Trichilia pleeana (A.Juss.) 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 pleeana (A.Juss.) C.DC.

  • Type

    Type. Plee 10, Brazil, Rio Negro, fl (holotype, P).

  • Synonyms

    Moschoxylum pleeanum A.Juss., Moschoxylum multiflorum Karsten, Trichilia japurensis C.DC., Trichilia verrucosa C.DC., Trichilia ruiziana C.DC., Trichilia smithii C.DC., Trichilia tarapotoana C.DC., Trichilia microdonta S.F.Blake, Trichilia oblanceolata Rusby, Trichilia cruegeriana Urb., Trichilia ernesti Harms, Trichilia steinbachii Harms, Trichilia cardenasii Rusby, Trichilia krukovii Gleason, Guarea delgadoi Pittier, Guarea adenocarpa Pittier

  • Description

    Species Description - Young branches appressed strigulose (trichomes dibrachiate or malpighiaceous) at first soon becoming glabrous, pale greyish-white or pale brown, lenticellate. Bud scales absent. Leaves imparipinnate or pinnate with one leaflet of ultimate pair orientated to simulate a terminal leaflet, 5-13(-18) cm long; petiole semiterete, rhachis semiterete at least in lower part, sometimes canaliculate above, usually glabrous, rarely puberulous; petiolule (1-)3-6 mm long. Leaflets usually alternate less frequently opposite, ± dimorphic, 3-7 normal ones and 2-6 much reduced caducous leaflets ("pseudostipules") at base of petiole, these developing before or at same time as normal leaflets; leaflets narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate, apex attenuate or acuminate, rarely acute, base acute, cuneate or attenuate or very rarely oblique and then acute/rounded, usually subcoriaceous, (7.5-)9-20[13.1] cm long, (2.6-)3.5-7[4.5] cm broad, terminal leaflet often slightly larger and basal usually much smaller, glabrous above, usually glabrous below or occasionally puberulous on midrib, with scattered appressed (dibrachiate or malpighiaceous) hairs on lamina, usually glandular-punctate and -striate; basal reduced leaflets 0.5-2 cm long, varying from ovate with a strongly oblique base to spathulate or subulate, often long petiolulate; venation eucamptodromous, midrib flat or slightly prominent; secondaries 10-14(-16) on either side of midrib, ascending, slightly arcuate, usually slightly convergent or rarely almost parallel; intersecondaries short, obscure or absent; tertiaries obscure. Flowers unisexual, plants dioecious; inflorescence axillary, 9-20(-25) cm long, a few- to many-flowered, narrowly or broadly pyramidal thyrse, branches ascending or spreading widely, puberulous to glabrous; pedicel 0.5-1.5 mm long. Calyx cyathiform or less frequently patelliform, (0.5-) 1-2 mm long, with 4-5 irregular, rounded to triangular acute lobes 1/4-3/4 length of calyx or margin ± truncate, aestivation open, sparsely puberulous to glabrous. Petals 4-5, free or fused 1/4-1/2 their length and then becoming free as the corolla lobes reflex, valvate, (2.5-)3-4.5(-5) mm long, 1-1.5(-2) mm broad, ovate, lanceolate or narrowly triangular, apex acute, usually papillose or glabrous or less frequently minutely appressed puberulous outside, inside glabrous or rarely with a few minute appressed hairs. Staminal tube cyathiform or urceolate; filaments completely fused, 1.25-2.5(-3.5) mm long and broad, margin with 8-10 subulate lobes alternating with anthers and 1/3 to equalling their length, sparsely appressed puberulous or glabrous outside, crisped puberulous to fairly long pubescent inside especially at throat rarely glabrous; anthers 8-10(-11), (0.7-)0.8-1.2 mm long, glabrous; antherodes slender, without pollen. Nectary absent. Ovary ovoid, (2-)3(-4)-locular, loculi with 2 collateral ovules, sparsely to densely puberulous or appressed puberulous; style glabrous; style-head capitate, conical or small discoid at or below level of anthers. Pistillode flattened conical containing well-formed, non-functional ovules. Capsule usually ovoid or globose less frequently obovoid, usually strongly to weakly verrucose less frequently ± smooth, subglabrous or glabrous, drying black, 1.5-3 cm long, 1-2.5 cm broad, (2-)3(-4)-valved, valves remaining ± erect; pericarp 0.5-3 mm thick, rather tough fleshy; endocarp cartilaginous. Seeds 1-2, collateral in each fruit, 1-1.6 cm long, ca. 0.7-1.1 cm broad, broadest above middle, completely surrounded by a thick soft fleshy arillode which also develops around abortive ovules, attached to seed coat by a thin line from micropyle to raphe, otherwise free; seed coat thin and soft. Embryo with thick plano-convex, collateral cotyledons; radicle apical, included. Endosperm absent.

  • Discussion

    Relationships

    The morphological differences between T. pleeana and T. moschata, T. tuberculata and T. schomburgkii are discussed under those species.

    Some central and western Amazonian populations have smaller flowers and a more profusely branched inflorescence than is normal. These were formerly included under T. japurensis. As they correspond with T. pleeana in all other respects they are here included under this species, with slight reservations, however, as correlated fruiting collections have yet to be made.

    This species has been widely known as T. verrucosa C. de Candolle but examination of the type material of T. pleeana at Paris leaves no doubt that this is the oldest valid name for this species.

    Field Characters: Tree to 30 m. In larger specimens the bole is slightly fluted with small butresses at the base. The bark is grey, scaling off in long thin irregular sheets which curl up from the base. The reduced basal leaflets are a conspicuous feature of fresh material but they are caducous and often lost on herbarium specimens. They develop before or at the same time as the true leaflets. The flowering time varies greatly. Smith (cited by Croat, 1975) says that in northern Colombia it has two flowering seasons in January to February and again in August. In Panama it flowers from March to May with the fruit maturing from August to October. Elsewhere in its range there are records of flowering in April, and June to December, and the fruit matures February to April. The flowers are greenish-yellow and the fruit is unusual in being dark glossy green at maturity. It opens to reveal the seed surrounded by a thick orange or reddish arillode.

  • Common Names

    laurel, Rosa branca, Puma-caspi del rojo, Acurel, Mijarro, Colorado

  • Distribution

    From southern Costa Rica through Panama and northern South America including Trinidad, Venezuela to the Guianas, and south to central and western Amazonia, Peru and Bolivia; also present in the coastal rain forests of Bahia, Brazil. A plant of wet evergreen forest, recorded from both non-flooded and seasonally flooded land.

    Costa Rica South America| Puntarenas Costa Rica Central America| Darién Panamá Central America| Panamá Panama Central America| Trinidad and Tobago South America| Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Delta Amacuro Venezuela South America| Barinas Venezuela South America| Monagas Venezuela South America| Lara Venezuela South America| Monagas Venezuela South America| Anzoátegui Venezuela South America| Aragua Venezuela South America| Yaracuy Venezuela South America| Falcón Venezuela South America| Zulia Venezuela South America| Guyana South America| Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| San Martín Peru South America| Huánuco Peru South America| Madre de Dios Peru South America| Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Roraima Brazil South America| Acre Brazil South America| Rondônia Brazil South America| Bahia Brazil South America| Bolivia South America| Beni Bolivia South America| La Paz Bolivia South America| Santa Cruz Bolivia South America|