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Additional Resources:

Family:

Lecythidaceae (Magnoliophyta)

Primary Citation:

Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 21(1): 180. 1979

Accepted Name:

This name is currently accepted.

Description:

Author: Scott A. Mori & X. Cornejo

Type: Ecuador. Manabi: Road from Chone to Pichincha, km 82, 450 m alt., 29 Dec 1961 (fl), Dodson & Thien 1766 (holotype, WIS).

Description: Understory trees, 3-15 m tall with leptocaul growth form. Bark blackish, cracked (fide Miranda & Miranda 68). Stems 2-5 mm diam. Leaves loosely aggregated at apices of stems; petioles 15-26 mm long; blades narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate, 20-27 x 5-7.5 cm, chartaceous, glabrous, the base acute, the margins entire, serrulate, or serrate, the apex acuminate; venation eucamptodromous toward base, brochidodromous toward apex, the secondary veins in 19-20 pairs, the intersecondary veins absent, the tertiary veins arching from midrib to infraadjacent secondary, weakly percurrent from there to near margin, the higher order veins reticulate, with 5 orders of venation, and dichotomous or dendritic, free-ending veinlets, the areoles irregular. Inflorescences ramiflorous or terminal, racemose, the rachis 10-30 mm long, pubescent; pedicels 25-40 mm long, densely pubescent, subtended by a caducous bract, with 2 bracteoles 2 x 2 mm inserted above middle, densely pubescent. Flowers estimated at 6-8 cm diam., calyx-lobes 4, the lobes broadly ovate, ca. 7 x 10 mm, the apex rounded, green, gray to rusty pubescent; petals 8, usually pink abaxially when in bud, pink at apex and white at base, white with only faint tinges of pink, or pink throughout adaxially at anthesis; androecium with staminal tube 8-10 mm tall, yellow adaxially (i.e., inside tube), the external filaments 15-20 mm long, white toward base and slightly pink to dark pink toward apex, the anthers ca. 2 mm long, yellow; hypanthiumy slilghtly costate, the costae running downward from between calyx-lobes, densely pubescent; ovary 4(5)-locular, with 12-14 ovules per locule, the summit of ovary white pubescent, the pubescence interrupted by small, circular areas free of pubescence, the trichomes simple, septate, the style 1.8 mm long, the stigmatic lines 4-5. Fruits green, turning brown or coffee colored, lenticellate at maturity.

Common names: Ecuador: garrapato (Cornejo et al., 4957), membrillo (Bonifaz & Cornejo, 2004)

Distribution: Endemic to the Pacific slopes and valleys of central and western Ecuador.

Ecology: A very small to 15 m tall understory tree in both secondary and primary humid forests from near to sea level to about 700 meters altitude. The higher elevation forests are often enshrouded in mist or clouds, locally called garúa.

Phenology: This species is reported to flower in Oct and have fruit in Jul in the Province of Guayas near the Pacific coast of Ecuador (Bonifaz & Cornejo, 2004). Throughout its range it has been collected in Jan, May, Jun, Oct, and Dec in flower and in Mar, May, Jul, Oct, and Dec in fruit.

Pollination: The label of Cornejo 8001 states that the flowers of this species had many small insects on its "stamens" but these may have been non-pollinating trigonid bees as reported by Mori and Boeke (1987) for Gustavia augusta. In addition, the label of Dodson 8741 reports that the flowers are fragrant at night which suggests the possibility that its flowers may be visited by nocturnal pollinators. Mori and Boeke (1987) reported that the flowers of Gustavia augusta were also open at night and visited by what is probably the most efficient pollinator--the nocturnal bee Megalopta genalis--just before daybreak. The poricidal anthers of all species of Gustavia suggests that buzz pollinating bees are the pollinators of species of this genus.

Dispersal: The fruits are reported to be eaten by the collared peccary (Tayassu tajacu) but it is not known if this animal is a seed predator or a seed disperser, (Bonifaz & Cornejo, 2007).

Predation: As mentioned under "Dispersal" collared peccaries may be seed predators.

Field characters: This species is a small tree of the understory with leptocaul growth form; possesses a slender petiole; has a chartaceous leaf blade and often, but now always has serrate leaf margins; possesses inflorescences that usually arise from the leaf-bearing stems; has 4 calyx-lobes, 8 petals, and a 4-locular ovary.

Taxonomic notes: Although this species has a very limited distribution, it displays considerable variation in leaf blade shape, leaf margin serration, and flower color (i.e., the degree and intensity of ipink in the petals and the androecium).

Uses: None recorded.

Etymology: The species epithet alludes to the serrate leaf blade margins found in most collections of this species.

Conservation: This species is a restricted endemic in an area of considerable deforestation. It is classified as Endangered A4c ver 3.1 on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Source: Based on Mori in Prance & Mori, 1979

Flora and Monograph Treatment(s):

Gustavia serrata 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.