Trichilia havanensis Jacq.

  • 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 havanensis Jacq.

  • Type

    Type. Jacquin s.n., Cuba, Havana, st (holotype, BM).

  • Synonyms

    Trichilia odorata Andrews, Trichilia moschata var. odorata (Andrews) DC., Moschoxylum odoratum (Andrews) A.Juss., Trichilia moschata Macfad., Trichilia minor A.Rich., Moschoxylum cuneatum Turcz., Portesia glabra Griseb., Portesia ovata Cav., Trichilia jamaicensis C.DC., Trichilia jamaicensis var. brevifolia C.DC., Trichilia havanensis var. lanceolata C.DC., Trichilia havanensis var. multijuga C.DC., Trichilia oerstediana C.DC., Trichilia laevis Sessé & Moc., Trichilia donnell-smithii C.DC., Trichilia donnell-smithii var. uniovulata C.DC., Trichilia lehmanni C.DC., Trichilia havanensis var. spatulata Rose, Trichilia alajuelana C.DC., Trichilia havanensis var. pilipetala C.DC., Trichilia bakeri C.DC., Trichilia davidsoniae Standl., Trichilia glabra L.

  • Description

    Species Description - Young branches sparsely to densely appressed puberulous or pubescent at first, soon becoming glabrous, mid- to dark brown, sometimes with a few pale lenticels, less frequently greyish. Bud scales absent. Leaves imparipinnate or rarely a few trifoliolate, (1.5-)3-15(-25) cm long; petiole and rhachis narrowly winged or at least broadened laterally below insertion of leaflets, usually glabrous, less frequently sparsely to moderately puberulous or short pubescent; petiolule 1-2(-3) mm long or leaflets sessile. Leaflets (3-)5-11(-15) pairs, usually oblanceolate, less frequently obovate, cuneiform, spathulate, elliptic, oblong or lanceolate, apex acute, obtuse, rounded or truncate less frequently attenuate, base usually acute, cuneate, or attenuate, rarely asymmetric and then acute to truncate, usually rather coriaceous, (2.4-)5-10(-14.2)[7.6] cm long, (1.1-)2-4(-6)[2.9] cm broad, basal leaflets usually smaller, terminal leaflet often much larger, usually glabrous, less frequently scattered to uniformly pubescent on lower surface and midrib above, often obscurely glandular-punctate and -striate; venation usually brochidodromous, midrib flat or slightly prominent; secondaries 5-10(-13) on either side of midrib, ± straight for most of their length or arcuate, parallel or convergent; intersecondaries short to long and prominent. Flowers unisexual, plants dioecious; inflorescence axillary often in axils of fallen leaves, 0.5-2.5(-7) cm long, few- to many-flowered often umbellate or fasciculate, less frequently reduced to a little-branched and few-flowered thyrse, puberulent, pubescent or glabrous; pedicel (1-)2-5(-8) mm long. Calyx usually rotate, less frequently patelliform, (0.5-) 1-1.5 mm long, calyx lobes (3-)4-5, free or united to !4 length, ovate to suborbicular, apex acute, obtuse or rarely attenuate, pubescent to glabrous, ciliate. Petals (3-)4-5, imbricate, (2.5-)3-5(-5.5) mm long, (1-)1.5-3 mm broad, ovate, lanceolate, elliptic or oblong, apex acute to obtuse or rounded, usually glabrous but occasionally sparsely pubescent on one or both surfaces rarely ciliate. Staminal tube broadly cyathiform, 1.5-3 mm long, (1.5-)2-3.5(-4) mm broad; filaments usually completely fused or for 3/4 their length, less frequently fused 1/2 way rarely completely free, terminated by 2 lanceolate, acute appendages, outside glabrous or sparsely pubescent, inside glabrous in lower half, densely to sparsely barbate or rarely quite glabrous in upper half; anthers (7-)8-10(-11), (0.7-)0.8-1.2(-1.7) mm long, glabrous or rarely with few hairs on back; antherodes much narrower, not dehiscing, without pollen. Nectary a small annulus fused to base of ovary, 0.1-0.2 mm high, glabrous. Ovary (2-)3(-4)-locular, loculi with 1-2 collateral or oblique ovules, glabrous (Molina 16071 from Guatemala has a few pubescent ovaries); style glabrous; style-head capitate, pileate or discoid, often deeply 3(-4)-lobed. Pistil equalling or exceeding stamens; pistillode much shorter than stamens, containing smaller or vestigial non-functional ovules. Capsule ovoid to globose, sometimes ± trigonous, with or without a stipe 1-2 mm long, smooth, glabrous, 0.7-1.7 cm long (including stipe), (2-)3-valved, valves wrinkling horizontally on drying sometimes strongly reflexed; pericarp 0.5-1 mm thick, leathery; endocarp thin, cartilaginous. Seeds 1-2, collateral or oblique in each valve, 0.5-1 cm long, 0.4-0.7 cm broad, usually flattened dorsoventrally; arillode small, fleshy, extending from micropyle along adaxial surface of seed to the prominent chalaza, fused to seed throughout its length and leaving a broad scar sometimes partially free from the seed at apex; seed coat hard. Embryo with thin, flat, collateral cotyledons; radicle apical, strongly exserted; copious endosperm present.

