Taxon Details: Swartzia vaupesiana R.S.Cowan
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Family:
Fabaceae (Magnoliophyta)
Fabaceae (Magnoliophyta)
Scientific Name:
Swartzia vaupesiana R.S.Cowan
Swartzia vaupesiana R.S.Cowan
Primary Citation:
Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 1: 126. 1967
Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 1: 126. 1967
Accepted Name:
This name is currently accepted.
This name is currently accepted.
Description:
Type: Colombia, Vaupés: Rio Kubiyú, a tributary of Rio Vaupés, Cerro Kañedá, ca. 15 miles upstream from mouth, 1°0'N, 70°15'W [coordinates imprecise, verbal description of locality implies approximately 1°14’N, 70°51’W], 800–900 feet; 10 Nov 1952 (fl), R. E. Schultes & I. Cabrera 18397 (Holotype: US-2172148; Isotypes: BM, NY).
Description: Tree to ca. 20 m; trunk weakly butressed, round, to ca. 35 cm in diameter; bark smooth or rugose, fissured into squares of ca. 1 x 1 cm, brown, lenticellate; exudate red; pubescence of appressed, fairly straight golden-tan or whitish simple or malphigian hairs, mostly less than 0.2 mm long; leaf-bearing branchlets, 1.5–4 mm thick at middle of internodes, densely tannish minute-strigulose on new growth, becoming glabrescent. Leaves unifoliolate, with the pulvinus and pulvinulis wholly fused or separated by a discernable axis, or imparipinnate-trifoliolate, with a single pair of opposite lateral leaflets, sometimes with the rachis and terminal leaflet abortive; stipules 0.3–0.7 x 0.2–0.6 mm, not apparent or minute and triangular, fulvo-strigulose abaxially, glabrescent, caducous; petiole 0.2–2.7 cm long, 1.3–3.2 mm thick at center, terete or subterete, unwinged, densely fulvo-strigulose, often glabrescent, the pulvinus 2–7 mm long; rachis, when present (0.4–) 0.8–2.3 cm long, terete to subterete, bicarinnate to narrowly marginate adaxially, unwinged, densely fulvo-strigulose, often glabrescent, the stipels not apparent or ca. 0.2–0.7 mm long, triangular, often vestigial, caducous; petiolules 1.5–7 x 1.2–3.4 mm, densely tannish minute-strigulose, often glabrescent; leaflet blades 1.6–2.9 x as long as wide, 6.5–22.5 x 2.5–10.2 cm, subcoriaceous, mostly elliptic, the margin decurved, the base broadly acute to obtuse or rounded-obtuse, the apex briefly acuminate, acute, or rounded-obtuse, the acumen, when present rounded, retuse, or pointed, sometimes briefly mucronate, ca. 2–13 mm long, the adaxial surface glabrous, the abaxial surface tawny- or grayish-glaucous, minutely malpighio-strigulose, the trichomes deciduous, but the dense granular bases persistent, the venation salient to immersed on both leaflet surfaces, the midrib, depressed adaxially, salient abaxially, the secondary veins ca. 8–12, initially ascending at 15–32°, higher order veins finely reticulate. Inflorescences simple racemes or loosly branched compound racemes with a single order of branching, borne from leaf axils or from defoliote nodes of year-old or somewhat older branchlets, occasionally pseudo-terminal, sometimes two-several fasciculate, to ca. 30-flowered; axes 3.5–17 cm long, 1.2–3.5 mm thick near base, terete to sulcate in cross-section; bracts 0.9–3.6 x 0.6–1.6 mm, triangular or ovate to ovate-lanceolate, glabrous adaxially, densely fulvo-strigulose abaxially; pedicels 5.7–11.7 mm long, 1–1.7 mm thick at middle, dorso-ventrally compressed, apically dilated, densely fulvo-strigulose; bracteoles 0.5–1.2 (–2.6) x 0.3–0.5 mm, opposite to strongly subopposite, inserted in