Monographs Details:
Authority:
Berg, Cornelius C. 1972. Olmedieae, Brosimeae (Moraceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 7: 1-229. (Published by NYBG Press)
Berg, Cornelius C. 1972. Olmedieae, Brosimeae (Moraceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 7: 1-229. (Published by NYBG Press)
Family:
Moraceae
Moraceae
Synonyms:
Pseudolmedia coriacea H.Karst., Olmediophaena coriacea H.Karst., Olmedia laurina Baill., Olmedia obliqua Huber, Pseudolmedia obliqua (Huber) Ducke, Pseudolmedia huberi J.F.Macbr., Olmediophaena obliqua (Huber) Ducke, Olmedia maxima Ducke, Olmediophaena maxima Ducke
Pseudolmedia coriacea H.Karst., Olmediophaena coriacea H.Karst., Olmedia laurina Baill., Olmedia obliqua Huber, Pseudolmedia obliqua (Huber) Ducke, Pseudolmedia huberi J.F.Macbr., Olmediophaena obliqua (Huber) Ducke, Olmedia maxima Ducke, Olmediophaena maxima Ducke
Description:
Description - Dioecious trees up to 50 m tall; latex white, yellow, or greenish. Leafy twigs 1-5 mm thick, puberulous. Leaves elliptic to lanceolate, often broadest near the upper end, often strongly inequilateral, (2.5-)6-16 cm long, (1-)2.5-6 cm broad, coriaceous, to subcoriaceous, acuminate, acute to obtuse at the base, nearly glabrous above, sparsely puberulous beneath; veins prominent above, less prominent to plane beneath, 13-18 pairs of secondary veins, reticulum of larger veins dense; petioles 4-12 mm long; stipules i-4(-6) mm long, puberulous. Staminate inflorescences 1-6 together, sometimes on small leafless twigs, globose to subglobose, 4-10 mm in diameter, subsessile to pedunculate; peduncle up to 5 mm long, often bracteate; receptacle about obovoid, to globose; involucre with ovate to reniform to suborbiculate, obtuse to acute, puberulous bracts in 3-6 series; flowers free; perianth 1.5-2 mm high, 4-parted, tepals more or less, unequal about cucullate to subpeltate, obtuse to emarginate at the tip, puberulous; stamens 4, filaments straight before anthesis, 1.7-3.0 mm long, anthers (0.8-) 1.0-1.7 mm long, 0.3-0.4 mm broad, connectives narrow. Pistillate inflorescences solitary or paired, subsessile to pedunculate; peduncle up to 1.5 mm long; involucre with ovate to reniform to suborbiculate, acute to obtuse, puberulous bracts in 3-4 series; flowers single; perianth tubular, 2-3 mm high, 2-lobed to entire, puberulous; style 1.5 mm long, stigmas filiform, 3-9 mm long. Fruiting perianth ellipsoid to subglobose, ca 13 mm high, sparsely puberulous (yellow?). Probably flowering throughout the year.
Description - Dioecious trees up to 50 m tall; latex white, yellow, or greenish. Leafy twigs 1-5 mm thick, puberulous. Leaves elliptic to lanceolate, often broadest near the upper end, often strongly inequilateral, (2.5-)6-16 cm long, (1-)2.5-6 cm broad, coriaceous, to subcoriaceous, acuminate, acute to obtuse at the base, nearly glabrous above, sparsely puberulous beneath; veins prominent above, less prominent to plane beneath, 13-18 pairs of secondary veins, reticulum of larger veins dense; petioles 4-12 mm long; stipules i-4(-6) mm long, puberulous. Staminate inflorescences 1-6 together, sometimes on small leafless twigs, globose to subglobose, 4-10 mm in diameter, subsessile to pedunculate; peduncle up to 5 mm long, often bracteate; receptacle about obovoid, to globose; involucre with ovate to reniform to suborbiculate, obtuse to acute, puberulous bracts in 3-6 series; flowers free; perianth 1.5-2 mm high, 4-parted, tepals more or less, unequal about cucullate to subpeltate, obtuse to emarginate at the tip, puberulous; stamens 4, filaments straight before anthesis, 1.7-3.0 mm long, anthers (0.8-) 1.0-1.7 mm long, 0.3-0.4 mm broad, connectives narrow. Pistillate inflorescences solitary or paired, subsessile to pedunculate; peduncle up to 1.5 mm long; involucre with ovate to reniform to suborbiculate, acute to obtuse, puberulous bracts in 3-4 series; flowers single; perianth tubular, 2-3 mm high, 2-lobed to entire, puberulous; style 1.5 mm long, stigmas filiform, 3-9 mm long. Fruiting perianth ellipsoid to subglobose, ca 13 mm high, sparsely puberulous (yellow?). Probably flowering throughout the year.
Discussion:
Ducke (1939) recognized two species of Olmediophaena in the Amazon Basin of Brazil, 0. obliqua and 0. maxima. In contrast to the first-named species 0. maxima was said to be characterized by hardly or not inequilateral thin leaves, by the distinctly pedunculate staminate inflorescences, and the considerable height of the trees. However, equilateral and inequilateral leaves may occur on the same specimen; the thickness of the leaves is variable, and the differences in the length of the peduncles are not significant. The specimens assigned to 0. maxima appear to be taller on the average than those of 0. obliqua. They can reach a height of 45-50 m on the Upper Amazon River. Ducke (1922), however, reported that the specimens are usually smaller along the Lower Amazon River. Although specimens placed in 0. obliqua often are small trees, they may also attain 35-40 m. As no adequate differentiating characters remain, it is not justified to maintain these two species. The localities of the specimens referred to 0. maxima by Ducke are differently marked on map 4 of Fig 23.Ducke (1939) observed pistillate inflorescences with two or three flowers. In the specimens studied such inflorescences were not found.Owing to the globose to obovoid receptacle and the slender filaments the staminate inflorescences of M. coriacea differ in appearance from those of the other species.Froes noted that the latex was said to be deadly poisonous.
Ducke (1939) recognized two species of Olmediophaena in the Amazon Basin of Brazil, 0. obliqua and 0. maxima. In contrast to the first-named species 0. maxima was said to be characterized by hardly or not inequilateral thin leaves, by the distinctly pedunculate staminate inflorescences, and the considerable height of the trees. However, equilateral and inequilateral leaves may occur on the same specimen; the thickness of the leaves is variable, and the differences in the length of the peduncles are not significant. The specimens assigned to 0. maxima appear to be taller on the average than those of 0. obliqua. They can reach a height of 45-50 m on the Upper Amazon River. Ducke (1922), however, reported that the specimens are usually smaller along the Lower Amazon River. Although specimens placed in 0. obliqua often are small trees, they may also attain 35-40 m. As no adequate differentiating characters remain, it is not justified to maintain these two species. The localities of the specimens referred to 0. maxima by Ducke are differently marked on map 4 of Fig 23.Ducke (1939) observed pistillate inflorescences with two or three flowers. In the specimens studied such inflorescences were not found.Owing to the globose to obovoid receptacle and the slender filaments the staminate inflorescences of M. coriacea differ in appearance from those of the other species.Froes noted that the latex was said to be deadly poisonous.
Distribution:
Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Peru South America| Brazil South America|
Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Peru South America| Brazil South America|