Trichilia elegans subsp. richardiana (A.Juss.) T.D.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 elegans subsp. richardiana (A.Juss.) T.D.Penn.

  • Synonyms

    Trichilia richardiana A.Juss., Moschoxylum richardianum A.Juss., Odontosiphon richardianum C.Roemer, Trichilia gardneri C.DC., Trichilia tenuiramea C.DC.

  • Description

    Species Description - Field characters. Small tree to 15 m with pale or dark grey-brown bark which is scaling in thin strips in older specimens. In Amazonia flowering has been observed from July to October, but in Bahia it is from December to March. Mature fruit have been collected in December and January, and also March and April. The scentless flowers are whitish to cream-coloured and the fruit ripens deep reddish-purple. The fruit are often solitary on long pendulous slender stalks.

  • Discussion

    Relationships

    Relationships of the subspecies: On the basis of known collections, the subspecies are geographically separated, though they approach closely in the State of Rio de Janeiro. All specimens can be assigned to one subspecies or the other without difficulty, and only one intermediate plant is known from Bahia (Mori & Kallunki 10086). This has the foliage of subsp, elegans combined with the large fruit of subsp, richardiana.

  • Distribution

    Described from the Atlantic coastal forests of Brazil near Rio de Janeiro, this subspecies extends as far north as Bahia and then again in eastern Amazonia (Para) where it is known from several sites near the mouth of the river, extending upstream as far as Obidos. Here it is a tree of non-flooded forest.

    Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Bahia Brazil South America| Espirito Santo Brazil South America| Rio de Janeiro Brazil South America| Ceará Brazil South America|