the distal half of pedicel or at the base of the calyx, triangular or ovate to ovate-lanceolate, densely fulvo-strigulose abaxially; flower buds 5.3–7.6 x 4.1-6.4 mm, ellipsoid, densely fulvo-strigulose. Calyx glabrous adaxially, densely fulvo-strigulose abaxially; segments 3–5 in number, 2.7–6.4 mm wide, strongly recurved. Corolla monopetalous; petal yellow or orange-yellow, the claw 4–7 mm long, the limb broadly elliptic or ovate to orbicular or oblate, the base obtuse to truncate, 6.5–9.6 (13.1) x 6.3–11.9 (–15.3) mm, glabrous. Androecium glabrous, more or less zygomorhic, the stamens of two sizes; larger stamens 6–12 and adaxially, but occasionally poorly differentiated from smaller stamens, the filaments 9.2–16.3 mm long, ca. 0.2–0.7 mm wide near base, basally dilated, dorso-ventrally compressed, the anthers 0.8–1.4 x 0.8–1.1 mm, elliptic or oblong-elliptic in outline, the connective not prolonged beyond thecae; smaller stamens 88–188, the filaments 3.5–11 x 0.05–0.2 mm, the anthers 0.6–1 x 0.6–0.8 mm, elliptic or orbicular to oblong-elliptic in outline, the connective not prolonged beyond thecae. Gynoecium monopistillate, glabrous; stipe 8.5–12 mm long, 0.4–0.6 mm thick at middle, round or oval in cross section; ovary 4–6.7 x 1.5–2.2, lunate to narrowly D-shaped, laterally compressed, the locule glabrous; ovlues 5–8; style 1.1–2.2 mm long, 0.3–0.6 mm thick at middle, obliquely terminal, recurved; stigma truncate to punctiform. Fruits green or light green, glabrous; stipe 10–14 mm long, 1.1–1.6 mm thick at middle, terete; body 2.7–4 x 1.6–3 cm, ellipsoid, often inequilaterally so, somewhat compressed laterally, apiculate by the persistent style, often obliquely so, the wall 0.3–1 mm thick. Seeds usually 1 per fruit, ca. 2.5–3.1 x 1.2–1.8 cm, ellipsoid, somewhat compressed laterally; aril 1.5–2.8 x 1–1.9 cm, convex-elliptic, erose-margined, positioned centrally on hilar side of seed, covering about a quarter to third of seed surface.
Common names: Gombeira amarela (Portuguese); geographical location: Amazonas, Brazil; source: Silva 3817. Matuti duro (Portuguese); geographical location: Amazonas, Brazil; source: Silva 3818. Palo de barbasco (Spanish); geographical location: Colombia; source: Sánchez et al. 1713. “Güacam+e” (Miraña); geographical location: Colombia; source: Sánchez et al. 6628. “Deuj+minogai” (Mui); geographical location: Colombia; source: Lodoño et al. 1237. “Juyadoaí" (Muí); geographical location: Colombia; source: Sánchez et al. 1713.
Distribution: Swartzia vaupesiana is broadly distributed in north-western Amazonia at elevations below 600 m, from the Sipapo-Autana drainage in northwestern Amazonas Department of Venezuela southward to the upper Solimões River in western Amazonas State of Brazil, westward to the Caquetá, Apaporís, Vaupés and Guaviare drainages in Amazonian Colombia, and eastward to the lowland drainages around the Cerro da Neblina/Sierra de la Neblina massif, on both sides of the Brazilian/Venezuelan border.
Ecology: Swartzia vaupesiana occurs in well drained to somewhat poorly drained “terra firme” habitats in both level and hilly terrain, ranging from tall wet forest, to stunted forest or shublands on white sands to savannas. It apparently exhibits a preference for sandy soils, especially white sands. In mountainous regions in may occur in association with sandstone or quartzite outcrops.
Phenology: The species has been collected in flower in November and December. Mature fruits are known from March and April.
