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)
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
Lecythidaceae
Synonyms:
Eschweilera verruculosa Pittier, Eschweilera reversa Pittier
Eschweilera verruculosa Pittier, Eschweilera reversa Pittier
Description:
Description - Medium-sized trees, usually 7-20 m, infrequently to 30 m tall, the bole usually unbuttressed, infrequently with buttresses, the primary branches at right angles to trunk. Bark grayish or brown, nearly smooth or with shallow vertical fissures. Leaf blades elliptic to narrowly elliptic, 14-27 x 6.5-9.5 cm, glabrous, punctate abaxially, chartaceous, with 10-15 pairs of lateral veins; apex acuminate; base obtuse; margins entire; petiole 10-15 mm long. Inflorescences terminal or in axils of uppermost leaves, racemose, the rachis 2-4 cm long, often with raised warty, reddish-brown lenticels, the pedicels 7-8 mm long. Flowers ca. 5 cm diam.; calyx with six lobes, the lobes very widely ovate, 7-11 x 7-10 mm, ascending, imbricate, convex abaxially, concave adaxially; petals six, unequal, widely obovate, 19-30 x 16-19 mm, white; hood of androecium 17-19 x 15-17 mm, forming distinct double coil, light yellow; staminal ring with poorly developed marginal flap, at most 1 mm high, with 150-200 stamens, the filaments 2-3 mm long, clavate, the anthers 0.5-0.7 mm long, the lateral outside half of anther sacs with reddish-brown pigment spots; hypanthium cuneate; ovary 2-locular, with 6-7 basally attached ovules, the style oblique, 3-4 mm long. Fruits shallow, cup-like, wider than long, 1.5-5 x 3-8 cm, with prominent woody knobs at calycine ring, the pericarp 3-7 mm thick; operculum convex, without umbo. Seeds circular or hemispherical in cross section, 2 x 1.5 cm, with lateral aril.
Description - Medium-sized trees, usually 7-20 m, infrequently to 30 m tall, the bole usually unbuttressed, infrequently with buttresses, the primary branches at right angles to trunk. Bark grayish or brown, nearly smooth or with shallow vertical fissures. Leaf blades elliptic to narrowly elliptic, 14-27 x 6.5-9.5 cm, glabrous, punctate abaxially, chartaceous, with 10-15 pairs of lateral veins; apex acuminate; base obtuse; margins entire; petiole 10-15 mm long. Inflorescences terminal or in axils of uppermost leaves, racemose, the rachis 2-4 cm long, often with raised warty, reddish-brown lenticels, the pedicels 7-8 mm long. Flowers ca. 5 cm diam.; calyx with six lobes, the lobes very widely ovate, 7-11 x 7-10 mm, ascending, imbricate, convex abaxially, concave adaxially; petals six, unequal, widely obovate, 19-30 x 16-19 mm, white; hood of androecium 17-19 x 15-17 mm, forming distinct double coil, light yellow; staminal ring with poorly developed marginal flap, at most 1 mm high, with 150-200 stamens, the filaments 2-3 mm long, clavate, the anthers 0.5-0.7 mm long, the lateral outside half of anther sacs with reddish-brown pigment spots; hypanthium cuneate; ovary 2-locular, with 6-7 basally attached ovules, the style oblique, 3-4 mm long. Fruits shallow, cup-like, wider than long, 1.5-5 x 3-8 cm, with prominent woody knobs at calycine ring, the pericarp 3-7 mm thick; operculum convex, without umbo. Seeds circular or hemispherical in cross section, 2 x 1.5 cm, with lateral aril.
Discussion:
Eschweilera pittieri is easily recognized by its fruits with very woody, knobby Calyx-lobes which give them a pin-wheel appearance. Its flowers are characterized by their light yellow color; relatively large, imbricate Calyx-lobes; doubly coiled androecial hood; and relatively long, oblique style. The petals are often curved under at the margins and apex.Field observations indicate that E. pittieri sheds all of its leaves and shortly thereafter flushes new ones. Although common in Lecythis, this is unusual in Eschweilera.Pittier (1927) describes the type collection of E. reversa as having the new growth “covered with long appressed hairs” and the buds as “quite hairy.” He also adds that the stipules are “geminate, needle-like, hairy, about 4 mm long.” None of these features are characteristic of Lecythidaceae and our study of the type indicates it to be a mixed collection. The leaves are of Hirtella racemosa Lam. and the fruits belong to E. pittieri. Consequently, we have chosen the fruit to lectotypify E. reversa.
Eschweilera pittieri is easily recognized by its fruits with very woody, knobby Calyx-lobes which give them a pin-wheel appearance. Its flowers are characterized by their light yellow color; relatively large, imbricate Calyx-lobes; doubly coiled androecial hood; and relatively long, oblique style. The petals are often curved under at the margins and apex.Field observations indicate that E. pittieri sheds all of its leaves and shortly thereafter flushes new ones. Although common in Lecythis, this is unusual in Eschweilera.Pittier (1927) describes the type collection of E. reversa as having the new growth “covered with long appressed hairs” and the buds as “quite hairy.” He also adds that the stipules are “geminate, needle-like, hairy, about 4 mm long.” None of these features are characteristic of Lecythidaceae and our study of the type indicates it to be a mixed collection. The leaves are of Hirtella racemosa Lam. and the fruits belong to E. pittieri. Consequently, we have chosen the fruit to lectotypify E. reversa.
Distribution:
Panama Central America| Canal Zone Panamá Central America| Chiriquí Panamá Central America| Colón Panama Central America| Darién Panamá Central America| Panamá Panama Central America| San Blás Panama Central America| Veraguas Panama Central America| Colombia South America| Antioquia Colombia South America| Chocó Colombia South America| Santander Colombia South America| Valle Colombia South America| Ecuador South America| Esmeraldas Ecuador South America|
Panama Central America| Canal Zone Panamá Central America| Chiriquí Panamá Central America| Colón Panama Central America| Darién Panamá Central America| Panamá Panama Central America| San Blás Panama Central America| Veraguas Panama Central America| Colombia South America| Antioquia Colombia South America| Chocó Colombia South America| Santander Colombia South America| Valle Colombia South America| Ecuador South America| Esmeraldas Ecuador South America|
Common Names:
Ollito, guasco, guasca
Ollito, guasco, guasca