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 - Canopy trees, to 35 m tall, not to slightly buttressed. Bark dark brown, deeply fissured, the outer bark laminated, as thick as or thicker than inner bark, the inner bark white. Twigs 2-2.5 mm diam., puberulous when young, the older ones often grid-cracked. Leaves deciduous, new leaves flushing when tree flowers; petioles 5-12 mm long, not decurrent; blades widely elliptic, 7.5-14.5 x 5-7.5 cm, glabrous, with 10-14 pairs of lateral veins; base obtuse to rounded, very narrowly decurrent onto petiole; apex acuminate; margins serrulate, with caducous hairs at apices of teeth, older leaves with scars left by hairs. Inflorescences ramiflorous, racemose; pedicels 2-5 mm long. Flowers diurnal, turning bluish green when bruised, 2.5-3.5 cm diam.; calyx-lobes thick, 6-8 x 6-7 mm, slightly carinate abaxially; petals white; androecial hood yellow, the staminal ring with ca. 435 densely packed stamens, the filaments not markedly clavate; ovary 4-locular, with 18-26 ovules attached in several rows along septum, the style erect, with annular expansion toward apex, 2 mm long. Fruits dehiscent, globose, ca. 12 x 17 cm, with very large, woody calycine ring inserted near middle, the pericarp ca. 15 mm thick. Seeds fusiform, ca. 45-55 x 25 mm, sulcate, with rugulose testa when dry, with slender funicle surrounded by large, fleshy aril.
Species Description - Canopy trees, to 35 m tall, not to slightly buttressed. Bark dark brown, deeply fissured, the outer bark laminated, as thick as or thicker than inner bark, the inner bark white. Twigs 2-2.5 mm diam., puberulous when young, the older ones often grid-cracked. Leaves deciduous, new leaves flushing when tree flowers; petioles 5-12 mm long, not decurrent; blades widely elliptic, 7.5-14.5 x 5-7.5 cm, glabrous, with 10-14 pairs of lateral veins; base obtuse to rounded, very narrowly decurrent onto petiole; apex acuminate; margins serrulate, with caducous hairs at apices of teeth, older leaves with scars left by hairs. Inflorescences ramiflorous, racemose; pedicels 2-5 mm long. Flowers diurnal, turning bluish green when bruised, 2.5-3.5 cm diam.; calyx-lobes thick, 6-8 x 6-7 mm, slightly carinate abaxially; petals white; androecial hood yellow, the staminal ring with ca. 435 densely packed stamens, the filaments not markedly clavate; ovary 4-locular, with 18-26 ovules attached in several rows along septum, the style erect, with annular expansion toward apex, 2 mm long. Fruits dehiscent, globose, ca. 12 x 17 cm, with very large, woody calycine ring inserted near middle, the pericarp ca. 15 mm thick. Seeds fusiform, ca. 45-55 x 25 mm, sulcate, with rugulose testa when dry, with slender funicle surrounded by large, fleshy aril.
Discussion:
Phenology. Flowers in May and Oct and fruits in Nov at Reserve 1501. At the Reserva Ducke, this species flowers from Jul to Nov and drops seed from Feb to Jun (Prance & Mori, 1979, under its synonym L. usitata). Common name. Sapucaia. Comments. Lecythis pisonis and L. zabucajo are recognized by their (1) deeply fissured, laminated outer bark and white inner bark, (2) flowers and fruits that turn bluish green when bruised, (3) flat androecial hoods with at least some of the appendages anther bearing, and (4) large, dehiscent fruits with fusiform seeds subtended by a large aril. The differences between these morphologically similar species are discussed under L. zabucajo. In other parts of its range, L. pisonis is pollinated by carpenter bees (Xylocopa sp.) and dispersed by bats (Mori & Prance, 1990a; Prance & Mori, 1979).
Phenology. Flowers in May and Oct and fruits in Nov at Reserve 1501. At the Reserva Ducke, this species flowers from Jul to Nov and drops seed from Feb to Jun (Prance & Mori, 1979, under its synonym L. usitata). Common name. Sapucaia. Comments. Lecythis pisonis and L. zabucajo are recognized by their (1) deeply fissured, laminated outer bark and white inner bark, (2) flowers and fruits that turn bluish green when bruised, (3) flat androecial hoods with at least some of the appendages anther bearing, and (4) large, dehiscent fruits with fusiform seeds subtended by a large aril. The differences between these morphologically similar species are discussed under L. zabucajo. In other parts of its range, L. pisonis is pollinated by carpenter bees (Xylocopa sp.) and dispersed by bats (Mori & Prance, 1990a; Prance & Mori, 1979).
Distribution:
Brazil South America|
Brazil South America|