Taxonomic notes: This species possesses the characteristic features of section Recurvae, including malpighian trichomes, bracteolate pedicels, relatively small flowers with the petal yellow and the gynoecium with the stipe longer than the other parts. It appears to be closely related to species such as S. caudata, S. gracilis, S. krukovii, and S. recurva, but is immediately separable from these and other related species in having one to three, typically blunt tipped leaflets that are glaucous underneath and have the primary vein strongly impressed above; the uniformly fulvous-strigulose flower buds are also characteristic. The species has not yet been sampled in phylogenetic studies. As is typically the case in widespread species, S. vaupesiana exhibits notable morphological variation across its range. Populations in the tributary drainages of the upper Orinoco River in Colombia and Venezuela (i.e, the Sipapo/Autana, Atabapo, and Guaviare), which correspond with Cowan’s taxon S. dolichopoda, have strictly unifoliolate leaves, with little or no development of an axis between the pulvinus and pulvinulus, whereas populations elsewhere typically have trifoliolate leaves, or if unifoliolate, then with a developed axis. A collection from the northern approach to the Sierra de la Neblina in southernmost Venezuela with relatively large bracts and unusually long bracteoles was previously segregated as S. vaupesiana var. glauca R. S. Cowan (Cowan, 1968). While such differences may reflect discontinuities in the available material, they are not greater than what has been observed in other widespread species of Swartzia, nor are they well correlated with variation in other features such as petal shape and stamen number. Furthermore, since the overall range is still quite sparsely sampled, it is probably best to assume that they represent ends of a morphological continuum pending additional sampling.
Etymology: The epithet refers to the Vaupés River or the Colombian Department of Vaupés whence the type was collected.
Conservation Status: Swartzia vaupesiana is not currently threatened. The species is very widespread and occurs across large areas of intact Amazonian wilderness, with much potential habitat included within protected areas. The relative paucity of collections probably relates more to collecting artifact than to rarity, the species occurring mainly in uplands, which tend to be undersampled relative to riverine zones.
Type: Colombia, Vaupés: Rio Kubiyú, a tributary of Rio Vaupés, Cerro Kañedá, ca. 15 miles upstream from mouth, 1°0'N, 70°15'W [coordinates imprecise, verbal description of locality implies approximately 1°14’N, 70°51’W], 800–900 feet; 10 Nov 1952 (fl), R. E. Schultes & I. Cabrera 18397 (Holotype: US-2172148; Isotypes: BM, NY).
Description: Tree to ca. 20 m; trunk weakly butressed, round, to ca. 35 cm in diameter; bark smooth or rugose, fissured into squares of ca. 1 x 1 cm, brown, lenticellate; exudate red; pubescence of appressed, fairly straight golden-tan or whitish simple or malphigian hairs, mostly less than 0.2 mm long; leaf-bearing branchlets, 1.5–4 mm thick at middle of internodes, densely tannish minute-strigulose on new growth, becoming glabrescent. Leaves unifoliolate, with the pulvinus and pulvinulis wholly fused or separated by a discernable axis, or imparipinnate-trifoliolate, with a single pair of opposite lateral leaflets, sometimes with the rachis and terminal leaflet abortive; stipules 0.3–0.7 x 0.2–0.6 mm, not apparent or minute and triangular, fulvo-strigulose abaxially, glabrescent, caducous; petiole 0.2–2.7 cm long, 1.3–3.2 mm thick at center, terete or subterete, unwinged, densely fulvo-strigulose, often glabrescent, the pulvinus 