Cedrela fissilis Vell.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Meliaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Cedrela fissilis Vell.

  • Type

    Type. Tab. 68, Vellozo, Fl. flum. (1835).

  • Synonyms

    Cedrela brasiliensis A.Juss., Cedrela brasiliensis var. australis A.Juss., Cedrela fissilis var. glabrior C.DC., Surenus fissilis C.DC., Cedrela fissilis var. macrocarpa C.DC., Cedrela hirsuta C.DC., Cedrela caldasana C.DC., Cedrela longiflora C.DC., Cedrela pachyrhacis C.DC., Cedrela pilgeri C.DC., Cedrela regnelli C.DC., Cedrela brunellioides Rusby, Cedrela balansae C.DC., Cedrela pilgeri Bertoni, Cedrela tubiflora var. grandifolia Bertoni, Cedrela tubiflora Bertoni, Cedrela tubiflora var. bertoniensis Bertoni, Cedrela tubiflora var. bertoniensis f. angustifolia Bertoni, Cedrela tubiflora var. lagenaria Bertoni, Cedrela macrocarpa Ducke, Cedrela huberi Ducke, Cedrela alliacea Ducke, Cedrela tubiflora f. grandifolia (Bertoni) Buchinger, Cedrela tubiflora f. parvifoliola Buchinger, Cedrela elliptica Rizzini

  • Description

    Species Description - Branchlets smooth, glabrous, or with a brownish pubescence, with small roundish to oval, pale brown raised lenticels. Leaves paripinnate, often very large, (20-)25-65(-120) cm long; petiole densely tomentose or very short pubescent. Leaflets numerous, generally sessile, subsessile or more rarely with petiolules to 6 mm long, (8-) 12-18(-24) pairs, opposite or subopposite, broadly lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, base subacute or broadly rounded, symmetrical or very slightly oblique, apex short acuminate or acute, lower surface generally densely velutinous-pilose beneath, sometimes with scattered pilose hairs on midrib and lateral nerves only and with tufts of hair in their axils, lamina otherwise ± glabrous, often drying dark brown, upper surface glossy, glabrous, (8-)9-15(-21) cm long, (2.5-)3-5(-5.5) cm broad. Inflorescence lateral or subterminal, very large, 60-80(-95) cm long, as long as or shorter than leaves, dense terminal thyrses often congested, bracts caducous. Flowers unisexual, with short, densely tomentose pedicels 1-2 mm long. Calyx cupulate, shallowly and regularly or irregularly dentate, the teeth obtuse or apiculate sometimes with one or two longitudinal splits, densely pubescent, 1.5-2.5(-3) mm long. Petals 5, free, imbricate, oblong to elliptic-oblong, fleshy, (7-)8-10(-12) mm long, 2-3 mm broad, densely tomentose on both surfaces, adnate by a carina along lower 1/2 of length to gynophore. Stamens 5, free; filaments 1.5-2.5 mm long, glabrous, adnate to base of slender gynophore; anthers in 8 flowers large, yellow, apiculate, in 2 flowers slender, brown and shrivelled. Ovary in 2 flowers globose or ovoid, sometimes obscurely 5-lobed, 5-locular, each loculus with 8-12(-14) ovules; style short, 1-1.5 mm long; style-head discoid, glandular with 5 stigmatic lobes. Pistillode in [male] flowers, slender, angular, with well-developed loculi, but ovules very small; style columnar 2-3 mm long, glabrous; style-head thinner, lacking pronounced stigmatic lobes. Capsule oblong to obovoid, very rarely pyriform, pendulous, 5-valved, valves woody, 4-6(-7) mm thick, dark brown or brownish-black, surface rough with rounded or elongate paler brown, raised lenticels, (4-)4.5-8.5(-11) cm long. Columella with 5 prominent broad wings, extending to apex of capsule; seeds dark chestnut-brown, 2.5-4.5 cm long including wing).

  • Discussion

    The timber is considered to be inferior to that of C. odorata. It is a darker and richer red, often described as burgundy or claret coloured, lacking the strong and pleasant aromatic scent of the former species. It does not appear to be as durable as the timber of C. odorata. The two are however often sold in mixture on the commercial market. It is claimed that trees of this species are less susceptible to attack from Hypsipyla than those of C. odorata.

    This is an extremely variable species especially with regard to the number of leaflets per leaf, the amount and type of indumentum and the size of the fruit. Such variation perhaps reflects the large number of synonymous species and varieties which have been described within it. None seems worthy of recognition. It is with some hesitation that the specimens from Panamá and Costa Rica are placed here. They agree with the type in that the undersurfaces of the leaflets are densely pilose and the capsules are large and very woody. In leaflet number and shape they are however somewhat aberrant.

    Field Characters: A tree up to 30 m tall (40 m recorded by Guedès 257) with straight cylindrical bole. The bark is similar to that of C. odorata (Fig. 76a). The petals are greenish-white, sometimes with a pinkish tinge at the apex, yellowing with age. The flowers are reported to have an agreeable scent, and appear from October to February; fruiting is approximately 8-9 months later. All parts of the tree smell of garlic when crushed.

  • Common Names

    cedro, Cedro Colorado, Cedro missionero, Cedro rosado, Cedro bianco, Cedro branco, Cedro batata, Cedro Vermelho, Cedro diamantina, Cedro rosa, Cedro bianco

  • Distribution

    A species of lowland forest from sea level to ca. 800 m alt. with a widespread distribution in Latin America from N Argentina to Panama and Costa Rica in Central America. Most commonly occurring on well-drained soils (terra firme) in Brazil, but nowhere in its range as frequently as true cedro.

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