Trichilia pittieri C.DC.
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Authority
Pennington, Terence D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28: 1-359, 418-449, 459-470. (Published by NYBG Press)
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Family
Meliaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type. Tonduz & Pittier 11235, Costa Rica, Prov. Cartago, Tuís, fl (holotype, BR; isotypes, CR, G, GH, K, M, NY, US, W).
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Description
Species Description - Young branches ± trigonous, densely crisped puberulous (trichomes basifixed) becoming subglabrous, smooth, without lencticels. Bud scales absent. Leaves imparipinnate or pinnate with one leaflet of the ultimate pair orientated to simulate a terminal leaflet, 14-30 cm long; petiole and rhachis semiterete, minutely crisped puberulous; petiolule 2-4 mm long. Leaflets usually opposite less frequently alternate, heteromorphic, 10-11 with 3-5 pairs of greatly reduced leaflets ("pseudostipules") clasping base of petiole, elliptic, oblong or oblanceolate, apex attenuate to short acuminate, base acute, rounded or truncate sometimes asymmetric, chartaceous, 16-20 cm long, 6-7 cm broad, decreasing in size towards base of leaf, upper midrib sparsely puberulous, lower surface sparsely puberulous, glandular-punctate and -striate; venation eucamptodromous, midrib flat or slightly prominent; secondaries 18-22 on either side of midrib, ascending, straight or slightly arcuate, parallel; intersecondaries short; tertiaries oblique, obscure; basal reduced leaflets unfolding before normal leaflets, 0.5-4 cm long, orbicular with a cordate base or 2-foliolate, all petiolulate, persistent. Inflorescence axillary, 15-20 cm long, a slender to broad, much-branched, densely-flowered panicle, crisped puberulous; pedicel ca. 1.5 mm long. Calyx cyathiform, 1.5-2 mm long, with 5 triangular to ovate, acute lobes to 2/3 length of calyx, puberulous on outer surface. Petals 5, free, strongly imbricate, reflexing, ca. 3.5 mm long, ca. 1.5 mm broad, lanceolate, apex acute, minutely appressed puberulous and granular papillose on the outside, papillose inside. Staminal tube short cylindrical; filaments completely fused, ca. 1.5 mm long and broad, margin bearing 10 subulate lobes alternating with anthers and ca. 1/2 their length, glabrous; anthers 10, ca. 0.9 mm long, glabrous. Nectary absent (possibly represented by broad base of ovary). Ovary broadly conical, 3-locular, loculi with 2 collateral ovules, crisped puberulous; style subglabrous, bearing a capitate style-head, equalling anthers. Capsule ca. 1.7 cm long, 1 cm diam., smooth, 3-valved, 1-seeded. Seed surrounded by arillode.
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Discussion
Tree to 20 m with smooth grey bark. It can be easily recognized when sterile by the trigonous young branches and conspicuously reduced basal leaflets clasping the petiole; the lowest of these is often subdivided into two smaller leaflets. It flowers from March to May and the fruit ripens in December. The seed is surrounded by a red arillode.
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Common Names
Cedro Cobano
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Distribution
Wet evergreen forest on the Caribbean slopes of Costa Rica, between 500 and 1100 m altitude.
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