Trichilia hispida Penn.

  • Authority

    Pennington, Terence D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28: 1-359, 418-449, 459-470. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Meliaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Trichilia hispida Penn.

  • Type

    Type. Rimachi 1929, Peru, Dept. Loreto, R. Momón, fl (holotype, FHO).

  • Description

    Latin Diagnosis - Rami novelli, indumento persistente, dense hispidi (pilis subrectis, erectis, rigidis), interdum serius lenticellosi. Perulae nullae. Folia imparipinnata, 7.5-15 cm longa; petiolus anguste alatus; rhachis semiteres, utraque dense hispida; petiolulus 1-2 mm. Foliola opposita vel subopposita, 7-9, oblanceolata, apice acuminata vel obtuse usque acute cuspidata, basi cuneata vel attenuata, chartacea, 9-18[15] cm longa, 3-5.5[4.9] cm lata, costa superiore dense pubescente, pagina inferiore passim sparse, ad costam nervosque densius hispida, nec glanduloso-punctata nec -striata; venatio brochidodroma, costa et nervi secundarii tertiar-iique omnes supra impressi; nervi secundarii 14-16 utroque costae latere, arcuati, adscendentes, subconvergentes, intersecundarii breves sed prominentes, tertiarii obliqui. Flores unisexuales (planta dioica); inflorescentia axillaris vel plures in brevi surculo axillari fasciculatae, 2-4 cm longae, ± fasciculatae ramis patulis paene a basi, densiusculis fasciculis ± sessilibus florum onustae, hispidae; pedicellus 0.5-1 mm longus. Calyx sparse et grosse pubescens, patelliformis, 0.5-1.5 mm longus, lobis 5 late triangularibus, acutis usque attenuatis, 1/2-2/3 calycem aequantibus, margine sparse ciliatis. Petala 5, libera, subimbricata, 3-3.5 mm longa, 0.75-1 mm lata, anguste elliptica, oblonga vel lanceolata, apice acuta, glabra. Tubus stamineus cyathiformis, 1-2 mm longus, 1.5-2 mm latus, apice rotundatus vel breviter bilobatus (lobis rotundatis vel acutis), filamentis per 1/4-1/3 longitudinem coalitis, totus extus glaber, intus basi glaber, in libera parte filamentorum rigide hirtus; antherae 10-11, 0.4-0.5 mm longae, hirtae; antherodia gracilia, polline carentia, non dehiscentia. Nectarium nullum. Ovarium ovoideum, 3-loculare, dense strigosum, loculis uniovulatis; stylus brevis, crassus, rigide pubescens; styli capitulum parvum, discoideum; pistillodium parvum, complana-tum, parvis ovulis abortivis instructum, longo stylo pubescente coronatum, capitulum inexpansum discoideum antheris aequilongum gerente. Capsula anguste ellipsoidea, ad basin attenuata, laevis, dense hispida, 2-2.5 cm longa, ca. 1 cm lata, 3-valvata; pericarpium ca. 0.75 mm crassum, endocarpio tenui, cartilagineo. Semen solitarium, ca. 1.4 cm longum, ca. 1 cm latum, obovoideum, de ultra medium basin versus attenuatum, tenui arillodio carnoso, tripartito, apice incrassata undique circumdatum; arillodium praeter juncturam circa micropylen et secus raphen liberum; testa tenuis, membranacea. Embryo cotyledonibus crassis, plano-convexis, collateralibus; radicula superior, inclusa. Endospermum nullum.

    Species Description - Field characters. A treelet to 8 m high with smooth, grey-brown bark. The leaflet margin is prominently undulate. Flowers yellow from July to November. Fruit reddish-brown in March.

  • Discussion

    Relationships

    A close ally of T. rubra with which it shares a similar floral structure. It differs in the dense hispid indumentum clothing the young parts, leaflet undersurface, inflorescence and fruit, and in the distinctively impressed brochidodromous venation. Trichilia hispida occupies the westernmost part of the range of T. rubra and shows the same preference for periodically flooded forest. Only further fieldwork will show how these two apparently well defined species maintain their biological isolation.

  • Common Names

    Cumalillo

  • Distribution

    Known only from a few collections from western Amazonia where it occurs as a treelet or small tree in forest on periodically flooded land. Only one collection is known from non-flooded land.

    Brazil South America| Peru South America|