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.
Family:

Lecythidaceae
Description:

Species Description - Canopy trees, to 30 m tall, unbuttressed. Bark smooth, often with hoop marks, dimples often present, especially lower on trunk, the outer bark 1-2 mm thick, the inner bark 3-6 mm thick, red. Twigs, especially when newly flushed, red. Leaves: petioles 11-12 mm long; blades elliptic, 7-12 x 3.5-4.5 cm, coriaceous, glabrous, with 7-9 pairs of lateral veins, the tertiary veins finely spaced, salient on abaxial surface; base acute to obtuse; apex acute to short acuminate. Inflorescences terminal or in axils of uppermost leaves, simple racemes or once-branched paniculate arrangements of racemes, the axes ferrugineous pubescent; pedicels 5-7 mm long, ferrugineous pubescent. Flowers 2-3 cm diam.; calyx-lobes 6, imbricate only at very base, 4-6.5 x 2.5-5 mm; petals 6, white, often tinged with pink; androecial hood yellow, the staminal ring with (151-)200-276 stamens; ovary 2-locular, the style well differentiated, geniculate, 1.5-2 mm long. Fruits cup-shaped, often asymmetric at base, 2-3.5 (excluding operculum) x 2-4.5 cm, the calycine ring inserted above middle, the pericarp ca. 3-4 mm thick; operculum convex, often with small, spine-like umbo.

Discussion:

Phenology. Flowers from Sep to Jan. Common name. Ripeiro vermelho. This common name was selected as most appropriate because it describes the red inner bark of the species. Comments. This species is characterized by its (1) cylindric trunk with more or less smooth bark, which may have conspicuous dimple or pock marks, especially toward the base; (2) a dark red inner bark; (3) reddish twigs, especially just after flushing, (4) markedly pubescent axes of the inflorescence and pedicels, (5) relatively small flowers with white petals that are often tinged with pink, (6) well-differentiated, geniculate style, and (7) relatively small, cup-shaped fruits.
Distribution:

Brazil South America| Bolivia South America| Peru South America| Ecuador South America| Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Guyana South America|