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 duckei R.Knuth
Couratari duckei R.Knuth
Description:
Description - Trees, to 20 m tall, the trunk not buttressed, the young branches puberulous, soon glabrous. Leaf blades ovate to oblong-ovate, 8-15 x 3.58 cm, coriaceous, glabrous above, with a few sparsely distributed stellate hairs beneath; midrib prominulous above, prominent beneath, glabrous, secondary veins 9-17 pairs, plane to prominulous above, prominent and glabrous beneath, the tertiary venation only slightly prominulous; apex rounded, acute to shortly acuminate; base rounded to subcuneate; margins entire or weakly crenulate, slightly undulate; petiole 1025 mm long, sparsely puberulous when young, canaliculate, not winged. Inflorescence (only one seen) terminal or axillary, raceme, to 5 cm long, the rachis dark brown tomentellous; pedicels over 7 mm long (not seen attached), dark blackish-brown tomentellous. Flowers with hypanthium campanulate, ca. 4 mm long; calyx lobes broadly ovate, rounded, blackish tomentellous on both surfaces, the margins ciliate; petals oblong, 2.53 cm long, puberulous on exterior towards base, glabrous on upper portion and within, white at base, yellow above; androecium sparsely puberulous, purple, ca. 4 cm long, the staminal ring 12 mm in diam., the exterior of hood without sterile appendages, the stamens ca. 18-22, usually inserted in two rows, especially towards ligule. Fruits campanulate, broadest at apex, tapering to base from above middle, 7-10.5 (excluding stipe) x 3-4.5 cm broad at apex, with stipe 4-5 cm long, inserted to one side at a 45° angle; pericarp hard and woody, lenticellate on exterior, ca. 2 mm thick, the calycine ring ca. 10-20 mm below apex, marked by slightly prominent undulating ridge all around perimeter; operculum concave, with central protrusion, radially grooved, the columella triangular, ca. 6 cm long. Seeds oblong, symmetrical, 5.5. x 2 cm.
Description - Trees, to 20 m tall, the trunk not buttressed, the young branches puberulous, soon glabrous. Leaf blades ovate to oblong-ovate, 8-15 x 3.58 cm, coriaceous, glabrous above, with a few sparsely distributed stellate hairs beneath; midrib prominulous above, prominent beneath, glabrous, secondary veins 9-17 pairs, plane to prominulous above, prominent and glabrous beneath, the tertiary venation only slightly prominulous; apex rounded, acute to shortly acuminate; base rounded to subcuneate; margins entire or weakly crenulate, slightly undulate; petiole 1025 mm long, sparsely puberulous when young, canaliculate, not winged. Inflorescence (only one seen) terminal or axillary, raceme, to 5 cm long, the rachis dark brown tomentellous; pedicels over 7 mm long (not seen attached), dark blackish-brown tomentellous. Flowers with hypanthium campanulate, ca. 4 mm long; calyx lobes broadly ovate, rounded, blackish tomentellous on both surfaces, the margins ciliate; petals oblong, 2.53 cm long, puberulous on exterior towards base, glabrous on upper portion and within, white at base, yellow above; androecium sparsely puberulous, purple, ca. 4 cm long, the staminal ring 12 mm in diam., the exterior of hood without sterile appendages, the stamens ca. 18-22, usually inserted in two rows, especially towards ligule. Fruits campanulate, broadest at apex, tapering to base from above middle, 7-10.5 (excluding stipe) x 3-4.5 cm broad at apex, with stipe 4-5 cm long, inserted to one side at a 45° angle; pericarp hard and woody, lenticellate on exterior, ca. 2 mm thick, the calycine ring ca. 10-20 mm below apex, marked by slightly prominent undulating ridge all around perimeter; operculum concave, with central protrusion, radially grooved, the columella triangular, ca. 6 cm long. Seeds oblong, symmetrical, 5.5. x 2 cm.
Discussion:
The inner bark is rolled and used as a cigar by natives. The Martius type collection includes samples of the bark and mentions its use as a substitute for textiles.Couratari tauari is known only from a few rather widely separated collections. The type of C. duckei matches well the type of C. tauari. The latter species was described from sterile material and had not been re-collected until Ducke’s collection, which was named C. duckei by Knuth. At first glance, the leaf apices of C. tauari appear more acute than those of C. duckei, but a closer examination of all the leaves of both type collections, shows that there is much variation in this character within an individual collection, and, therefore, it cannot be used to separate two species. Recent collections have enabled a more accurate description of this species which had not been reconsidered since Berg’s protologue based on a single inadequate type specimen.
The inner bark is rolled and used as a cigar by natives. The Martius type collection includes samples of the bark and mentions its use as a substitute for textiles.Couratari tauari is known only from a few rather widely separated collections. The type of C. duckei matches well the type of C. tauari. The latter species was described from sterile material and had not been re-collected until Ducke’s collection, which was named C. duckei by Knuth. At first glance, the leaf apices of C. tauari appear more acute than those of C. duckei, but a closer examination of all the leaves of both type collections, shows that there is much variation in this character within an individual collection, and, therefore, it cannot be used to separate two species. Recent collections have enabled a more accurate description of this species which had not been reconsidered since Berg’s protologue based on a single inadequate type specimen.
Distribution:
Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America|
Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America|
Common Names:
Tauarí
Tauarí