Trichilia ramalhoi Rizzini

  • 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 ramalhoi Rizzini

  • Type

    Type. Ramalho 198, Brazil, Bahia, Morro do Chapeu, fl (holotype, RB).

  • Description

    Species Description - Young branches densely crisped tomentose to villose becoming glabrous, greyish-white, lenticellate. Bud scales absent. Leaves imparipinnate or pinnate with one leaflet of ultimate pair orientated to simulate a terminal leaflet, 10-11 cm long, petiole semiterete, rhachis ± terete, tomentose to villose; petiolule 1-2 mm long. Leaflets alternate to opposite, ± dimorphic, 5-11, with one pair of greatly reduced leaflets ("pseudostipules") at base of petiole, oblong, elliptic or oblanceolate, apex acute to short attenuate, base usually slightly asymmetric, acute to rounded or truncate, coriaceous, bullate, margin revolute, 6.5-10[8.4] cm long, 1.6-4[2.7] cm broad, upper surface with densely pubescent midrib, lamina with scattered hairs or glabrous, lower surface with dense pubescence on midrib and veins, sparser on lamina, not glandular-punctate or -striate; basal reduced leaflets ovate, often with a strongly asymmetric base, 1-2 cm long, on a short petiolule, caducous; venation eucamptodromous, midrib sunken; secondaries 12-18 on either side of midrib, ascending, arcuate, slightly convergent or parallel; intersecondaries usually short; tertiaries obscure. Inflorescence axillary, 4-4.5 cm long, a slender or pyramidal thyrse, densely tomentose; pedicel stout, ca. 0.5 mm long. Calyx shallowly cyathiform, 1.5-2 mm long with 5 shallow ± acute lobes 1/3-1/2 length of calyx, densely crisped pubescent. Petals 5, fused their length, valvate, 5-5.5 mm long, 1-1.5 mm broad, lanceolate, apex acute, hooded, densely appressed pubescent on outer surface. Staminal tube short cylindrical; filaments completely fused, 3-3.5 mm long, 1.5-2 mm broad, margin with 9-10 short acute lobes alternating with anthers and to 1/2 their length, subglabrous outside, barbate inside in throat; anthers 9-10, 1.2-1.3 mm long, glabrous. Nectary absent. Ovary ovoid, 3-locular, loculi with 2 collateral ovules, densely stiff pubescent; style stout, glabrous; style-head capitate, equalling anthers. Capsule ellipsoid, apex and base rounded, smooth, densely tomentose, ca. 1.7 cm long, 1.1 cm broad, 3-valved; pericarp ca. 0.5 mm thick; endocarp thin, cartilaginous. Seed solitary, ca. 0.9 cm long, 0.5 cm broad, completely surrounded by a thin fleshy arillode except exposed at base; arillode free except for attachment along raphe; seed coat thin. Embryo with plano-convex, oblique cotyledons; radicle central, included. Endosperm absent.

  • Discussion

    Relationships

    Among the many species of sect. Moschoxylum with gamopetalous corollas and dimorphic leaflets T. ramalhoi is most closely related to the western Amazonian T. ulei. It can however be easily distinguished from it by the characteristic densely tomentose to villose indumentum of the young parts (minutely puberulous in T. ulei). Other distinguishing features are the much smaller leaflets and smaller inflorescence; the spreading corolla lobes (erect in T. ulei), the tomentose capsule (appressed puberulous in T. ulei); and the seed ± completely covered by a thin arillode (arillode apical and adaxial only in T. ulei).

    Field Characters: Tree to 30 m, but often flowering as a small treelet. Flower scented, greenish, in May. Fruit maturing in August.

  • Common Names

    Caixão-preto

  • Distribution

    From Ceara southwards through Bahia to Espirito Santo, Brazil. In the northern part of its range it occurs in forest on high land around 1000 m altitude but in Espirito Santo it is recorded from restinga vegetation along the coast.

    Brazil South America| Bahia Brazil South America| Ceará Brazil South America| Espirito Santo Brazil South America|