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)
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
Lecythidaceae
Synonyms:
Lecythis grandiflora Aubl., Eschweilera alba R.Knuth, Eschweilera fracta R.Knuth
Lecythis grandiflora Aubl., Eschweilera alba R.Knuth, Eschweilera fracta R.Knuth
Description:
Description - Small to medium-sized trees, to 20 m tall, unbuttressed. Bark more or less smooth, with conspicuous, vertically oriented lenticels, the inner bark yellowish-brown. Leaf blades elliptic or narrowly oblong to oblong, 10-35 x 5-14 cm, glabrous, chartaceous to coriaceous; apex short acuminate to acuminate; base obtuse to rounded; margins entire, slightly revolute; with 12-19 pairs of lateral veins, impressed on adaxial surface thereby giving upper leaf surface undulate appearance; petiole 9-30 mm long. Inflorescences of simple racemes, terminal or in axils of uppermost leaves, the rachis often zig-zag, angular in cross section, 9-23 cm long, with 6-20 widely spaced flowers; pedicels jointed, 0-7 mm long below, 9-20 mm long above joint, subtended by cucullate, caducous, oblong bract, 9.5 x 7 mm, with two cucullate, caducous, oblong bracteoles, 6.5 x 5 mm inserted at joint. Flowers 4.5-6 cm diam.; calyx with six lobes, the lobes widely to very widely ovate, infrequently very widely oblong, 12-24 x 11-20 mm, imbricate for ¾ length, relatively thin, convex abaxially, concave adaxially, often red or pink; petals six, irregular, the posterior ones often larger, widely obovate, inrolled at apex, white or most often white with tinges of pink or red, especially at margins and apex, 30-57 x 19-35 mm; hood of androecium 20-30 x 20-30 mm, white or yellow on outside, more intense yellow on inside, doubly coiled, the appendages without anthers; staminal ring surrounded by marginal flap 1-2 mm high, with 250-400 stamens, the filaments clavate, white, 3-4 mm long, the anthers ca. 1 mm long, yellow; ovary (2-)4(-5)-locular, each locule with 4-8 basally attached ovules, the style oblique, white, 48 mm long, well differentiated from slightly umbonate summit of ovary, the stigma pink. Fruits depressed globose, 2.5-4 x 5-6 cm, the persistent Calyx-lobes attached near base, the supracalycine zone occupying most of fruit, the pericarp 2-4 mm thick; operculum slightly convex, umbonate. Seeds 1-several per fruit, round in cross section, turning bluish-green when cut, 2.5 x 2 cm, with lateral funicle-aril, 22 x 7 mm.
Description - Small to medium-sized trees, to 20 m tall, unbuttressed. Bark more or less smooth, with conspicuous, vertically oriented lenticels, the inner bark yellowish-brown. Leaf blades elliptic or narrowly oblong to oblong, 10-35 x 5-14 cm, glabrous, chartaceous to coriaceous; apex short acuminate to acuminate; base obtuse to rounded; margins entire, slightly revolute; with 12-19 pairs of lateral veins, impressed on adaxial surface thereby giving upper leaf surface undulate appearance; petiole 9-30 mm long. Inflorescences of simple racemes, terminal or in axils of uppermost leaves, the rachis often zig-zag, angular in cross section, 9-23 cm long, with 6-20 widely spaced flowers; pedicels jointed, 0-7 mm long below, 9-20 mm long above joint, subtended by cucullate, caducous, oblong bract, 9.5 x 7 mm, with two cucullate, caducous, oblong bracteoles, 6.5 x 5 mm inserted at joint. Flowers 4.5-6 cm diam.; calyx with six lobes, the lobes widely to very widely ovate, infrequently very widely oblong, 12-24 x 11-20 mm, imbricate for ¾ length, relatively thin, convex abaxially, concave adaxially, often red or pink; petals six, irregular, the posterior ones often larger, widely obovate, inrolled at apex, white or most often white with tinges of pink or red, especially at margins and apex, 30-57 x 19-35 mm; hood of androecium 20-30 x 20-30 mm, white or yellow on outside, more intense yellow on inside, doubly coiled, the appendages without anthers; staminal ring surrounded by marginal flap 1-2 mm high, with 250-400 stamens, the filaments clavate, white, 3-4 mm long, the anthers ca. 1 mm long, yellow; ovary (2-)4(-5)-locular, each locule with 4-8 basally attached ovules, the style oblique, white, 48 mm long, well differentiated from slightly umbonate summit of ovary, the stigma pink. Fruits depressed globose, 2.5-4 x 5-6 cm, the persistent Calyx-lobes attached near base, the supracalycine zone occupying most of fruit, the pericarp 2-4 mm thick; operculum slightly convex, umbonate. Seeds 1-several per fruit, round in cross section, turning bluish-green when cut, 2.5 x 2 cm, with lateral funicle-aril, 22 x 7 mm.
Discussion:
This is a very distinctive species characterized by relatively large leaves; zig-zag, usually unbranched inflorescences; large flowers with broad, imbricate Calyx-lobes and relatively long, oblique styles; and fruits with persistent but unmodified Calyx-lobes.Aublet clearly depicts the habit and flowers of this species in his plates 283 and 284. However, the fruits he ascribes to Eschweilera grandiflora in figures 14-20 of plate 285 are those of Lecythis zabucaja.Three collections (Mori & de Granville 8908, 8910, and Lescure 863) have smaller leaves than are normally found in this species. Nevertheless, they are similar in flower and fruit features to the other collections of the species and therefore we attribute the leaf size difference to intraspecific variation.
This is a very distinctive species characterized by relatively large leaves; zig-zag, usually unbranched inflorescences; large flowers with broad, imbricate Calyx-lobes and relatively long, oblique styles; and fruits with persistent but unmodified Calyx-lobes.Aublet clearly depicts the habit and flowers of this species in his plates 283 and 284. However, the fruits he ascribes to Eschweilera grandiflora in figures 14-20 of plate 285 are those of Lecythis zabucaja.Three collections (Mori & de Granville 8908, 8910, and Lescure 863) have smaller leaves than are normally found in this species. Nevertheless, they are similar in flower and fruit features to the other collections of the species and therefore we attribute the leaf size difference to intraspecific variation.
Distribution:
French Guiana South America| Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| Brazil South America| Amapá Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America|
French Guiana South America| Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| Brazil South America| Amapá Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America|
Common Names:
baikaaki, mahot blanc, mahot noir, weti loabi, Castanha Vermelha, castanharana, Matamatá, matamata roseo, matamata branco, matamata amarelo, tibira
baikaaki, mahot blanc, mahot noir, weti loabi, Castanha Vermelha, castanharana, Matamatá, matamata roseo, matamata branco, matamata amarelo, tibira