Guarea guidonia (L.) Sleumer

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Meliaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Guarea guidonia (L.) Sleumer

  • Type

    Type. Plumier, ed. Burman, fasc. 6: 139, t. 147, f. 2. 1757.

  • Synonyms

    Samyda guidonia L., Melia guara Jacq., Guarea guara (Jacq.) P.Wilson, Guarea trichilioides L., Guarea multijuga A.Juss., Guarea purgans A.Juss., Guarea aubletii A.Juss., Guarea multiflora A.Juss., Guarea bahiensis Klotzsch, Trichilia aubletii Steud., Guarea trichilioides var. brachystachya L. & C.DC., Guarea trichilioides var. pallida L. & C.DC., Guarea alternans C.DC., Guarea francavillana C.DC., Guarea alba C.DC., Guarea tuberculata var. purgans (A.Juss.) Vell., Guarea surinamensis Miq. ex C.DC., Sycocarpus rusbyi Britton, Guarea rusbyi (Britton) Rusby, Guarea bilibil C.DC., Guarea rubricalyx S.Moore, Guarea sylvestris Moore, Guarea rubescens Rich., Guarea xiroresana C.DC., Guarea trichilioides var. colombiana C.DC. & L., Guarea trichilioides var. decandra C.DC. & L., Guarea cabirme C.DC., Guarea andreana C.DC., Guarea eggersii C.DC., Guarea campestris C.DC., Guarea parva C.DC., Guarea racemiformis S.F.Blake, Guarea leticiana Harms, Guarea puberula Pittier, Guarea rubrisepala Cuatrec., Guarea swartzii C.DC.

  • Description

    Species Description - Young branches densely to sparsely puberulous or pubescent, soon becoming glabrous, typically smooth, dark brown with conspicuous pale lenticels, less frequently pale greyish-brown. Leaves pinnate with a terminal bud showing intermittent growth, to 35(-45) cm long; petiole semiterete, rhachis semiterete and canaliculate above or terete, puberulous or pubescent at first, soon glabrous; petiolule 1-6(-8) mm long. Leaflets opposite or rarely subopposite, to 9(-14) pairs, usually elliptic, oblong, or oblanceolate rarely lanceolate, apex narrowly attenuate or acuminate less frequently acute, base usually acute, cuneate, or attenuate rarely obtuse or rounded, chartaceous or rarely subcoriaceous, (10-) 12.5-25(-35)[16.2] cm long, (2.5-)4-7(-10)[5.1] cm broad, glabrous or rarely with a few hairs on midrib below, usually obscurely glandular-punctate and -striate; venation eucamptodromous, midrib slightly sunken; secondaries (6-)9-12(-17) on either side of midrib, steeply arcuate ascending, parallel to slightly or rarely strongly convergent; intersecondaries short; tertiaries oblique, ± parallel. Flowers unisexual, plants dioecious; inflorescence usually axillary or rarely borne in axils of fallen leaves or on short lateral shoots, (4-)10-25(-45) cm long, thyrsoid, usually slender pyramidal with lower branches only 0.5-3 cm long, less frequently broadly pyramidal with lower branches to 25 cm, sparsely appressed, spreading puberulent, or pubescent; pedicel l(-2) mm long or flowers sessile. Calyx rotate, patelliform or cyathiform, (0.5-) 1-2.5(-3) mm long, with (2-)3-4(-5) acute to rounded or irregular lobes 0.25-2(-2.5) mm long or rarely margin truncate, sparsely or less frequently densely appressed puberulous or pubescent outside. Petals (3-)4-5), valvate or slightly imbricate, (5-)5.5-7.5(-9.5) mm long, (0.5-) 1-2(-2.5) mm broad, usually oblong less frequently lanceolate, apex acute, sparsely to densely appressed, spreading puberulous, or pubescent outside, papillose or glabrous inside. Staminal tube cylindrical, 3.5-7 mm long, (1-) 1.5-2.5(-3) mm broad, margin truncate, undulate, or rarely shallowly lobed, glabrous or occasionally slightly papillose; anthers (7-)8(-11), (0.6-)0.75-1.25 mm long; antherodes narrower, not dehiscing, without pollen. Nectary a stipe expanded above to form an annulus below ovary, (0.5-)1-2 mm long, glabrous. Ovary (3-)4(-5)-locular, loculi uniovulate, sparsely to densely appressed puberulent or pubescent rarely strigose or subglabrous; style appressed puberulent, pubescent, or glabrous; pistillode similar, with well-developed abortive ovules. Capsule globose to fig-shaped, apex truncate, usually abruptly contracted at base into a short stout stipe, smooth not wrinkling on drying, shining, nearly always with conspicuous sometimes pustular, pale lenticels, glabrous, 1.5-2.5 cm diam., 4-valved, valves 1-seeded; pericarp 12 mm thick, leathery. Seed ovoid, 1-1.3 cm long, 0.6-0.8 cm broad, surrounded by a thin orange sarcotesta which is slightly thickened at base, apex, and along adaxial surface; seed coat thin, cartilaginous; hilum 0.8-1 cm long. Embryo with thick, plano-convex, superposed or rarely oblique cotyledons; radicle abaxial towards the apex, extending to surface.

