Authority:

Irwin, Howard S. 1966. Contributions to the botany of Guiana. IV. Legumonosae Caesalpinioideae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 15: 112-128.

Family:

Caesalpiniaceae

Description:

Distribution and Ecology - BRAZIL. Amapa: Rio Jari, Cachoeira Mucuru, Egler & Irwin 46546. SURINAME. Wilhelmina Gebergte, forested valley of West Rivier, Irwin, Prance, Soderstrom, & Holmgren 54895; Lucie Rivier, Irwin, Prance, Soderstrom & Holmgren 5586. VENEZUELA. Delta Amacuro: 37 km ENE de El Palmar, Steyermark 93144.

Discussion:

There are now a considerable number of collections variously determined as B. guianensis Aubl., B. splendens H.B.K., B. guianensis var. splendens (H.B.K.) Amsh., and B. splendens var. latifolia Benth. Careful examination of type descriptions, type photographs, cited materials, and some 40 relevant collections indicates a complex situation in which a number of characters vary independently of each other and without regard to geography. For this reason it seems best to treat this species in the broad sense and relegate the various varieties to synonymy. This interpretation seems especially appropriate in view of the fact that solitary specimens served as their bases.

In this broadened sense, B. guianensis may be said to range from Dept. Loreto, Peru (Killip & Smith 27971), Territorio Amazonas, Venezuela (Maguire, Wurdack, & Bunting 36308), and Territorio Delta Amacuro, Venezuela (Steyermark 93144), eastward to British Guiana (Waini R., de la Cruz 3699), Suriname (Lanjouw & Lindeman 2223), and Para (Ilha do Mosqueiro, Killip & Smith 30655; Rio Cururu, Egler 836). The cited Brazilian and Venezuelan collections are first reports for the respective territories.

Distribution:

Brazil South America| Suriname South America| Venezuela South America|