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
Synonyms:

Lecythis integrifolia Ruiz & Pav. ex Miers, Lecythis subiflora Ruiz & Pav. ex E.A.Lopez, Eschweilera garagarae Pittier, Eschweilera woodsoniana Dwyer
Description:

Description - Small trees, to 9 m x 15 cm. Leaf blades usually elliptic, less frequently narrowly ovate or narrowly obovate, 11-25 x 5-8 cm, glabrous, often with reddish-brown punctae abaxially, with 10-14 pairs of lateral veins; apex acuminate; base acute to obtuse; margins entire; petiole 6-10 mm long. Inflorescences mostly terminal or in axils of uppermost leaves, sometimes from branches below leaves, of simple racemes, infrequently weakly branched at base, the rachis 2-5 cm long, puberulous, lenticellate, often slightly zig-zag, the pedicels 3-5 mm long. Flowers ca. 3 cm diam.; calyx with six lobes, the lobes very widely ovate to ovate, 3-6 x 2.5-5.0 mm, ascending, scarcely imbricate at very base, convex abaxially, flat to concave adaxially; petals six, widely to narrowly obovate, 17-26 x 11-16 mm, purple; hood of androecium 15-18 x 16-19 mm, forming triple coil, purple; staminal ring with 175-265 stamens, the filaments 1-1.2 mm long, markedly clavate, the anthers 0.5-0.6 mm long; hypanthium cuneate to slightly truncate, puberulous; ovary 2-locular, each locule with 6-7 ovules attached to hemispherical placenta, the placenta inserted towards base of septum, the style erect, 2-3 mm long. Fruits, including operculum, depressed globose, 2.5 x 4.5-6 cm, the pericarp 13 mm thick; operculum convex, without umbo. Seeds 6-7 per fruit, 2.5-3 x 1.5-2.5 cm, with slender aril on lower half.

Discussion:

Eschweilera integrifolia is distinguished by its relatively small stature, simple inflorescence with short rachis, purple flowers, androecium with a triple coil, and relatively thin-walled fruits. Its leaves are indistinguishable from E. pittieri but these two species can be easily separated by their distinct flowers and fruits.
Distribution:

Panama Central America| Colón Panama Central America| Darién Panamá Central America| Colombia South America| Antioquia Colombia South America| Chocó Colombia South America| Ecuador South America| Esmeraldas Ecuador South America|