Trichilia solitudinis Harms

  • 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 solitudinis Harms

  • Type

    Type. Tessmann 5160, Peru, Department Loreto, Lower Itaya, Soledad, fl (holotype, B, destroyed; isotypes NY, S).

  • Synonyms

    Trichilia montealegrensis Sandwith & Andrade-Lima

  • Description

    Species Description - Young branches usually ferrugineous, villoso-pubescent, indumentum a mixture of long shaggy hairs and shorter crisped hairs, persistent, sometimes lenticellate. Bud scales absent. Leaves imparipinnate or pinnate with one leaflet of ultimate pair orientated to simulate a terminal leaflet, 20-30 cm long; petiole narrowly winged, rhachis semiterete below becoming terete in upper part, densely pubescent with a mixture of long and short hairs; petiolule 2-3 mm long. Leaflets alternate or subopposite, 8-10, oblanceolate, obovate, elliptic or oblong, apex acute to abruptly short acuminate or attenuate, base narrowly to broadly cuneate or truncate, subcoriaceous, (14-) 18-31 [24.3] cm long, (4.5-)6.8-l 1[9.3] cm broad (lowest pairs much smaller, ca. 5 cm long, 3.5 cm broad), midrib and secondary veins on both surfaces and margin moderately to densely puberulous, sometimes glandular-punctate and -striate; venation eucamptodromous, midrib flat or slightly sunken; secondaries 20-25 on either side of midrib, moderately to steeply ascending, straight or slightly arcuate, parallel; intersecondaries obscure; tertiaries ± oblique. Inflorescences axillary, 20-35 cm long, stout, laxly-branched, branches mostly in upper half, to 9 cm long, bearing dense often corymbose clusters of flowers, moderately to densely pubescent; pedicel 0.5-1 mm long. Calyx patelliform, 0.75-1 mm long, with 5 shallow, broadly triangular lobes ca. 0.25 mm long, or margin ± truncate, sparsely pubescent. Petals 5, fused 2/3 their length, valvate, remaining erect, (4.5-)5-5.5 mm long, 1-1.5 mm broad, triangular, apex acute, densely appressed puberulous or pubescent outside, glabrous inside. Staminal tube cylindrical; filaments completely fused, (3.5-)4-5 mm long, 1.5-2 mm broad, margin with 8-10 subulate lobes alternating with anthers and 3/4 to equalling their length, outside glabrous or with sparse appressed hairs in upper half, sparsely hairy to barbate in throat; anthers 8-10, 1-1.3 mm long, glabrous. Nectary absent. Ovary ovoid or conical, 3-locular, loculi with 2 collateral ovules, densely pubescent; style short, glabrous; style-head capitate, well below level of anthers. Fruit unknown.

  • Discussion

    Relationships

    Trichilia solitudinis belongs to the group of species containing T. poeppigii and T. schomburgkii and their allies. It differs from T. schomburgkii and other related species such as T. ulei, T. gamopetala and T. appendiculata in lacking the dimorphic leaflets, in the larger size of its leaflets and in the ferrugineous indumentum containing a mixture of long shaggy hairs and short crisped hairs on the young parts. The large leaflet size and indumentum characters also distinguish it from T. poeppigii and T. magnifoliola.

    Field Characters: Tree to 30 m. Flowers fragrant, bright yellow or white from June to November.

  • Distribution

    A tree of non-flooded lowland forest from western and southern Amazonia to Pará. The collections from the R. Tocantins and R. Tapajoz in Pará, Brazil are included under this species with some slight reservations because they differ in a few minor features.

    Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Rondônia Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America|