Monographs Details:
Authority:
Mori, S. A. & Prance, Ghillean T. 1990. Lecythidaceae - Part II: The zygomorphic-flowered New World genera (Couroupita, Corythophora, Bertholletia, Couratari, Eschweilera, & Lecythis). With a study of secondary xylem of Neotropical Lecythidaceae by Carl de Zeeuw. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 21: 1-376. (Published by NYBG Press)
Mori, S. A. & Prance, Ghillean T. 1990. Lecythidaceae - Part II: The zygomorphic-flowered New World genera (Couroupita, Corythophora, Bertholletia, Couratari, Eschweilera, & Lecythis). With a study of secondary xylem of Neotropical Lecythidaceae by Carl de Zeeuw. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 21: 1-376. (Published by NYBG Press)
Family:
Lecythidaceae
Lecythidaceae
Synonyms:
Couratari reticulata A.C.Sm.
Couratari reticulata A.C.Sm.
Description:
Description - Trees, to 45 m tall, the trunk lightly to thickly buttressed to 4 m or unbuttressed, the young branches puberulous, soon becoming glabrous. Leaf blades elliptic to oblong-elliptic, 5-10(-14) x 2.5-8 cm, chartaceous, with several longitudinal parallel lines near to margins and parallel to midrib, glabrous above, sparsely stellate pubescent or rarely almost glabrous beneath; midrib prominulous above, prominent and stellate puberulous beneath; secondary veins 11-22 pairs, prominulous on both surfaces, the tertiary venation prominulous on both surfaces; apex cuspidate to acuminate or rarely acute, the acumen 0-8 mm long; base subcuneate to cuneate; margins crenulate; petiole 5-12 mm long, stellate puberulous, slightly canaliculate, distinctly winged when young. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, simple racemes or of once branched paniculate arrangements of racemes, the rachis light brown stellate tomentellous; bracts ca. 12 mm long, oblong-lanceolate, caducous; pedicels articulate, 2-3 mm long below articulation, 2-7 mm long above articulation, stellate tomentellous. Flowers and leaves present at same time; hypanthium campanulate, ca. 4 mm long; calyx lobes orbicular-ovate, rounded, 3-5 mm long, tomentellous on both surfaces, the margins ciliate; petals oblong to ovate, 2-3 cm long, stellate tomentellous on exterior, glabrous within, usually white or cream colored, infrequently yellow; androecium glabrous except on hood, yellow or white, ca. 3 cm long, the staminal ring ca. 10 mm in diam., the exterior of hood with numerous echinate appendages, these shortly pilose on margins, the stamens 40-45, inserted evenly around staminal ring in several rows. Fruits asymmetrical-campanulate, 5-11 x 3-5 cm, broadest beneath calycine ring, crustaceous on exterior, ca. 2 mm thick, hard and woody, the calycine ring 3-15 mm below apex, the sepals extremely prominent, forming a 6-partite ridge; operculum not radially grooved, centrally convex, the columella markedly triangular. Seeds oblong-lanceolate, 4-7 x 1.2-1.6 cm, symmetrical. Seedling with opposite oblong cotyledons, 4-5 x 2.5-3.2 cm, the first leaves alternate, elliptic (fide Schulz 7651).
Description - Trees, to 45 m tall, the trunk lightly to thickly buttressed to 4 m or unbuttressed, the young branches puberulous, soon becoming glabrous. Leaf blades elliptic to oblong-elliptic, 5-10(-14) x 2.5-8 cm, chartaceous, with several longitudinal parallel lines near to margins and parallel to midrib, glabrous above, sparsely stellate pubescent or rarely almost glabrous beneath; midrib prominulous above, prominent and stellate puberulous beneath; secondary veins 11-22 pairs, prominulous on both surfaces, the tertiary venation prominulous on both surfaces; apex cuspidate to acuminate or rarely acute, the acumen 0-8 mm long; base subcuneate to cuneate; margins crenulate; petiole 5-12 mm long, stellate puberulous, slightly canaliculate, distinctly winged when young. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, simple racemes or of once branched paniculate arrangements of racemes, the rachis light brown stellate tomentellous; bracts ca. 12 mm long, oblong-lanceolate, caducous; pedicels articulate, 2-3 mm long below articulation, 2-7 mm long above articulation, stellate tomentellous. Flowers and leaves present at same time; hypanthium campanulate, ca. 4 mm long; calyx lobes orbicular-ovate, rounded, 3-5 mm long, tomentellous on both surfaces, the margins ciliate; petals oblong to ovate, 2-3 cm long, stellate tomentellous on exterior, glabrous within, usually white or cream colored, infrequently yellow; androecium glabrous except on hood, yellow or white, ca. 3 cm long, the staminal ring ca. 10 mm in diam., the exterior of hood with numerous echinate appendages, these shortly pilose on margins, the stamens 40-45, inserted evenly around staminal ring in several rows. Fruits asymmetrical-campanulate, 5-11 x 3-5 cm, broadest beneath calycine ring, crustaceous on exterior, ca. 2 mm thick, hard and woody, the calycine ring 3-15 mm below apex, the sepals extremely prominent, forming a 6-partite ridge; operculum not radially grooved, centrally convex, the columella markedly triangular. Seeds oblong-lanceolate, 4-7 x 1.2-1.6 cm, symmetrical. Seedling with opposite oblong cotyledons, 4-5 x 2.5-3.2 cm, the first leaves alternate, elliptic (fide Schulz 7651).
Discussion:
The only differences between the types of Couratari reticulata and C. stellata are the larger leaves and fruit of the former. The abundant collections from Surinam demonstrate that there is complete overlap in leaf and fruit size between the individuals represented by the types of C. reticulata and C. stellata. Couratari reticulata was described from a fruiting collection with mature leaves from sterile branches whereas, C. stellata was described from flowering branches which normally have smaller leaves. Consequently, I have reduced C. reticulata to synonymy. The fertile flowering branches from other Guianan collections are a good match with the Amazonian type of C. stellata. The name C. stellata is used in preference to C. reticulata, which was published in the same article, because much more material has been distributed under the former name.Variation in fruit and leaf size has also been observed in two trees growing side by side at Rio Jutaí, Amazonas, Brazil (Prance et al. 22900, 22918). In addition, one tree was buttressed to 4 m and the other was without buttresses. The androecial base of one was yellow whereas the other was pink.The wood of C. stellata has an unpleasant, dung-like smell.
The only differences between the types of Couratari reticulata and C. stellata are the larger leaves and fruit of the former. The abundant collections from Surinam demonstrate that there is complete overlap in leaf and fruit size between the individuals represented by the types of C. reticulata and C. stellata. Couratari reticulata was described from a fruiting collection with mature leaves from sterile branches whereas, C. stellata was described from flowering branches which normally have smaller leaves. Consequently, I have reduced C. reticulata to synonymy. The fertile flowering branches from other Guianan collections are a good match with the Amazonian type of C. stellata. The name C. stellata is used in preference to C. reticulata, which was published in the same article, because much more material has been distributed under the former name.Variation in fruit and leaf size has also been observed in two trees growing side by side at Rio Jutaí, Amazonas, Brazil (Prance et al. 22900, 22918). In addition, one tree was buttressed to 4 m and the other was without buttresses. The androecial base of one was yellow whereas the other was pink.The wood of C. stellata has an unpleasant, dung-like smell.
Distribution:
Colombia South America| Vaupés Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Guyana South America| Suriname South America| French Guiana South America| Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America|
Colombia South America| Vaupés Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Guyana South America| Suriname South America| French Guiana South America| Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America|
Common Names:
Wadera, Ingipipa
Wadera, Ingipipa