2–7 mm long; rachis, when present (0.4–) 0.8–2.3 cm long, terete to subterete, bicarinnate to narrowly marginate adaxially, unwinged, densely fulvo-strigulose, often glabrescent, the stipels not apparent or ca. 0.2–0.7 mm long, triangular, often vestigial, caducous; petiolules 1.5–7 x 1.2–3.4 mm, densely tannish minute-strigulose, often glabrescent; leaflet blades 1.6–2.9 x as long as wide, 6.5–22.5 x 2.5–10.2 cm, subcoriaceous, mostly elliptic, the margin decurved, the base broadly acute to obtuse or rounded-obtuse, the apex briefly acuminate, acute, or rounded-obtuse, the acumen, when present rounded, retuse, or pointed, sometimes briefly mucronate, ca. 2–13 mm long, the adaxial surface glabrous, the abaxial surface tawny- or grayish-glaucous, minutely malpighio-strigulose, the trichomes deciduous, but the dense granular bases persistent, the venation salient to immersed on both leaflet surfaces, the midrib, depressed adaxially, salient abaxially, the secondary veins ca. 8–12, initially ascending at 15–32°, higher order veins finely reticulate. Inflorescences simple racemes or loosly branched compound racemes with a single order of branching, borne from leaf axils or from defoliote nodes of year-old or somewhat older branchlets, occasionally pseudo-terminal, sometimes two-several fasciculate, to ca. 30-flowered; axes 3.5–17 cm long, 1.2–3.5 mm thick near base, terete to sulcate in cross-section; bracts 0.9–3.6 x 0.6–1.6 mm, triangular or ovate to ovate-lanceolate, glabrous adaxially, densely fulvo-strigulose abaxially; pedicels 5.7–11.7 mm long, 1–1.7 mm thick at middle, dorso-ventrally compressed, apically dilated, densely fulvo-strigulose; bracteoles 0.5–1.2 (–2.6) x 0.3–0.5 mm, opposite to strongly subopposite, inserted in the distal half of pedicel or at the base of the calyx, triangular or ovate to ovate-lanceolate, densely fulvo-strigulose abaxially; flower buds 5.3–7.6 x 4.1-6.4 mm, ellipsoid, densely fulvo-strigulose. Calyx glabrous adaxially, densely fulvo-strigulose abaxially; segments 3–5 in number, 2.7–6.4 mm wide, strongly recurved. Corolla monopetalous; petal yellow or orange-yellow, the claw 4–7 mm long, the limb broadly elliptic or ovate to orbicular or oblate, the base obtuse to truncate, 6.5–9.6 (13.1) x 6.3–11.9 (–15.3) mm, glabrous. Androecium glabrous, more or less zygomorhic, the stamens of two sizes; larger stamens 6–12 and adaxially, but occasionally poorly differentiated from smaller stamens, the filaments 9.2–16.3 mm long, ca. 0.2–0.7 mm wide near base, basally dilated, dorso-ventrally compressed, the anthers 0.8–1.4 x 0.8–1.1 mm, elliptic or oblong-elliptic in outline, the connective not prolonged beyond thecae; smaller stamens 88–188, the filaments 3.5–11 x 0.05–0.2 mm, the anthers 0.6–1 x 0.6–0.8 mm, elliptic or orbicular to oblong-elliptic in outline, the connective not prolonged beyond thecae. Gynoecium monopistillate, glabrous; stipe 8.5–12 mm long, 0.4–0.6 mm thick at middle, round or oval in cross section; ovary 4–6.7 x 1.5–2.2, lunate to narrowly D-shaped, laterally compressed, the locule glabrous; ovlues 5–8; style 1.1–2.2 mm long, 0.3–0.6 mm thick at middle, obliquely terminal, recurved; stigma truncate to punctiform. Fruits green or light green, glabrous; stipe 10–14 mm long, 1.1–1.6 mm thick at middle, terete; body 2.7–4 x 1.6–3 cm, ellipsoid, often inequilaterally so, somewhat compressed laterally, apiculate by the persistent style, often obliquely so, the wall 0.3–1 mm thick. Seeds usually 1 per fruit, ca. 2.5–3.1 x 1.2–1.8 cm, ellipsoid, somewhat compressed laterally; aril 1.5–2.8 x 1–1.9 cm, convex-elliptic, erose-margined, positioned centrally on hilar side of seed, covering about a quarter to third of seed surface.
