Ruagea pubescens H.Karst.

  • Authority

    Pennington, Terence D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28: 1-359, 418-449, 459-470. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Meliaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Ruagea pubescens H.Karst.

  • Type

    Type. Karsten s.n., Venezuela, Aragua, Colonia Tovar, fl, fr (holotype, W, not traced; isotypes, F, LE).

  • Synonyms

    Guarea ruagea C.DC., Guarea mollicoma Pittier, Ruagea mollicoma (Pittier) Harms

  • Description

    Species Description - Young branches stout, densely pubescent to tomentose, indumentum persistent. Bud scales absent. Leaves imparipinnate, without apical growth, 12.5-24 cm long; petiole semiterete, rhachis terete, tomentose; petiolule of lateral leaflets 2-5 mm long, petiolule of terminal leaflet to 23 mm long. Leaflets opposite, 7-11(-13), elliptic, oblong, oblanceolate or obovate, apex rounded, obtuse or truncate, base slightly oblique, cuneate, acute or obtuse, margin usually strongly revolute, terminal leaflet with a regular (not oblique), attenuate or cuneate base, coriaceous, 10.5-17(-21)[ 15.5] cm long, 5-8.5(10.5)[7.9] cm broad, upper surface with densely pubescent midrib and secondary veins, lamina sometimes with minute crateriform excrescences, lower surface with densely short pubescent to tomentose midrib and secondary veins, lower lamina usually pubescent, hairs intermixed with minute red papillae or less frequently glabrous; venation eucamptodromous to brochidodromous; secondaries 10-15 on either side of midrib, shallowly ascending, prominently raised on lower surface, arcuate, parallel; intersecondaries short to moderate; tertiaries widely spaced, reticulate. Flowers unisexual, plants dioecious; inflorescence axillary 25-30 cm long, a slender or broad panicle with lateral, widely-spreading branches to 12 cm long, densely pubescent to tomentose; pedicel 1-2 mm long. Calyx patelliform in open flower, sepals 1-1.5 mm long, ovate-acute to orbicular, ciliate, pubescent to subglabrous outside. Petals 9-9.5 mm long, 2.5-3 mm broad, oblong, apex rounded, glabrous. Staminal tube short cylindrical, 5-7 mm long, 3-3.5 mm broad, margin crenulate, glabrous; anthers 10, 1.5-1.7 mm long, with a short basal appendage, glabrous; antherodes narrower, without pollen, not dehiscing. Nectary a short broad stipe, 0.5-1.5 mm long, glabrous. Ovary 3(-4)-locular, loculi with 2 superposed ovules, glabrous; style stout, glabrous, gradually tapering to discoid style-head; pistillode similar with well-developed abortive ovules. Capsule ± globose, sometimes with a short stipe, smooth, dark brown with large prominent pale lenticels, glabrous, 2-3 cm diam., 3-valved, valves usually 1-seeded; pericarp 2-3 mm thick. Seed 1-1.5 cm long, when solitary in valve then with a thick basal sarcotesta, when 2 superposed in valve then partially surrounded by a fleshy arillode; seed coat membraneous; hilum large. Embryo with plano-convex, collateral cotyledons; radicle apical, extending to the surface.

  • Discussion

    Relationships

    A well characterized species with imparipinnate leaves. The leaflets are densely pubescent or tomentose, strongly coriaceous, usually obovate or oblanceolate, rounded or truncate at the apex, and strongly revolute at the margins. The rather large flowers have the quincuncial aestivation of calyx and corolla, typical of the genus, and a glabrous ovary.

    Field Characters: Tree to 25 m with sweet-scented, cream-coloured flowers. The mature fruit is yellowish or pale orange. Flowering has been recorded from November to February, mature fruit June to December.

  • Common Names

    cedro, Espermo, cedrillo de montaña

  • Distribution

    From the mountains around Caracas, Venezuela through the Cordillera de Merida, the Cordillera Oriental of Colombia and on the Pacific slopes of the Andes in Ecuador. It occurs between 1600 and 2800 m altitude in montane rain forest and cloud forest.

    Colombia South America| Cundinamarca Colombia South America| Boyacá Colombia South America| Norte de Santander Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Mérida Venezuela South America| Ecuador South America| Bolívar Ecuador South America|