  • Discussion

    In Guatemala (Huehuetenango) the bark is reputed to be a remedy for malaria (Standley & Steyermark, 1946).

    Trichilia oerstediana C. DC. and T. donnell-smithii C. DC. ex J. D. Smith are forms of T. havanensis in which the lower leaflet surface is uniformly soft pubescent. Typical T. havanensis has glabrous leaflets. Although these species have already been correctly reduced to synonymy (Smith, 1965) they are sufficiently distinctive to warrant further discussion. When examined throughout its geographical range, plants with pubescent leaflets are found sporadically from Sinaloa and Guerrero, Mexico, then frequently through Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua and disappear in Costa Rica. In all these countries this form occurs mainly, but not exclusively, on the drier Pacific slopes in semi-evergreen seasonal forest and tropical deciduous forest. Pubescent forms are not known from the West Indies or South America. The pubescent forms are not recognized here because the normal glabrous form occurs throughout the range of the pubescent plants, often from the same locality where they flower at the same time of year and there is no geographical and only partial ecological replacement of the two. In addition, pubescent and glabrous plants intergrade completely and pubescence is not correlated with other morphological differences. The sporadically occurring large-flowered forms may have either glabrous or pubescent leaflets.

    Trichilia havanensis is a rather isolated species without near relatives. The characteristic shape and venation of the leaflets, the winged or broadened rhachis and petiole, the fasciculate inflorescence and unusual seed and arillode structure provide a combination of characters which cannot be confused with any other species.

    Obs. 1. Trichilia havanensis was first briefly described by Jacquin in his Enumeratio Systematica Plantarum (1760), and in 1763 he gave a fuller description and illustration in his Selectarum Stirpium Americanarum Historia. The specimen on which this illustration was based is in the herbarium of the British Museum. It was not until the 1780 edition of Selectarum Stirpium Americanarum Historia that Jacquin confused it with Trichilia glabra L. (Syst., ed. 10, 2: 1020. 1759). The latter species was based on Browne’s specimen and description in his Civil and Natural History of Jamaica p. 279, no. 2 (1756). Browne’s specimen is present in the Linnean Herbarium (LINN) and his account of the species also refers to a description and illustration in Sloane, Cat. 182 (1696) and Hist. p. 128, t. 220 (1725). Sloane’s annotated copies of these works with references to his herbarium is at the British Museum. I have examined the specimen referred to in the Sloane herbarium. It is the same species as that represented by the Browne specimen at the Linnean Herbarium, and is quite distinct from T. havanensis. It lacks the winged or broadened petiole and leaf rhachis of T. havanensis, its leaflets are not oblanceolate, its inflorescence is not fasciculate, its ovary is not glabrous and its seed does not contain endosperm.

    For a fuller discussion of T. glabra L. see under that species.

    Relationships

    Trichilia havanensis is a widely distributed and variable species. The variation is principally in the size of leaf, leaflet and flower and in leaflet shape, and has been used as the basis of a number of species and infraspecific categories which are here considered synonyms.

