral, white aril.
Discussion:
Phenology. Flowers in Sep and fruits in Feb and Mar. Common name. Matamatá roxa. This common name is selected as most appropriate because it describes the reddish to purple tinge of the bark of this species. Comments. This species is characterized by its (1) understory stature, (2) reddish to purple tinge of the nearly smooth bark, (3) relatively small leaves, (4) relatively long pedicels, (5) relatively large flowers, (6) widely to narrowly ovate calyx-lobes, and (7) small, turbinate fruits.
Phenology. Flowers in Sep and fruits in Feb and Mar. Common name. Matamatá roxa. This common name is selected as most appropriate because it describes the reddish to purple tinge of the bark of this species. Comments. This species is characterized by its (1) understory stature, (2) reddish to purple tinge of the nearly smooth bark, (3) relatively small leaves, (4) relatively long pedicels, (5) relatively large flowers, (6) widely to narrowly ovate calyx-lobes, and (7) small, turbinate fruits.
Distribution:
French Guiana South America| Suriname South America| Brazil South America| Venezuela South America| Guyana South America|
French Guiana South America| Suriname South America| Brazil South America| Venezuela South America| Guyana South America|