Monographs Details:
Authority:
Cowan, Richard S. 1967. Swartzia (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae Swartzieae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 1: 3-228. (Published by NYBG Press)
Cowan, Richard S. 1967. Swartzia (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae Swartzieae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 1: 3-228. (Published by NYBG Press)
Family:
Fabaceae
Fabaceae
Synonyms:
Tounatea panamensis (Benth.) Taub., Tunatea panamensis (Benth.) Kuntze, Fairchildia panamensis (Benth.) Britton & Rose
Tounatea panamensis (Benth.) Taub., Tunatea panamensis (Benth.) Kuntze, Fairchildia panamensis (Benth.) Britton & Rose
Description:
Description - Tree 4-30 m tall, the branchlets minutely strigulose; stipules persistent, 1-2.5 mm long, 0.5-0.7 mm wide, triangular to narrowly lanceolate, minutely strigulose externally; petioles (4.5-)5.5-7.5 cm long, sparingly strigulose minutely or glabrous; rachis (5.5-)6.5-8.5 cm long, sparingly strigulose minutely or glabrous, terete, estipellate; leaflets 2- (or 3-) jugate, the petiolules (2-)4-6 mm long, minutely strigulose, the blades of the lowermost pair ovate, smaller, the other blades elliptic to oblong-elliptic, all the blades acute, or rounded but finally acute basally, long-acuminate apically, (7.5-)9.5-17(-22) cm long, (3.5-)4-7(-8.5) cm wide, glabrous on the upper surface, puberulous beneath on the costa and principal veins, the costa and the primaries impressed above, both salient beneath; inflorescence 38-59 cm long, pendent, racemose, the axes minutely strigulose, albo-lenticellate, the bracts deciduous to persistent, 0.7-1.5 mm long, 0.3-0.4 mm wide, triangular, minutely strigulose externally, the bracteoles persistent, 0.5-1 mm long, triangular, minutely strigulose externally, arising in the lower half of the pedicels; pedicels 12-20(-30) mm long, minutely strigulose, albo-lenticellate; buds globose, 9-10 mm diameter, slightly 5- or 6-sulcate, glabrous or minutely strigulose sparsely, verruculose; calyx segments 5 or 6, glabrous or sparsely strigulose externally, often albo-lenticellate; petal yellow, glabrous, the claw 5-8 mm long, the blade rounded or oblate, 20-30 mm long, 20-25 mm wide; larger stamens (7-) 10-12, glabrous, the filaments 10-13 mm long, the anthers 4-4.5 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, oblong, the connective apiculate, the smaller stamens glabrous, the filaments 8-12 mm long, the anthers 2.5-3.5 mm long, 1 mm wide, the connective apiculate, the pollen of all the stamens globose, 26-28.5 diameter; gynoecium glabrous, the stigma punctiform, the style 2.5-4 mm long, the ovary ca 5 mm long and 2 mm wide, oblong, the gynophore 3-4 mm long; fruit flat, oblong, 19-25 cm long (not including the persistent style to 20 mm long), 8-10 cm wide, albo-lenticellate, several-seeded; seeds flattened, ca 6 cm in diameter, the seed coat mottled, white and dark brown.
Description - Tree 4-30 m tall, the branchlets minutely strigulose; stipules persistent, 1-2.5 mm long, 0.5-0.7 mm wide, triangular to narrowly lanceolate, minutely strigulose externally; petioles (4.5-)5.5-7.5 cm long, sparingly strigulose minutely or glabrous; rachis (5.5-)6.5-8.5 cm long, sparingly strigulose minutely or glabrous, terete, estipellate; leaflets 2- (or 3-) jugate, the petiolules (2-)4-6 mm long, minutely strigulose, the blades of the lowermost pair ovate, smaller, the other blades elliptic to oblong-elliptic, all the blades acute, or rounded but finally acute basally, long-acuminate apically, (7.5-)9.5-17(-22) cm long, (3.5-)4-7(-8.5) cm wide, glabrous on the upper surface, puberulous beneath on the costa and principal veins, the costa and the primaries impressed above, both salient beneath; inflorescence 38-59 cm long, pendent, racemose, the axes minutely strigulose, albo-lenticellate, the bracts deciduous to persistent, 0.7-1.5 mm long, 0.3-0.4 mm wide, triangular, minutely strigulose externally, the bracteoles persistent, 0.5-1 mm long, triangular, minutely strigulose externally, arising in the lower half of the pedicels; pedicels 12-20(-30) mm long, minutely strigulose, albo-lenticellate; buds globose, 9-10 mm diameter, slightly 5- or 6-sulcate, glabrous or minutely strigulose sparsely, verruculose; calyx segments 5 or 6, glabrous or sparsely strigulose externally, often albo-lenticellate; petal yellow, glabrous, the claw 5-8 mm long, the blade rounded or oblate, 20-30 mm long, 20-25 mm wide; larger stamens (7-) 10-12, glabrous, the filaments 10-13 mm long, the anthers 4-4.5 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, oblong, the connective apiculate, the smaller stamens glabrous, the filaments 8-12 mm long, the anthers 2.5-3.5 mm long, 1 mm wide, the connective apiculate, the pollen of all the stamens globose, 26-28.5 diameter; gynoecium glabrous, the stigma punctiform, the style 2.5-4 mm long, the ovary ca 5 mm long and 2 mm wide, oblong, the gynophore 3-4 mm long; fruit flat, oblong, 19-25 cm long (not including the persistent style to 20 mm long), 8-10 cm wide, albo-lenticellate, several-seeded; seeds flattened, ca 6 cm in diameter, the seed coat mottled, white and dark brown.
Discussion:
One collector records that the wood is durable in contact with the soil and another states that the wood is used for posts.The pendent racemes of S. panamensis are a very distinctive characteristic but the flat, dehiscent legumes are also striking. Close relatives are presently unknown; the placement of the species at this point is totally lacking phylogenetic implications.The form of the fruit was the chief basis for Britton and Rose’s genus Fairchildia but if one were to use the form of the fruit alone in treating the species in this genus, at least two or three additional genera could be recognized. This seems to be no better a solution of an intricate biological problem than it was in the genus Cassia in which Britton and Rose recognized more than 20 genera, largely on the basis of fruit differences.
One collector records that the wood is durable in contact with the soil and another states that the wood is used for posts.The pendent racemes of S. panamensis are a very distinctive characteristic but the flat, dehiscent legumes are also striking. Close relatives are presently unknown; the placement of the species at this point is totally lacking phylogenetic implications.The form of the fruit was the chief basis for Britton and Rose’s genus Fairchildia but if one were to use the form of the fruit alone in treating the species in this genus, at least two or three additional genera could be recognized. This seems to be no better a solution of an intricate biological problem than it was in the genus Cassia in which Britton and Rose recognized more than 20 genera, largely on the basis of fruit differences.
Distribution:
Honduras Central America| Atlántida Honduras Central America| Costa Rica South America| Panama Central America| Trinidad and Tobago South America| Colombia South America|
Honduras Central America| Atlántida Honduras Central America| Costa Rica South America| Panama Central America| Trinidad and Tobago South America| Colombia South America|
Common Names:
Cutarro, paterno, comenegro
Cutarro, paterno, comenegro