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, 37 m x 61 cm, with buttresses to 1.5 m. Leaf blades widely elliptic to suborbiculate, 4-10.5 x 2.5-8.5 cm, glabrous, non-punctate, coriaceous, with 6-8 pairs of lateral veins; apex rounded to slightly emarginate; base obtuse to rounded; margins entire; petiole 3-7 mm long, transversely rugose. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, once-branched paniculate arrangements of racemes, often congested, the principal rachis 7-15 cm long, glabrous; pedicels 1.5-2.5 mm long, subtended by a single bract and two bracteoles of nearly equal size and shape, these very widely to widely ovate, ca. 1.5 x 1.0 mm, apiculate, persistent. Flowers ca. 10 mm diam.; calyx with six lobes, the lobes very widely ovate, ca. 2.5 x 2.5 mm, imbricate at base, without ducts; petals six, 5-7 x 3.5-6 mm, pale cream, tinged with pink; hood of androecium 4 x 4 mm, rose to purple, the appendages with attenuated, fiberlike apices, curved inwards but not forming complete coil; staminal ring with 70-90 stamens, the filaments ca. 0.3-0.4 mm long, clavate, the anthers 0.3 mm long; hypanthium cuneate; ovary 2-locular, each locule with 3-5 ovules, the ovules attached to base of septum, the summit umbonate. Fruits unknown.

Discussion:

The androecial hood of this species does not form the full coil characteristic of Eschweilera. Its appendages are curved inwards in the same manner as those of Lecythis chartacea and L. schomburgkii. Nevertheless, because of the two-locular ovary and umbonate ovary summit, we place this species in Eschweilera.

The flowers of E. fanshawei are the smallest of the genus. The congested inflorescences and suborbiculate leaves with shiny adaxial surfaces are also diagnostic.
Distribution:

Guyana South America|

Common Names:

haudan