Trichilia fasciculata 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 fasciculata T.D.Penn.

  • Type

    Type. Prance, Rodrígues, Ramos & Farias 8500, Brazil, Territory of Rondônia, near Fortaleza, fl (holotype, INPA; isotype, FHO).

  • Description

    Latin Diagnosis - Rami novelli rigide pubescentuli usque tomentosi (trichomatibus crispatis, ba-sifixis) indumento persistente, tandem evanido, tunc brunnei usque pallide brunnei. Perulae nullae. Folia trifoliolata, 3.5-4.5 cm longa (usque ad insertionem foliolorum lateralium); petiolus et rhachis semiteretes, utraque crispo-pubes-centes usque tomentosi; petioluli laterales 4-6 mm longi, folioli terminalis 1.52.5 cm longi. Foliola opposita vel subopposita, ovata, apice breviter anguste attenuata, basi breviter obtuse attenuata usque rotundata vel truncata (foliolum terminale vulgo late ellipticum, basi cuneatum vel attenuatum), margine saepe undulata, chartacea, 6.2-7.6[7.1] cm longa, 3.7-4.3[3.9] cm lata (foliolum terminale 10.5-14[11.8] cm longum, 4.8-7.7[6.2] cm latum); costa nervique secundarii pagina superiore crispo-puberuli; pagina inferior ad laminam parce usque modice pubescens, ad costam nervosque vulgo densius vestita, obscure glanduloso-punctata et -striata; venatio eucamptodroma, costa plana vel paullum depressa; nervi secundarii 8-9 utroque costae latere (11-13 in foliolo terminali), adscendentes, arcuati, ± paralleli; intersecundarii variabiles; tertiarii obscuriusculi, obliqui. Inflorescentia axillaris, in fasciculum densiflorum vel paniculam valde contractam conferta, 0.75-1 cm diam., dense rigido-pubescens; flores supra articulationem subsessiles vel pedicello brevi et lato, ca. 0.5 mm longo, suffulti. Calyx profunde cyathiformis, 2-3 mm longus; sepala 5, libera vel usque per 1/3 longitudinem connata; aestivatio aperta vel basi paullum imbricata, anguste et acute lanceolata, longe et rigide ciliata, interdum pilis rigidis extus vestita. Petala (4-)5, usque per 1/4-2/3 coalita, quincuncialia, ca. 3.5 mm longa, ca. 1 mm lata, oblonga vel oblanceolata, apice acuta usque rotundata, glabra. Tubus stamineus cylindricus, 2-2.5 mm longus, 0.75-1 mm latus, filamentis omnino coalitis, margine appendiculatus (appendiculis 5-8, acutis, alternantibus cum antheris et earundem longitudinem 1/3-1/2 attingentibus, glabris; antherae 5-8, 0.75-0.8 mm longae, glabrae. Nectarium nullum vel forsan eius vice fungens annulus tenuis circa dimidium inferius ovarii. Ovarium ± globosum, 3-loculare, glabrum; loculi 2 ovulis collateralibus; stylus gracilis, glaber; styli capitulum capitatum conicum, antheris brevius. Fructus ignotus.

    Species Description - Understorey treelet to 4 m high. Flowers white, collected in September and November. Understorey treelet to 4 m high. Flowers white, collected in September and November.

  • Discussion

    The rather wide disjunction between western Amazonia and central Pará occurs also in T. solitudinis. Although this may be significant in terms of the recent vegetational history of the area, the possibility that these inconspicuous understorey treelets have been overlooked in the intervening areas cannot be dismissed.

    Collections examined. BRAZIL SW 0355: Pará, R. Tapajoz, Bela Vista, Ducke 18482, fl, (FHO, RB). SW 0965: Rondônia, Fortaleza, Prance et al. 8500, fl, (FHO, INPA). SW 0968: Acre, Sena Madureira to R. Branco, Prance et al. 7633, fl, (FHO, INPA).

    Relationships

    A very distinct species with perhaps some affinities with T. clausseni and T. elegans. It differs from both of these in lacking the dense and prominent gland dots on the leaflets, in its dense fasciculate inflorescence, the long calyx of narrowly lanceolate sepals with a pubescence of stiff hairs, in its gamopetalous corolla with quincuncial aestivation, and the cylindrical, glabrous staminal tube, bearing 5-8 anthers.

  • Distribution

    This species is known from three collections, two from western Amazonia (Acre and Rondonia) and one from the River Tapajoz in Para. It occurs in lowland non-flooded forest.

    Brazil South America| Rondônia Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America|