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
Description:

Latin Diagnosis - A ceteris generis speciebus lobis calycis pro-funde imbricatis et fructibus parvis differt.

Description - Trees, to 40 m tall. Bark brown, with inconspicuous vertical fissures. Leaf blades usually elliptic, infrequently narrowly ovate or narrowly obovate, 8.5-15.5 x 4-7.5 cm, glabrous, with scattered, inconspicuous, abaxial punctae, the abaxial surface with reddish cast except for lighter colored veins, chartaceous, with 11-12 pairs of lateral veins; apex acuminate to long acuminate; base acute to obtuse; margins entire; petiole 10-17 mm long, canaliculate. Inflorescences terminal or in axils of uppermost leaves, usually of simple racemes, infrequently once-branched paniculate arrangement of racemes, the rachis 25 cm long; pedicels 8 mm long, puberulous, subtended by oblong, caducous bract 10-15x4 mm and two similarly shaped bracteoles inserted directly above former. Flowers ca. 2-3 cm diam.; calyx with six lobes, the lobes widely to narrowly ovate, 6-8 x 4-6 mm, ascending, concave adaxially, convex abaxially; petals six, unequal, widely obovate, 20-22 x 13-15 mm, white; hood of androecium 14 x 15 mm, forming a distinct double coil, yellow; staminal ring with ca. 175 stamens, the filaments 1 mm long, slightly clavate, the anthers 0.6 mm long; hypanthium cuneate, puberulous; ovary 2-locular, with 5-8 ovules attached to base of septum, the style erect, ca. 2.2 mm long. Fruits small, 1.5-2.5 x 2-3.5 cm, 2-4 mm thick, the base globose, few-seeded, with persistent, little enlarged Calyx-lobes; operculum convex, without umbo.

Discussion:

Eschweilera neei is characterized by its leaves with a reddish cast abaxially; small fruits; ascending, relatively large Calyx-lobes; white petals; and doubly coiled androecial hood.

The epithet honors Michael Nee, with whom I developed many of my botanical interests while both of us were graduate students studying under the direction of Hugh H. Iltis at the University of Wisconsin.
Distribution:

Panama Central America| Colón Panama Central America| Herrera Panama Central America| Panamá Panama Central America| Veraguas Panama Central America| Colombia South America| Chocó Colombia South America|