    Variation in these characters cannot be used for the recognition of infraspecific categories because they are sporadic, occurring throughout the geographical range of the species and because they are continuous with other less distinct forms of T. havanensis. Therefore, they do not provide any discontinuity in the overall variation pattern by themselves, nor are they sufficiently correlated with any other characters to give a discontinuity in the combined variation of several characters. In spite of the considerable variation in leaflet shape- from lanceolate with an acute apex to cuneiform with truncate apex, the leaves of T. havanensis always retain the characteristic rhachis and petiole which is narrowly winged or at least broadened below the insertion of each pair of leaflets.

    There is also some variation in the degree of fusion of the filaments. These are generally fused almost to the apex or occasionally split irregularly to halfway or more, but from Jamaica there are several collections in which the staminal tube consists of free or almost free filaments. However examination of sufficient material shows that other less distinct forms occur in Jamaica, and that in neighbouring Santo Domingo there are all types from free to almost completely fused filaments. Thus when seen from a narrow geographical viewpoint a botanist might feel justified in regarding such variants as local varieties or even subspecies, but when the variation is examined throughout the whole range it becomes clear that these plants are merely local variants occurring sporadically throughout the range of the widely distributed and variable T. havanensis.

    Distribution and Ecology: From Sinaloa on the Pacific slopes of Mexico, and Tamaulipas on the Gulf coast, southwards throughout Central America to Panama, northern Colombia and Venezuela. There is a single collection from Cuzco in southern Peru though this may be an introduced plant. Its true extent is difficult to assess as it has been used extensively by man for hedging because of the ease with which it produces sucker growth. It is frequently planted as a street tree and the flowering branches are used for garlands. In Central America it is often abundant in secondary vegetation derived from lowland tropical rain forest, but it shows great ecological amplitude, extending into montane forest (reaching 2000 metres altitude in Honduras), semi-evergreen seasonal forest and tropical deciduous forest

    Field Characters: Small tree to 10(-15) m, often forming sucker shoots. Bark pale dappled grey and brown and smooth in younger specimens, becoming darker and fissured and slightly scaly in larger trees. Slash usually exuding a small amount of white watery sap. The fragrant flowers are greenish-cream coloured and produced mainly between December and April, though there are sporadic records of flowering outside this period. The fruit matures from May to September. It is greenish-brown, containing a red seed with a white or cream-coloured arillode.

  • Common Names

    Bastard Lime, Uruca, lagarto, Palo de Diente, Quina Silvestre, Garapatilla, Ciruelillo, Estribillo, naranjillo, Palo de Cuchara, xopilcuahuitl, Colobte, Cololte, Canache, Cucharillo, Soyoalcoabite, barrehorno, Barradero, Ojo de Muneca, limoncillo, Siguaraya, Yede-Yede, Verdenaz, Nogal

  • Distribution

    Mexico North America| Veracruz Mexico North America| Hidalgo Mexico North America| San Luis Potosí Mexico North America| Tamaulipas Mexico North America| Sinaloa Mexico North America| Guatemala Central America| Jalapa Guatemala Central America| Santa Rosa Guatemala Central America| Suchitepéquez Guatemala Central America| Alta Verapaz Guatemala Central America| Huehuetenango Guatemala Central America| Petén Guatemala Central America| Belize Central America| Cayo Belize Central America| Corozal Belize Central America| Morazán El Salvador Central America| El Paraíso Honduras Central America| Comayagua Honduras Central America| Atlántida Honduras Central America| Honduras Central America| Yoro Honduras Central America| Cortés Honduras Central America| El Salvador Central America| Nicaragua Central America| Costa Rica South America| Panama Central America| San Salvador El Salvador Central America| Zelaya Nicaragua Central America| Matagalpa Nicaragua Central America| Managua Nicaragua Central America| Jinotega Nicaragua Central America| Guanacaste Costa Rica Central America| Panama Central America| Darién Panamá Central America| Coclé Panamá Central America| Chiriquí Panamá Central America| Cuba South America| Isla de Piños Cuba South America| Villa Clara Cuba South America| Piñar del Río Cuba South America| Matanzas Cuba South America| Cayman Islands South America| Jamaica South America| Haiti South America|