Monographs Details:
Authority:

Mori, S. A. & Prance, Ghillean T. 1990. Lecythidaceae - Part II: The zygomorphic-flowered New World genera (Couroupita, Corythophora, Bertholletia, Couratari, Eschweilera, & Lecythis). With a study of secondary xylem of Neotropical Lecythidaceae by Carl de Zeeuw. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 21: 1-376. (Published by NYBG Press)
Family:

Lecythidaceae
Description:

Description - Trees, 35 m x 60 cm. Bark dark brown, thick. Leaf blades elliptic to oblong, 15-32 x 7-11 cm, glabrous, punctate abaxially, with 15-16 pairs of lateral veins, these sulcate above, salient below; apex short acuminate; base obtuse; margins entire; petiole 16-20 mm long. Inflorescences in axils of uppermost leaves, once-branched, spicate, the principal rachis to 12 cm long, rough, with scattered lenticels, especially towards base, the flowers sessile. Flowers known from buds only; calyx with six lobes, the lobes widely ovate, 6 x 5-6 mm, erect, imbricate for ¾ length, convex abaxially, flat to concave adaxially; petals purple; hood of androecium small (even for bud), 4 x 8 mm, weakly triply coiled; style erect, conical. Fruits depressed globose, 2.5 x 6.5 cm (excluding operculum), the calycine ring inserted below middle, the supracalycine zone erect, the infracalycine zone truncate from calycine ring to pedicel, the pericarp 5 mm thick. Seeds 2-3 per fruit.

Discussion:

The sessile flowers of E. pachyderma distinguish it from all other species of Eschweilera west of the Andes except E. sclerophylla and E. calyculata. It differs from these species by its purple instead of yellow petals and branched vs. unbranched inflorescences.
Distribution:

Panama Central America| Coclé Panamá Central America| Colombia South America| Valle Colombia South America|

Common Names:

guasco bianco