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, unbuttressed. Bark with shallow vertical fissures, the inner bark bright yellow. Twigs 2-2.5 mm diam. Leaves deciduous, leaves flushing just before flowers appear; petioles 8-13 mm long; blades narrowly elliptic to elliptic or infrequently oblong, 13-26 x 5-10 cm, with whitish abaxial surface (caused by microscopic, cuticular papillae), with ca. 15 pairs of lateral veins; base obtuse, narrowly decurrent onto petiole; apex acuminate; margins crenulate, with scars left by caducous hairs. Inflorescences terminal or in axils of uppermost leaves, racemose, lower half of rachis without flowers; pedicels 4-10 mm long. Flowers nocturnal, large, >6 cm diam.; calyx-lobes 10-14 x 6-11 mm; petals green; androecial hood white, the proximal appendages with anthers, the distal appendages antherless, the staminal ring with ca. 1000 densely packed stamens; ovary 4-locular, each locule with 14-28 ovules, the style geniculate, ca. 10 mm long. Fruits dehiscent, globose to depressed globose, the calycine ring inserted near or below middle, the calyx-lobes woody, persistent, pointing downward, the supracalycine zone erect to flared outward, the infracalycine zone rounded or tapered into woody pedicel. Seeds with basal funicle/aril.
Species Description - Canopy trees, to 35 m tall, unbuttressed. Bark with shallow vertical fissures, the inner bark bright yellow. Twigs 2-2.5 mm diam. Leaves deciduous, leaves flushing just before flowers appear; petioles 8-13 mm long; blades narrowly elliptic to elliptic or infrequently oblong, 13-26 x 5-10 cm, with whitish abaxial surface (caused by microscopic, cuticular papillae), with ca. 15 pairs of lateral veins; base obtuse, narrowly decurrent onto petiole; apex acuminate; margins crenulate, with scars left by caducous hairs. Inflorescences terminal or in axils of uppermost leaves, racemose, lower half of rachis without flowers; pedicels 4-10 mm long. Flowers nocturnal, large, >6 cm diam.; calyx-lobes 10-14 x 6-11 mm; petals green; androecial hood white, the proximal appendages with anthers, the distal appendages antherless, the staminal ring with ca. 1000 densely packed stamens; ovary 4-locular, each locule with 14-28 ovules, the style geniculate, ca. 10 mm long. Fruits dehiscent, globose to depressed globose, the calycine ring inserted near or below middle, the calyx-lobes woody, persistent, pointing downward, the supracalycine zone erect to flared outward, the infracalycine zone rounded or tapered into woody pedicel. Seeds with basal funicle/aril.
Discussion:
Phenology. Flowers in Jul and Sep at Reserve 1501. Throughout its range, this species usually flowers from Oct to Mar and drops seed from Apr to Jun (Mori & Prance, 1990a). Common name. Jarana amarela. This common name is selected as most appropriate because it describes the bright yellow inner bark, a feature shared, however, with other species in the jarana group of Lecythis. Comments. The nocturnal flowers of Lecythis poiteaui are visited and presumably pollinated by bats (Mori & Prance, 1990a). The only other known bat-pollinated species of Lecythidaceae in the Neotropics is the sympatric L. barnebyi. Lecythis poiteaui is characterized by its (1) cylindric trunk and bright yellow inner bark, (2) erect inflorescences that project above the periphery of the canopy, and (3) nocturnal flowers with green petals and over 1000 stamens.
Phenology. Flowers in Jul and Sep at Reserve 1501. Throughout its range, this species usually flowers from Oct to Mar and drops seed from Apr to Jun (Mori & Prance, 1990a). Common name. Jarana amarela. This common name is selected as most appropriate because it describes the bright yellow inner bark, a feature shared, however, with other species in the jarana group of Lecythis. Comments. The nocturnal flowers of Lecythis poiteaui are visited and presumably pollinated by bats (Mori & Prance, 1990a). The only other known bat-pollinated species of Lecythidaceae in the Neotropics is the sympatric L. barnebyi. Lecythis poiteaui is characterized by its (1) cylindric trunk and bright yellow inner bark, (2) erect inflorescences that project above the periphery of the canopy, and (3) nocturnal flowers with green petals and over 1000 stamens.
Distribution:
Suriname South America| French Guiana South America| Brazil South America|
Suriname South America| French Guiana South America| Brazil South America|