Monographs Details:
Authority:
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.
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.
Family:
Lecythidaceae
Lecythidaceae
Description:
Species Description - Emergent trees, to 52 m tall, unbuttressed. Bark with well-developed vertical fissures, the ridges between the fissures 3-4 cm wide, the outer bark 5-10 mm thick, the inner bark 10-12 mm thick, distinctly laminated, red. Leaves: petioles 2-5 mm long; blades elliptic, 9-13 x 4-5 cm, pubescent on midrib, especially when young, with 12-15 pairs of secondary veins, with domatia in axils, these lined by hyaline hairs, the tertiary veins reticulate; base obtuse; apex acuminate; margins serrulate, the teeth with scars of caducous hairs. Inflorescences with pedicels short but discernible. Flowers 8-10 mm diam.; calyx-lobes narrowly ovate to narrowly triangular, 2 x 1 mm, pubescent, green; petals membranous, oblong, 6 x 3 mm, pubescent, the margins fimbriate, white; androecium with ca. 60 stamens inserted around staminal ring and all over interior of hood, the filaments 0.2 mm long, the anthers versatile; hypanthium globose, pubescent; ovary with 4-6 ovules in each locule, the style 0.7 mm long, thick as opening in staminal ring at base, apiculate at apex, the lower part densely pubescent. Fruits turbinate, 7-9 x 5.5-6 cm, the pericarp 11-20 mm thick, reddish to dark brown.
Species Description - Emergent trees, to 52 m tall, unbuttressed. Bark with well-developed vertical fissures, the ridges between the fissures 3-4 cm wide, the outer bark 5-10 mm thick, the inner bark 10-12 mm thick, distinctly laminated, red. Leaves: petioles 2-5 mm long; blades elliptic, 9-13 x 4-5 cm, pubescent on midrib, especially when young, with 12-15 pairs of secondary veins, with domatia in axils, these lined by hyaline hairs, the tertiary veins reticulate; base obtuse; apex acuminate; margins serrulate, the teeth with scars of caducous hairs. Inflorescences with pedicels short but discernible. Flowers 8-10 mm diam.; calyx-lobes narrowly ovate to narrowly triangular, 2 x 1 mm, pubescent, green; petals membranous, oblong, 6 x 3 mm, pubescent, the margins fimbriate, white; androecium with ca. 60 stamens inserted around staminal ring and all over interior of hood, the filaments 0.2 mm long, the anthers versatile; hypanthium globose, pubescent; ovary with 4-6 ovules in each locule, the style 0.7 mm long, thick as opening in staminal ring at base, apiculate at apex, the lower part densely pubescent. Fruits turbinate, 7-9 x 5.5-6 cm, the pericarp 11-20 mm thick, reddish to dark brown.
Discussion:
Phenology. Flowers mostly from the latter part of the dry season into the early wet season (Oct to Feb) and drops seed from the end of the wet season into the dry season (Jul to Oct) (Prance & Mori, 1979). The seeds are heavily preyed upon by capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella). The monkeys knock the nearly mature fruits open by banging them against branches. The banging can be heard up to 400 m away from the tree in which the capuchins are harvesting the seeds (Peres, 1991). Common name. Tauarí. Uses. The seeds are edible, but they are small and difficult to collect because they are dispersed by the wind. The empty fruits are used to make toys for children. Comments. This is one of the largest Lecythidaceae found at Km 41. Even though Prance (Prance & Mori, 1979) indicated that this species does not have domatia, all individuals we have studied at Km 41 have them, and they are present in collections at NY determined by Prance as C. micrantha. The margins of the domatia are fringed by hyaline hairs. This species is characterized by (1) fissured, relatively thick, laminated outer bark; (2) red inner bark; (3) serrulate leaf margins; (4) domatia in the axils of the secondary veins; (5) small, white flowers; and (6) turbinate, thick-walled fruits.
Phenology. Flowers mostly from the latter part of the dry season into the early wet season (Oct to Feb) and drops seed from the end of the wet season into the dry season (Jul to Oct) (Prance & Mori, 1979). The seeds are heavily preyed upon by capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella). The monkeys knock the nearly mature fruits open by banging them against branches. The banging can be heard up to 400 m away from the tree in which the capuchins are harvesting the seeds (Peres, 1991). Common name. Tauarí. Uses. The seeds are edible, but they are small and difficult to collect because they are dispersed by the wind. The empty fruits are used to make toys for children. Comments. This is one of the largest Lecythidaceae found at Km 41. Even though Prance (Prance & Mori, 1979) indicated that this species does not have domatia, all individuals we have studied at Km 41 have them, and they are present in collections at NY determined by Prance as C. micrantha. The margins of the domatia are fringed by hyaline hairs. This species is characterized by (1) fissured, relatively thick, laminated outer bark; (2) red inner bark; (3) serrulate leaf margins; (4) domatia in the axils of the secondary veins; (5) small, white flowers; and (6) turbinate, thick-walled fruits.
Distribution:
Brazil South America| Bolivia South America| Peru South America| Ecuador South America| Colombia South America| Venezuela South America|
Brazil South America| Bolivia South America| Peru South America| Ecuador South America| Colombia South America| Venezuela South America|