Banara

  • Authority

    Sleumer, Hermann O. 1980. Flacourtiaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 22: 1-499. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Salicaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Banara

  • Type

    Type species. Banara guianensis Aublet.

  • Synonyms

    Boca, Xyladenius, Ascra, Kuhlia

  • Description

    Description - Shrubs or trees. Leaves alternate, more or less distichous, 3-5-nerved from base or penninerved, entire or generally glandular-serrate or -crenate, sometimes with a pair of basal glands above (these usually almost on top of the petiole), petiolate; stipules small, fugacious. Inflorescences (sub)terminal or more rarely axillary, paniculate, racemose or corymbose, rarely fasciculate. Flowers [male and female], often yellow; pedicels articulate at or above the base; bracts and bracteoles deltoid, minute, generally caducous. Sepals 3 (rarely 4), shortly united at base, valvate or rarely subimbricate distally. Petals isomerous with and similar to the sepals, persistent with these under the fruit. Disk (inter- or intra-staminal glands) 0. Stamens indefinite, free, pluriseriate, inserted on a rather flat glabrous or hairy receptacle; filaments filiform, usually glabrous; anthers very small, didymous-subglobose or very rarely oblong, basifixed, introrse, the 2 thecae dehiscent longitudinally. Ovary sessile, incompletely plurilocular by 3-8 filiform or lamelliform multi-ovulate placentas intruded far into the cavity, glabrous or rarely hairy; style simple, persistent; stigma subcapitate, minutely lobed according to the number of placentas. Fruit indehiscent, baccate, rather dry or fleshy; pericarp thin-coriaceous; seeds numerous, embedded in a fleshy pulp, oblongoid to ovoid-applanate; testa crustaceous, sometimes slightly foveolate.

  • Distribution

    with 31 species from S Mexico to Antiilia and S. America (southern limit: Uruguay, Paraguay, N Argentina).

    Mexico North America| South America| West Indies| Central America|