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Additional Resources:

Family:

Lecythidaceae (Magnoliophyta)

Primary Citation:

Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 44: 32. 1987

Accepted Name:

This name is currently accepted.

Type Specimens:

Specimen 1: Holotype -- S. A. Mori
Specimen 2: Holotype -- S. A. Mori
Specimen 3: Paratype -- B. M. Boom
Specimen 4: Paratype -- S. A. Mori

Description:

Author: Scott A. Mori

Type: Type. French Guiana. Saül, Monts La Fumée, 3°37'N, 53°12'W, 10 Oct 1982 (fl), Mori et al. 15075 (holotype, NY; isotypes, B, CAY, HAMAB, K, MG, MO, P, U, WIS).

Description: Flowers 6-7 cm diam.; androecial hood reddish-orange. Fruits globose to depressed globose, 3-5.5 (excluding operculum) x 5-7.5 cm, the calycine ring inserted near middle of fruit base, the supracalycine zone well developed and conspicuously erect, the pericarp 5-7 mm thick.

Common names: French Guiana: Mahot (a name applied to many species of Lecythis and Eschweiera).

Distribution: Known only from French Guiana.

Ecology: A canopy tree of non-flooded forest.

Phenology: This subspecies flowers from Oct to Dec.

Pollination: A wide assortment of bees visit the flowers of L. persistens subsp. aurantiaca. The euglossines Eufriesea purpurata, Euglossa cognata, and E. piliventris all land on the hood with their ventral surface toward it and proceed to collect fodder pollen from the yellow anthers. Their heads and thoraces contact the fertile, white anthers of the staminal ring as well as the stigma. Bombus cayennensis minors enter the flower with the ventral surface toward the staminal ring where they collect pollen from the anthers of the staminal ring or "nectar" at the base of the filaments. White, fertile pollen is deposited on the ventral surface surface, which is the correct position for transfer to the stigma of any subsequent flower entered in the same fashion. In contrast, large morphs of B. cayennensis (possibly queens) land with their ventral surfaces directed toward the andorecial hood and collect yellow pollen from it, while white pollen is deposited on their heads and thoraces. Xylocopa frontalis is a frequent visitor to the flowers of L. persistens subsp. aurantiaca from which it collects yellow pollen from the hood. It remains in the crown for up to 30 mintues and moves quickly from flower to flower, staying in each for only one to two seconds. The same flower may be visited more than once by the same bee. In contrast to the euglossines, which approach the flowers from outside of the tree, X. frontalis remains within the crown during visits. Xylocopa frontalis is aggressive and is able to drive away Eulaema spp. as large as itself. Several species of Trigonia and Melipona collect pollen from both the hood and the staminal ring. However, because of their small size, they infrequently touch the stigma at the same time they are collecting pollen, and thus they probably play only a limited role in pollination (Mori & Boeke, 1987).

Dispersal: No observations recorded but the seeds probably have a basal aril which is probably sought after by bats which, in turn, disperse the seeds.

Field characters: A canopy tree with a cylindric bole and nearly smooth bark.

Taxonomic notes: Lecythis persistens subsp. aurantiaca is difficult to separate vegetatively from subsp. persistens. However, its very large flowers and fruits in combination with its reddish-orange androecial hood allow easy separation of fertile material.

Uses: None recorded.

Etymology: The name of the subspecies refers to the reddish-orange androecial hood.

Flora and Monograph Treatment(s):

Lecythis persistens subsp. aurantiaca S.A.Mori: [Article] Prance, Ghillean T. & Mori, S. A. 1979. Lecythidaceae - Part I. The actinomorphic-flowered New World Lecythidaceae (Asteranthos, Gustavia, Grias, Allantoma & Cariniana). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 21: 1-270.
Lecythis persistens subsp. aurantiaca S.A.Mori: [Article] Mori, S. A. 1987. The Lecythidaceae of a lowland Neotropical Forest: La Fumée mountain, French Guiana. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 44: 1-190.