Authority:

Pennington, Terence D. 1990. Sapotaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 52: 1-750. (Published by NYBG Press)

Family:

Sapotaceae

Synonyms:

Pouteria loretensis Baehni, Neoxythece cladantha (Sandwith) Aubrév., Richardella cladantha (Sandwith) Baehni

Description:

Species Description - Tree; young shoots minutely appressed puberulous at first, soon glabrous, greyish-brown, thin-scaly, usually lenticellate. Leaves spaced, spirally arranged, 6.8-15 × 2.5-7.5 cm, oblanceolate, elliptic or broadly oblong, apex usually obtusely cuspidate or rounded, less frequently narrowly attenuate, base usually narrowly attenuate, rarely rounded, margin often revolute, thinly coriaceous, glabrous, usually minutely punctate on lower surface; venation brochidodromous, marginal vein often present, midrib raised on the upper surface (rounded in section), secondary veins 9-15 pairs, straight, parallel, often slightly impressed on the upper surface; intersecondaries usually well-developed; tertiaries obscure, reticulate or tending to parallel the secondaries. Petiole 0.4-1.7 cm long, not channeled, glabrous. Fascicles 3-20-flowered, axillary or clustered on usually leafless axillary shoots up to 8 cm long. Pedicel (2-)3-5 mm long, minutely appressed puberulous. Flowers bisexual or unisexual (?) (dioecious) sepals 4-5, 1.5-2.25 mm long, free, or fused at base, ovate, apex usually obtuse or rounded, minutely appressed puberulous on both surfaces. Corolla 1-2 mm long, tube exceeding the lobes (up to 3 times as long), lobes 4-5, ovate, apex obtuse or rounded, glabrous or appressed puberulous on outside of tube. Stamens 4-5, fixed in the upper half or at the top of the corolla tube; filaments (0.2-0.3 mm long, strongly curved, glabrous; anthers 0.3-0.8 mm long, ovoid, glabrous, absent in female flowers. Staminodes 4-5, 0.20.4 mm long, subulate, glabrous. Disk absent (see note below). Ovary patelliform (in functionally male flowers) or ovoid (in female flowers), 2(-3)-locular, puberulous; style ca. 0.5 mm long after anthesis (in male), ca. 0.2 mm long (female), puberulous; style-head simple. Fruit 1.8-3 cm long, ellipsoid to globose, rounded at apex and base, fleshy, smooth, glabrous when mature. Seed solitary, 1.4-2.2 cm long, ellipsoid, slightly laterally compressed, rounded at base and apex, testa smooth, shining, 0.3-0.5 mm thick; scar adaxial full-length, 3-4 mm wide; embryo with plano-convex, free cotyledons, radicle extending to the surface; endosperm absent. Field characters. Tree to 30 m high and 80 cm diam., larger specimens buttressed to 2 m high and with deeply fluted bole. Sticky white latex present. Flowers greenish-yellow, fruit ripening yellow, with clear pulp. Flowering throughout its range Jun to Nov, fruiting season uncertain.

Discussion:

The fruit flesh is sweet and edible.

Distribution:

Colombia South America| Antioquia Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Distrito Federal Venezuela South America| Guyana South America| Suriname South America| French Guiana South America| Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| Pasco Peru South America| Brazil South America| Acre Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Mato Grosso Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Roraima Brazil South America|

Common Names:

Abiurana seca, acuchipuru mira, cacho venado, caramuri preto, haimara kushi, palo de ardilla, pulguillo, quinilla