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Additional Resources:

Family:

Lecythidaceae (Magnoliophyta)

Primary Citation:

Fl. Bras. (Martius) 14(1): 471. 1858

Accepted Name:

This name is currently accepted.

Description:

Author: Scott A. Mori & Nathan P. Smith

Type: Brazil. Amazonas: Ega (= Tefe), Oct 1831 (fl), Poeppig 2658 (F, W).

Description: Trees, to 15 m tall, leaf-bearing branches 3-7 mm in diam., the leaves tightly grouped in one to several whorls at their ends. Bark fissured, brown. Leaves: petioles 1-12 x 2-4 mm, semicircular in cross section; blades narrowly obovate or oblanceolate, 15.5-41 x 4.5-11.5 cm, glabrous, chartaceous, the base auriculate, rounded or truncate, the margins serrate to serrulate on the upper 1/2, sometimes concave towards the base, the apex short to long acuminate; secondary veins in (11-)13-18(-22) pairs. Inflorescences in axils of leaves, reduced racemes of usually 1(-3) flowers, glabrous or puberulous, the rachis very short, 1-7 mm, with persistent bracts at the base; pedicels 10-48 mm, bract ovate, oblong, or lanceolate, 2-5 x 2-4 mm, bracteoles 2, located at some point along the length of pedicel, ovate or oblong, 2-7 x 2-6 mm. Flowers 12-18 cm diam.; calyx-lobes 4, broadly triangular or rounded, sometimes appearing as an undulate rim in older flowers, 1-5 x 6-11 mm; petals 8, widely obovate or oblanceolate, (20-)40-70(-80) x (10-)20-50(-60) mm, rusty- or gray-pubescent in bud, puberulous at anthesis, mostly white with tinges of rose or pink outside; androecium actinomorphic, tube 14-20 mm in diam., white outside, yellow inside, 10-15(-20) mm high, the outermost filaments( 12-)16-22(-25) mm, white or white at the base with pink, rose, or red at the apex, the anthers 2-5 mm, yellow or cream; gynoecium without costae, glabrous to rusty-white-pubescent on outside, 4-6(-10)-locular, the summit pubescent with glabrous spots to densely white-woolly throughout, the style 1-3 mm, the stigma 4-6 lobed. Fruits depressed globose, 30-60 x 40-70 mm, the calyx usually absent or sometimes persistent as an inconspicuous rim. Seeds round in cross section, 13-24 x 13-15 mm diam.; funicle contorted, fleshy, yellow, 10-20 x 3-5 mm.

Common names: Brazil: geniparana (Black 47-1684, Silva & Souza 2414, Krukoff 6192, Ule 5072). Colombia: matamata (Duque-Jaramillo 2071). Peru: chopé (Williams 2430). Venezuela: guatoso (Williams 11516, 11538); margo (Breteler 3855).

Distribution: Widespread in western Amazonia, extending along the Amazon River east to near its mouth and with a disjunct population north of the Andes in coastal Venezuela.

Ecology: An understory tree found near sea level to 800 m. It is most common at lower elevations in well drained forest (terra firme) but occasionally comes from forests that are periodically inundated (várzea).

Phenology: Flowers have been collected throughout the year. Fruits have been collected from Jan-Apr, and in Jul, Aug, and Dec.

Pollination: No reports of pollination have been recorded.

Dispersal: No reports of dispersal have been recorded.

Predation: No observations recorded.

Field characters:

Taxonomic notes: This species is most similar to G. augusta from which it differs by a somewhat auriculate instead of acute leaf base and an axillary inflorescence with a reduced rachis and usually one flower instead of a suprafoliar or cauline inflorescence with a developed rachis and more than one flower. In addition, the habitat preference of the two species is different; G. augusta prefers riverine habitats and is seldom found on terra firme, whereas G. poeppigiana prefers terra firme and is infrequently found in várzea.

Conservation: IUCN Red List: Not on list.

Uses: None known.

Etymology: Named after Eduard Friedrich Poeppig, the collector of the type specimen.

Source: Based on Mori in Prance & Mori, 1979.

Flora and Monograph Treatment(s):

Gustavia poeppigiana O.Berg: [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.