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Additional Resources:

Family:

Lecythidaceae (Magnoliophyta)

Primary Citation:

Trans. Linn. Soc. London 30: 274. 1874

Accepted Name:

This name is currently accepted.

Description:

Author: Scott A. Mori & Xavier Cornejo

Type: Brazil. Amazonas: Tefe, no date (fl), Poeppig 2265 (holotype, W; isotypes, G-BOISS., LE, photo LE at NY).

Description: Small to large, leptocaul trees, to 25 m tall, the trunk unbuttressed. Bark somewhat scalloped, dark brown, tinged with maroon, the outer bark less than 1 mm thick, the inner bark 2 mm thick, reddish tinged. Leaves present at anthesis; petioles slightly canaliculate because of inrolled narrow, lateral wings; blades oblong to oblong-elliptic, 11-28 x 4-12.5 cm, glabrous, punctations not apparent, chartaceous, often retaining green color when dry; the base rounded to obtuse, the margins entire, the apex short acuminate to acuminate; venation eucamptodromous for lower half, brochidodromous for upper half, the midrib plane to prominulous adaxially, salient abaxially, the secondary veins in 10-14 pairs, 1.2-2 cm apart in middle of blade, scarcely decurrent but slightly arching downward just before joining midrib, plane to prominulous adaxially, prominent abaxially, the interscondary veins present, ramifying about half way between midrib and margin, the tertiary and higher order venation reticulate. Inflorescences axillary or terminal, racemes, the rachis straight, not zig-zagged, 4-20 cm long, glabrous, without conspicuous lenticels; pedicels jointed near base, the lower part ca. 1.5 mm long, the upper, part 15-60 mm long, the bract persistent at early anthesis, the bracteoles inserted below articulation, persistent at early anthesis, oblong, 4-15 mm long. Flowers 4-5 cm diam.; calyx-lobes 6, the lobes ovate to, 6- 10 x 6-8 mm, imbricate, erect at anthesis, glabrous; petals 6, irregularly ovate-elliptic, 23-40 x 18-30 mm, cream or white, often tinted pinkish abaxially; androecium zygomorphic, the hood double-coiled, 20-25 x 20-30 mm, at least appendages yellow, other parts often white, the staminal ring symmetric, with 400-480 stamens, inserted in many rows around staminal ring, the filaments clavate, ca. 4 mm long, the anthers 0.5 mm long; ovary 2-locular, each locule with 8-15 basally attached ovules, erect, the summit of ovary plateau-like, differentiated into short, obconical, erect style 3-4 mm long. Fruit very broadly turbinate or cup-shaped, the pericarp 4-7 mm thick; operculum with poorly developed or absent umbo. Seeds ofter flat on one or more sides, the other sides rounded, ca. 2.5-3 x 2-2.5 cm; aril lateral.

Common names: Venezuela: coco de mono.

Distribution: A widely distributed species of central and western Amazonia occurring in non-flooded forests.

Ecology: Common in forests on white sand, and other more open areas.

Phenology: Peak flowering occurs from Jul to Nov but flowering collections also come from Feb, Mar, and Apr. Specimens in fruit collected from Sep to Jan, and Mar.

Pollination: No observations recorded but most likely pollinated by bees seeking nectar as has been reported for other species of Eschweilera (Mori & Boeke, 19878). The flowers produce nectar from vestigial stamen nectaries.

Dispersal: No observations recorded but the seeds posses a lateral aril which may attract dispersal agents, most like mammals and birds.

Predation: No observations recorded

Field characters: Eschweilera bracteosa is characterized by its small to medium size; trunks cylindric to ground; bark somewhat scalloped; oblong to oblong-elliptic, glabrous, chartaceous leaf blades without abaxial punctations, and often drying somewhat green; glabrous rachises, pedicels, hypanthia, and calyx-lobes; persistence of bracts and bracteoles in pre- and early anthesis; white petals and white to sometimes yellow androecial hoods (the androecial hood appendages always seem to be yellow); broadly turbinate to cup-shaped, medium-sized fruits.

Taxonomic notes: Eschweilera bracteosa and three other species (E. cyathiformis, E. revoluta, and E. rabeliana were placed in Eschweilera sect. Bracteosa by Mori & Prance (1990) but it has been demonstrated by Huang (2010) that there is no molecular support for this section; thus, we no longer recognize the section. Horn-like supra axillary buds are sometimes persistent above the leaf axils.

Conservation status: This species is not listed in the IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species vers. 2011.2. It is a widespread species found in areas where there is no immediate threat.

Uses: None recorded

Etymology: The specific epithet refers to the persistent bracts and bracteoles subtending the flowers of this species.

Source: Based on Mori & Prance (1990).

Acknowledgements: We are grateful to A. J. Perez for allowing us to use the images below to illustrate the characters of this species.

Flora and Monograph Treatment(s):

Eschweilera bracteosa (Poepp. ex O.Berg) Miers: [Article] 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.
Eschweilera bracteosa (Poepp. ex O.Berg) Miers: [Article] Mori, S. A. & Lepsch da Cunha, Nadia M. 1995. The Lecythidaceae of a central Amazonian moist forest. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 75: 1-55.