  • Discussion

    Relationships

    Guarea guidonia has a wide geographical distribution but a rather narrow ecological range. It is associated with riverbanks and periodically flooded forest, and only in extreme western Amazonia does it occur outside this habitat with any frequency. In this area it is often a large tree of high forest. Its narrow ecological amplitude may in part account for the relatively small amount of morphological variation in such a widely distributed species.

    The rather large number of species and varieties reduced to synonymy here, fall easily within the range of G. guidonia. They were mostly described on trivial, uncorrelated morphological characters, such as the size and shape of the inflorescence (e.g. G. alba and G. trichilioides var. colombiana). The female inflorescence is often shorter and less branched than that of the male, a fact that has escaped the notice of some previous authors.

    The amount of indumentum on the inflorescence is rather variable, and this too has been used to distinguish some of the earlier species, e.g. G. multiflora has a rather densely pubescent inflorescence, but similar specimens occur scattered throughout the range of the species.

    Guarea trichilioides var. pallida was described on the basis of similar uncorrelated variation. It was distinguished by the pale greyish twigs (not dark brown as is typical), but plants showing this feature are now known from such widely separated places as Cuba, Bolivia, Brazil (Mato Grosso) and Panama. Such variation could be used to describe a multitude of varieties or forms, but none is worth taxonomic recognition.

    Guarea guidonia is a species showing intermittent growth of the leaf apex. The first formed leaflets are often much smaller and a different shape to those produced later. Specimens collected from near the shoot apex may differ considerably from those from the older twigs. Leaves collected when dormant will differ from those in active growth. These facts must be considered carefully when examining an herbarium specimen which rarely bears more than one or two often incomplete leaves.

    Guarea guidonia is related to G. gomma. Their ecological preferences are different and they differ in a number of morphological characters. Guarea gomma is a large tree of non-flooded forest (not riverbanks). Its leaves do not have intermittent growth (present in G. guidonia)\ the petals are slightly larger 8-12 x

    2-3 mm ((5-)5.5-7.5(-9.5) × (0.5-)l-2(-2.5) mm in G. guidonia); the rather fleshy capsule is 2.5-3.2 cm diameter, 4-6-valved (1.5-2.5 cm, 4-valved, leathery in G. guidonia), puberulous or papillose, not shining or lenticellate (glabrous, shining, nearly always lenticellate in G. guidonia).

    The differences between G. guidonia and G. macrophylla are discussed under the latter.

    Guarea xiroresana probably belongs in G. guidonia. It is known only from the type collection, which is incomplete and represented by poor fruiting material, and therefore I place it here with some hesitation.

    Flowers: The flowers are white or cream, sometimes tinged with green, and the mature fruit is characteristically smooth and shining brown or reddish-brown, nearly always with large pale lenticels. The pericarp is leathery (not fleshy as in many species of Guarea). The valves open to reveal a seed surrounded by a fleshy orange sarcotesta which is attractive to birds. The species flowers and fruits throughout the year.

    Field characters: Usually a small or medium sized tree to 20 m but reaching larger sizes in western Amazonia. It is often branched from near the base. The bark in young specimens is smooth, brown, with prominent lenticels, but in older trees it becomes characteristically fissured.

  • Common Names

    cedro macho, Guara, Yamao, Yamagua, Bois Rouge, Guaraguao, Cabirme, redwood, trompillo, Jatuauba, Rosa branca, Gito, Marinheiro, Cura madre, Jatuauba-igapo, Carrapeta da mata virgem, Camboatan, Bilibil, San Matias, Zambo Cedro, Cedro trompillo, cedro macho, Guamo simarron, Tocota, Fruta de loro, Come pavo, Karababalli, Bastard Crabwood, Buck puke, Buck vomit, Cuquindo, Yantsau, Yancau, Requia, Requia Colorada, Urcu requia, Karababalli wedakora abo, Doifisirie, trompillo, Cabimbo, Peonia

  • Distribution

    Greater Antilles, Costa Rica, Panama and throughout tropical South America as far south as Paraguay and northern Argentina. It is a characteristic species of riverbanks and varzea forest in Amazonia and is often abundant.

    Costa Rica South America| Heredia Costa Rica Central America| Panama Central America| Darién Panamá Central America| Panamá Panama Central America| Cuba South America| Camagüey Cuba South America| Isla de Piños Cuba South America| Haiti South America| Dominican Republic South America| Puerto Rico South America| Colombia South America| Caquetá Colombia South America| Huila Colombia South America| Meta Colombia South America| Tolima Colombia South America| Huila Colombia South America| Valle Colombia South America| Antioquia Colombia South America| Bolívar Colombia South America| Magdalena Colombia South America| Atlántico Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Apure Venezuela South America| Barinas Venezuela South America| Delta Amacuro Venezuela South America| Monagas Venezuela South America| Portuguesa Venezuela South America| Lara Venezuela South America| Zulia Venezuela South America| Anzoátegui Venezuela South America| Aragua Venezuela South America| Yaracuy Venezuela South America| Zulia Venezuela South America| Trinidad and Tobago South America| Guyana South America| Roraima Brazil South America| Barima-Waini Guyana South America|