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:
Piratinera alicastrum (Sw.) Baill., Alicastrum brownei Kuntze
Piratinera alicastrum (Sw.) Baill., Alicastrum brownei Kuntze
Description:
Description - Trees (always?) dioecious, up to 35 m tall, (sometimes?) with buttresses; latex white to yellow. Leafy twigs 1-4 mm thick, glabrous or sparsely puberulous. Leaves elliptic to oblong (to lanceolate), slightly or not inequilateral, often broadest above, but sometimes below the middle, (2-)4-18(-28) cm long, (1-)2-7(-11) cm broad, coriaceous to chartaceous, acuminate, often nearly acute, sometimes caudate, at the base acute, obtuse, truncate or rarely emarginate to subcordate; margin entire or rarely denticulate; above glabrous, beneath glabrous or sparsely puberulous and sometimes also sparsely pubescent on the costa; vein slightly prominent to plane or sometimes slightly impressed above, prominent to nearly plane beneath, 12-16(-21) pairs of secondary veins, without or sometimes with a few parallel tertiary veins; petioles 2-8(-14) mm long; stipules nearly fully amplexicaul, (3-)5-10(-15) mm long, glabrous, puberulous, or sometimes pubescent. Inflorescences solitary, geminate or occasionally more together, (sub) globose to ellipsoid, subsessile or usually pedunculate, peduncle up to 15 mm long, bracts 0.2-2 mm in diameter, puberulous, the basal ones sometimes basally attached. Staminate inflorescences 3-8 mm in diameter, with 1 central, or occasionally more, abortive pistillate flowers, staminate flowers numerous, perianth lacking or sometimes a minute one present, stamen 1, filaments 0.4-1.6 mm long, anthers 0.4-0.5 mm long and 0.4-0.5 mm broad, thecae free or fused, connectives broad, glabrous, or puberulous. Pistillate inflorescences 2-4 mm in diameter, with 1, sometimes 2, or occasionally also many abortive flowers, style 1.5-8.5 mm long, sometimes with some uncinate hairs, stigmas 0.2-8 mm long, unequal in length, occasionally one absent. Infructescences (sub) globose, 1.5-2 cm in diameter, at maturity yellow & brownish, or orange, testa vascularized. Flowering probably throughout the year.
Description - Trees (always?) dioecious, up to 35 m tall, (sometimes?) with buttresses; latex white to yellow. Leafy twigs 1-4 mm thick, glabrous or sparsely puberulous. Leaves elliptic to oblong (to lanceolate), slightly or not inequilateral, often broadest above, but sometimes below the middle, (2-)4-18(-28) cm long, (1-)2-7(-11) cm broad, coriaceous to chartaceous, acuminate, often nearly acute, sometimes caudate, at the base acute, obtuse, truncate or rarely emarginate to subcordate; margin entire or rarely denticulate; above glabrous, beneath glabrous or sparsely puberulous and sometimes also sparsely pubescent on the costa; vein slightly prominent to plane or sometimes slightly impressed above, prominent to nearly plane beneath, 12-16(-21) pairs of secondary veins, without or sometimes with a few parallel tertiary veins; petioles 2-8(-14) mm long; stipules nearly fully amplexicaul, (3-)5-10(-15) mm long, glabrous, puberulous, or sometimes pubescent. Inflorescences solitary, geminate or occasionally more together, (sub) globose to ellipsoid, subsessile or usually pedunculate, peduncle up to 15 mm long, bracts 0.2-2 mm in diameter, puberulous, the basal ones sometimes basally attached. Staminate inflorescences 3-8 mm in diameter, with 1 central, or occasionally more, abortive pistillate flowers, staminate flowers numerous, perianth lacking or sometimes a minute one present, stamen 1, filaments 0.4-1.6 mm long, anthers 0.4-0.5 mm long and 0.4-0.5 mm broad, thecae free or fused, connectives broad, glabrous, or puberulous. Pistillate inflorescences 2-4 mm in diameter, with 1, sometimes 2, or occasionally also many abortive flowers, style 1.5-8.5 mm long, sometimes with some uncinate hairs, stigmas 0.2-8 mm long, unequal in length, occasionally one absent. Infructescences (sub) globose, 1.5-2 cm in diameter, at maturity yellow & brownish, or orange, testa vascularized. Flowering probably throughout the year.
Discussion:
The species, variable in many characters, falls apart into two geographically separated groups on account of a remarkable difference in the anthers. They have fused thecae in the northern part of the area and free thecae in the southern part. This difference does not seem to be significantly correlated with other differences.The species is not strictly dioecious as in the staminate inflorescences, especially in subsp alicastrum, one more or less well-developed, or sometimes several more reduced, pistillate flowers may be found. It is likely that these flowers do not produce seeds. In the pistillate inflorescences several reduced pistillate flowers may be present besides one, or occasionally two, well-developed ones.The leaves often bear oblongoid to subulate galls.
The species, variable in many characters, falls apart into two geographically separated groups on account of a remarkable difference in the anthers. They have fused thecae in the northern part of the area and free thecae in the southern part. This difference does not seem to be significantly correlated with other differences.The species is not strictly dioecious as in the staminate inflorescences, especially in subsp alicastrum, one more or less well-developed, or sometimes several more reduced, pistillate flowers may be found. It is likely that these flowers do not produce seeds. In the pistillate inflorescences several reduced pistillate flowers may be present besides one, or occasionally two, well-developed ones.The leaves often bear oblongoid to subulate galls.