Trichilia surinamensis (Miq.) C.DC.

  • 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 surinamensis (Miq.) C.DC.

  • Type

    Type. Hostmann 662, Surinam, fl (holotype, U; isotypes, G, GH, K, M).

  • Synonyms

    Trichilia poeppigii C.DC., Trichilia alternans C.DC., Moschoxylum surinamense Miq.

  • Description

    Species Description - Young branches with minute appressed dibrachiate hairs at first, soon glabrous, smooth, brown, lenticellate becoming greyish-white and cracked when older. Bud scales absent. Leaves imparipinnate or pinnate with one leaflet of ultimate pair orientated to simulate a terminal leaflet, 9-27 cm long; petiole semiterete, rhachis usually canaliculate on upper surface, usually glabrous rarely appressed strigulose; petiolule (1-)2-5(-6) mm long. Leaflets alternate or subopposite rarely opposite, 5-7(-8), usually oblanceolate less frequently oblong or elliptic, apex usually acuminate rarely obtusely cuspidate, base usually attenuate less frequently acute or cuneate, chartaceous, 10-25[16.1] cm long, (3-)4-8[5.2] cm broad, terminal often larger, basal pair usually smaller, glabrous or rarely upper midrib sparsely puberulous, glandular-punctate and -striate or not; venation eucamptodromous, midrib prominent above; secondaries (10-) 11-13(-16) on either side of midrib, strongly arcuate ascending, convergent; intersecondaries usually rather short and obscure. Flowers unisexual, plants dioecious; inflorescence axillary, (13-) 19-35(-55) cm, a slender to broadly pyramidal thyrse, branches widely spreading, laxly-flowered, usually subglabrous, occasionally sparsely appressed puberulous; pedicel 0.5-1 mm long. Calyx patelliform to shallowly cyathiform, 0.5—1 mm long, with 4-5 obtuse or broadly triangular lobes 1/4-1/2 length of calyx, aestivation open, nearly always glabrous rarely scattered puberulous. Petals 3-4(-5), fused 1/2-3/4 their length, valvate, remaining erect in the open flower, 2-2.5(-3) mm long, 0.75-1.5 mm broad, ovate to lanceolate, apex acute, usually glabrous, rarely with a few minute appressed hairs outside. Staminal tube urceolate; filaments completely fused, 1-1.75 mm long and broad, margin with (4-)5-8 subulate lobes alternating with anthers and equalling or only ¥2 their length, glabrous; anthers (4-)5-8, 0.5-0.8 mm long, glabrous; antherodes slender, not dehiscent, without pollen. Nectary absent. Ovary ovoid, 3-locular, loculi with 2 collateral ovules, minutely appressed puberulous; style glabrous; style-head minutely capitate, set below or reaching to base of anthers. Pistillode smaller, containing minute non-functional ovules. Capsule ellipsoid to oblong, smooth, minutely appressed puberulous usually intermixed with granular papillae, 1.8-2.2 (-3) cm long, 0.7-1 cm broad, 3-valved; pericarp ca. 1 mm thick; endocarp thin, cartilaginous. Seeds 1-2, collateral in each fruit, ca. 1.5 cm long; arillode fleshy, strongly developed around apex and along adaxial surface of seed, abaxial face of seed remaining exposed at maturity, also developing around aborted ovules, free except for thin line of attachment from micropyle to raphe; seed coat fleshy, thin. Embryo with plano-convex, collateral cotyledons; radicle apical, included. Endosperm absent.

  • Discussion

    Relationships

    Trichilia surinamensis is closely related to T. cipo sharing with it the very small gamopetalous corolla and the seed with a fleshy apical arillode. The two species are however distinguishable by means of a number of small characters which when taken together provide a clear separation. These are: leaflets 5-7(-8), usually oblanceolate, with (10-) 11-13(-16) strongly arcuate convergent ascending secondary veins (leaflets 7-11, oblong or elliptic, with (13-) 16-18(-21) shallowly ascending, slightly convergent or parallel secondary veins in T. cipo); whole plant subglabrous, all trichomes on young parts dibrachiate (indumentum denser, more persistent, most hairs basifixed in T. cipo); anthers often less than 7 (7-8 in T. cipo); capsule usually with granular papillae as well as appressed indumentum (granular papillae absent in T. cipo).

    The relationships of T. surinamensis with T. maynasiana and T. micropetala are discussed under those species.

    Obs. 1. Miranda 6585 from Chiapas, Mexico is typical in all respects except that the fruit is somewhat larger (ca. 3 cm long, usually 1.8-2.2 cm in T. surinamensis). This is the only collection known from outside South America, but as it is often a small and inconspicuous understorey treelet, it could easily be overlooked.

    Field Characters: Treelet or tree to 15(-35) m with smooth bark. Flowers white to greenish-yellow. Fruit grey-green. Flowering July to October (one record for January), fruit maturing in December.

  • Common Names

    Sali

  • Distribution

    The species is known from southern Venezuela, Surinam, Cayenne, Territorio Roraima and the states of Amapá and Pará, Brazil. There is one possible record from southeastern México (Chiapas). It is a tree of lowland rain forest, often recorded from riparian habitats, usually but not exclusively on nonflooded land. In Surinam it ascends to 1250 m altitude.

    Venezuela South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Suriname South America| French Guiana South America| Brazil South America| Amapá Brazil South America| Roraima Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America|