Common names: Gombeira amarela (Portuguese); geographical location: Amazonas, Brazil; source: Silva 3817. Matuti duro (Portuguese); geographical location: Amazonas, Brazil; source: Silva 3818. Palo de barbasco (Spanish); geographical location: Colombia; source: Sánchez et al. 1713. “Güacam+e” (Miraña); geographical location: Colombia; source: Sánchez et al. 6628. “Deuj+minogai” (Mui); geographical location: Colombia; source: Lodoño et al. 1237. “Juyadoaí" (Muí); geographical location: Colombia; source: Sánchez et al. 1713.
Distribution: Swartzia vaupesiana is broadly distributed in north-western Amazonia at elevations below 600 m, from the Sipapo-Autana drainage in northwestern Amazonas Department of Venezuela southward to the upper Solimões River in western Amazonas State of Brazil, westward to the Caquetá, Apaporís, Vaupés and Guaviare drainages in Amazonian Colombia, and eastward to the lowland drainages around the Cerro da Neblina/Sierra de la Neblina massif, on both sides of the Brazilian/Venezuelan border.
Ecology: Swartzia vaupesiana occurs in well drained to somewhat poorly drained “terra firme” habitats in both level and hilly terrain, ranging from tall wet forest, to stunted forest or shublands on white sands to savannas. It apparently exhibits a preference for sandy soils, especially white sands. In mountainous regions in may occur in association with sandstone or quartzite outcrops.
Phenology: The species has been collected in flower in November and December. Mature fruits are known from March and April.
Taxonomic notes: This species possesses the characteristic features of section Recurvae, including malpighian trichomes, bracteolate pedicels, relatively small flowers with the petal yellow and the gynoecium with the stipe longer than the other parts. It appears to be closely related to species such as S. caudata, S. gracilis, S. krukovii, and S. recurva, but is immediately separable from these and other related species in having one to three, typically blunt tipped leaflets that are glaucous underneath and have the primary vein strongly impressed above; the uniformly fulvous-strigulose flower buds are also characteristic. The species has not yet been sampled in phylogenetic studies. As is typically the case in widespread species, S. vaupesiana exhibits notable morphological variation across its range. Populations in the tributary drainages of the upper Orinoco River in Colombia and Venezuela (i.e, the Sipapo/Autana, Atabapo, and Guaviare), which correspond with Cowan’s taxon S. dolichopoda, have strictly unifoliolate leaves, with little or no development of an axis between the pulvinus and pulvinulus, whereas populations elsewhere typically have trifoliolate leaves, or if unifoliolate, then with a developed axis. A collection from the northern approach to the Sierra de la Neblina in southernmost Venezuela with relatively large bracts and unusually long bracteoles was previously segregated as S. vaupesiana var. glauca R. S. Cowan (Cowan, 1968). While such differences may reflect discontinuities in the available material, they are not greater than what has been observed in other widespread species of Swartzia, nor are they well correlated with variation in other features such as petal shape and stamen number. Furthermore, since the overall range is still quite sparsely sampled, it is probably best to assume that they represent ends of a morphological continuum pending additional sampling.
Etymology: The epithet refers to the Vaupés River or the Colombian Department of Vaupés whence the type was collected.
Conservation Status: Swartzia vaupesiana is not currently threatened. The species is very widespread and occurs across large areas of intact Amazonian wilderness, with much potential habitat included within protected areas. The relative paucity of collections probably relates more to collecting artifact than to rarity, the species occurring mainly in uplands, which tend to be undersampled relative to riverine zones.
Flora and Monograph Treatment(s):
Swartzia vaupesiana R.S.Cowan: [Article] Cowan, Richard S. 1967. Swartzia (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae Swartzieae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 1: 3-228.
Swartzia vaupesiana R.S.Cowan: [Article] Cowan, Richard S. 1967. Swartzia (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae Swartzieae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 1: 3-228.