Monographs Details:
Authority:
Prance, Ghillean T. & Mori, S. A. 1979. Lecythidaceae - Part I. The actinomorphic-flowered New World Lecythidaceae (Asteranthos, Gustavia, Grias, Allantoma & Cariniana). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 21: 1-270. (Published by NYBG Press)
Prance, Ghillean T. & Mori, S. A. 1979. Lecythidaceae - Part I. The actinomorphic-flowered New World Lecythidaceae (Asteranthos, Gustavia, Grias, Allantoma & Cariniana). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 21: 1-270. (Published by NYBG Press)
Family:
Lecythidaceae
Lecythidaceae
Synonyms:
Grias grandifolia Pilg., Grias maranonensis R.Knuth, Grias tessmannii R.Knuth
Grias grandifolia Pilg., Grias maranonensis R.Knuth, Grias tessmannii R.Knuth
Description:
Description - Trees, to 30 m; leaf-bearing branches 6-12 mm in diam. Leaf blades elliptic or oblanceolate, 9-118 x 4-35 cm, glabrous, often with inconspicuous reddish papillae or punctae abaxially, with 11-47 pairs of lateral veins; apices acuminate or attenuate; bases cuneate, acute, or obtuse; margins entire or serrulate, obscurely revolute, with inconspicuous scars. Petioles lacking to 115 x 2-8 mm, semicircular or subterete in cross section. Inflorescences of 1 to several racemes arising from warty outgrowths on the trunk and branches, with 115 flowers, the rachis 5-115 mm; pedicels pubescent, 8-53 mm, subtended by a single bract 1-3 x 2-4 mm and bearing just above the base 2 caducous, inconspicuous, scale-like bracteoles. Flowers 3.5-7 cm in diam; calyx completely enclosing the bud, then usually apiculate, with circumscissile dehiscence and then forming a rim 3-4 mm wide or splitting into 2-4 irregular lobes at anthesis; petals 4, oblong or elliptic, 17-30 x 10-24 mm, usually yellow, infrequently white; androecium with 93-171 stamens, the connate androecial base 2-9 mm high, the outermost filaments 6-15 mm, the anthers 0.6-1.0 mm; ovary pubescent especially in bud, 4-locular, each locule with 2-4 ovules; style 1-2.5 mm; stigma with (3-)4 lobes. Fruits elliptic, fusiform, or obovate, 82-130 x 50-70 mm, brown with a yellow pulp, the pericarp with 8-10 longitudinal ribs.
Description - Trees, to 30 m; leaf-bearing branches 6-12 mm in diam. Leaf blades elliptic or oblanceolate, 9-118 x 4-35 cm, glabrous, often with inconspicuous reddish papillae or punctae abaxially, with 11-47 pairs of lateral veins; apices acuminate or attenuate; bases cuneate, acute, or obtuse; margins entire or serrulate, obscurely revolute, with inconspicuous scars. Petioles lacking to 115 x 2-8 mm, semicircular or subterete in cross section. Inflorescences of 1 to several racemes arising from warty outgrowths on the trunk and branches, with 115 flowers, the rachis 5-115 mm; pedicels pubescent, 8-53 mm, subtended by a single bract 1-3 x 2-4 mm and bearing just above the base 2 caducous, inconspicuous, scale-like bracteoles. Flowers 3.5-7 cm in diam; calyx completely enclosing the bud, then usually apiculate, with circumscissile dehiscence and then forming a rim 3-4 mm wide or splitting into 2-4 irregular lobes at anthesis; petals 4, oblong or elliptic, 17-30 x 10-24 mm, usually yellow, infrequently white; androecium with 93-171 stamens, the connate androecial base 2-9 mm high, the outermost filaments 6-15 mm, the anthers 0.6-1.0 mm; ovary pubescent especially in bud, 4-locular, each locule with 2-4 ovules; style 1-2.5 mm; stigma with (3-)4 lobes. Fruits elliptic, fusiform, or obovate, 82-130 x 50-70 mm, brown with a yellow pulp, the pericarp with 8-10 longitudinal ribs.
Discussion:
Ecology. Grias peruviana is usually an understory or less frequently a canopy tree of primary forests of terra firme and river margins.Collections of G. peruviana from the Huallaga River basin of Peru have larger more gradually tapered leaves than those from further north. As there is no morphological or geographical discontinuity between collections from the two regions I interpret this variation as clinal.The disjunct distribution in Ecuador, with populations west and east of the Andes, may be the result of fruit dispersal by man. The fruit pulp is reported to be edible by many collectors (Boeke & Ramirez 1325, Berlin 884, Grubb et al 1631, Kuhlmann 21501, Mexia 6115, Wurdack 2073), and the type of G. grandifolia (Tessmann 3110), a synonym of G. peruviana, comes from a cultivated tree.
Ecology. Grias peruviana is usually an understory or less frequently a canopy tree of primary forests of terra firme and river margins.Collections of G. peruviana from the Huallaga River basin of Peru have larger more gradually tapered leaves than those from further north. As there is no morphological or geographical discontinuity between collections from the two regions I interpret this variation as clinal.The disjunct distribution in Ecuador, with populations west and east of the Andes, may be the result of fruit dispersal by man. The fruit pulp is reported to be edible by many collectors (Boeke & Ramirez 1325, Berlin 884, Grubb et al 1631, Kuhlmann 21501, Mexia 6115, Wurdack 2073), and the type of G. grandifolia (Tessmann 3110), a synonym of G. peruviana, comes from a cultivated tree.
Distribution:
Ecuador South America| Esmeraldas Ecuador South America| Manabí Ecuador South America| Pichincha Ecuador South America| Napo Ecuador South America| Los Ríos Ecuador South America| Pastaza Ecuador South America| Morona-Santiago Ecuador South America| Zamora-Chinchipe Ecuador South America| Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| Amazonas Peru South America| San Martín Peru South America| Huánuco Peru South America|
Ecuador South America| Esmeraldas Ecuador South America| Manabí Ecuador South America| Pichincha Ecuador South America| Napo Ecuador South America| Los Ríos Ecuador South America| Pastaza Ecuador South America| Morona-Santiago Ecuador South America| Zamora-Chinchipe Ecuador South America| Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| Amazonas Peru South America| San Martín Peru South America| Huánuco Peru South America|
Common Names:
Aguacate de Monte, Apaí, Llanero, Piton, Sapote de Perro, Apaí, Apan, Mancoa, Nakunuk, Sacha Mango
Aguacate de Monte, Apaí, Llanero, Piton, Sapote de Perro, Apaí, Apan, Mancoa, Nakunuk, Sacha Mango