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:
Lecythis congestiflora Benoist, Chytroma congestiflora (Benoist) R.Knuth
Lecythis congestiflora Benoist, Chytroma congestiflora (Benoist) R.Knuth
Description:
Description - Trees, to 25 m tall, unbuttressed. Bark dark brown, squamose. Leaf blades widely elliptic to elliptic, less frequently oblong or narrowly obovate, 18-27 x 10.5-17 cm, glabrous above, white papillate throughout abaxially, puberulous on midrib beneath, coriaceous, with 13-18 pairs of lateral veins; apex very short acuminate; base obtuse to rounded; margins entire, revolute; petiole 17-30 mm long, glabrous to minutely puberulous. Inflorescences spicate, unbranched, terminal or in axils of uppermost leaves, the rachis 5-12 cm long, glabrous, angled, with 10-20 congested flowers; pedicels lacking, the flowers subtended by an ovate, keeled, caducous bract, 15 x 16 mm and two ovate, keeled, caducous bracteoles, 10-15 x 12-16 mm. Flowers ca. 6 cm diam.; calyx with six lobes, the lobes very widely ovate to widely ovate, 10-20 x 11-18 mm, strongly imbricate, with longitudinally oriented mucilage-bearing ducts; petals six, widely to narrowly obovate, 21-38 x 12-26 mm, white to pinkish white; hood of androecium 20 mm long, coiled inwards, yellow, the appendages antherless or with a few vestigial anthers; staminal ring with 340-400 stamens, the filaments 2.5-3 mm long, not dilated at apex, their bases surrounded by a flap of tissue ca. 1 mm high; hypanthium glabrous, truncate at base; ovary 4-locular, the ovules inserted at base of septum, the summit truncate, the style bent toward anterior end of flower, 7.5-8 mm long. Fruits globose, 3-4.5 x 3-4.5 cm, the pericarp 3 mm thick, the large sepals persisting unthickened in fruit. Seeds unknown.
Description - Trees, to 25 m tall, unbuttressed. Bark dark brown, squamose. Leaf blades widely elliptic to elliptic, less frequently oblong or narrowly obovate, 18-27 x 10.5-17 cm, glabrous above, white papillate throughout abaxially, puberulous on midrib beneath, coriaceous, with 13-18 pairs of lateral veins; apex very short acuminate; base obtuse to rounded; margins entire, revolute; petiole 17-30 mm long, glabrous to minutely puberulous. Inflorescences spicate, unbranched, terminal or in axils of uppermost leaves, the rachis 5-12 cm long, glabrous, angled, with 10-20 congested flowers; pedicels lacking, the flowers subtended by an ovate, keeled, caducous bract, 15 x 16 mm and two ovate, keeled, caducous bracteoles, 10-15 x 12-16 mm. Flowers ca. 6 cm diam.; calyx with six lobes, the lobes very widely ovate to widely ovate, 10-20 x 11-18 mm, strongly imbricate, with longitudinally oriented mucilage-bearing ducts; petals six, widely to narrowly obovate, 21-38 x 12-26 mm, white to pinkish white; hood of androecium 20 mm long, coiled inwards, yellow, the appendages antherless or with a few vestigial anthers; staminal ring with 340-400 stamens, the filaments 2.5-3 mm long, not dilated at apex, their bases surrounded by a flap of tissue ca. 1 mm high; hypanthium glabrous, truncate at base; ovary 4-locular, the ovules inserted at base of septum, the summit truncate, the style bent toward anterior end of flower, 7.5-8 mm long. Fruits globose, 3-4.5 x 3-4.5 cm, the pericarp 3 mm thick, the large sepals persisting unthickened in fruit. Seeds unknown.
Discussion:
Eschweilera congestiflora is easily recognized by its combination of large leaves with abaxial papillae; congested flowers; large sepals with mucilage-bearing ducts; and relatively small fruits with persistent, unthickened sepals. Its 4-locular ovary and sepals with mucilage-bearing ducts are features of Lecythis but, based on the fully coiled androecial hood, we have placed this species in Eschweilera, it is morphologically similar to E. simiorum from which it differs in its more coriaceous leaves with a papillate lower leaf surface.
Eschweilera congestiflora is easily recognized by its combination of large leaves with abaxial papillae; congested flowers; large sepals with mucilage-bearing ducts; and relatively small fruits with persistent, unthickened sepals. Its 4-locular ovary and sepals with mucilage-bearing ducts are features of Lecythis but, based on the fully coiled androecial hood, we have placed this species in Eschweilera, it is morphologically similar to E. simiorum from which it differs in its more coriaceous leaves with a papillate lower leaf surface.
Distribution:
Suriname South America| French Guiana South America|
Suriname South America| French Guiana South America|
Common Names:
akwanda, mahot a couatary à grandes feuilles, ma-hot noir
akwanda, mahot a couatary à grandes feuilles, ma-hot noir