Xylosma ciliatifolia (Clos) Eichler

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Salicaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Xylosma ciliatifolia (Clos) Eichler

  • Type

    Type. Gardner 1450, Brazil, Ceará, near Crato, fl [male] [female] (holotype, P; isotypes, BM, F, Fl-Webb, G, phot F 27172, GH, K, NY, P, S, US, W).

  • Synonyms

    Hisingera ciliatifolia Clos, Myroxylon ciliatifolium Kuntze, Xylosma velutina (Tul.) Triana & Planch.

  • Description

    Species Description - Shrub or small tree to 8.0 (rarely -12.0) m tall; trunk up to 20.0 cm diam, set with strong branched rusty-pubescent finally glabrescent thorns up to 10.0 cm long as are the branches. Branchlets ferrugineous-velvety at tips, with simple axillary pubescent spines up to 5.0 cm long, older parts tardily glabrescent. Leaves apparently periodically deciduous, appearing at or shortly after flowering time, variable in shape, size and density of tomentum, elliptic to oblong or ovate-elliptic, apex short-acuminate, subacute or obtuse, base cuneate to broadly attenuate, usually with 1 or 2 glands at the very base, initially membranaceous, becoming chartaceous to thin-coriaceous with age, more or less densely ferrugineous-hispidulous to -velutinous on both faces initially, tardily glabrescent with age though remaining pubescent at least on nerves and midrib beneath, often also along the margin, i e ciliate, glandular-dentate or -subserrate, (0.5-1.0 mm), (5.0-)6.0-10.0(-15.0) cm long, (2.5-)3.0-5.0(-8.0) cm broad, lateral nerves 4-5(-6) pairs prominent beneath, reticulation of veins and veinlets rather lax and slightly raised beneath, becoming more apparent towards the maturity of the lamina; petiole more or less densely and patently rusty-tomentulose, (4.0-)6.0-8.0 (rarely -15.0) mm long. Flowers 4-8(-12) per axillary fascicle, often from defoliate axils of annotinous branchlets; pedicels slender, articulate in the lower third or at middle, patently rusty-pubescent to -hirsutulous, 3.0-4.0 mm long at anthesis, accrescent to 6.0 (rarely -10.0) mm in fruit; bracts ovate, scarious, subglabrous. Sepals 4 (rarely 5), ovate, subacute, yellowish-greenish, with a minute apical gland, densely patently pubescent or hispidulous on both faces, ciliate, 1.5(-2.0) mm long. Disk-lobes (6-)8-12, forming a crenate annulus, [male]: stamens 15-25; filaments glabrous, much exserted. [female]: ovary ovoid-globose, glabrous; style very short (rarely up to 0.5 mm); stigmas 2 (rarely 3), almost semi-orbiculate and a little divergent. Fruit subglobose, 5.0-6.0 mm diam, glabrous; seeds 3 or 4, trigonous-obovoid, ca 4.0 mm long.

    Distribution and Ecology - Venezuela, Guyana, Brazil (Pernambuco to Rio Grande do Sul); in gallery forest, swamp forest, wooded savannahs, campos "cerrados," in Araucaria forest in the southern part of the area of distribution, in secondary growth, from lowland to ca 1000 m alt.

  • Distribution

    Venezuela South America| Aragua Venezuela South America| Distrito Federal Venezuela South America| Miranda Venezuela South America| Guyana South America| Brazil South America| Maranhão Brazil South America| Ceará Brazil South America| Pernambuco Brazil South America| Mato Grosso Brazil South America| Distrito Federal Brazil South America| Minas Gerais Brazil South America| São Paulo Brazil South America| Rio de Janeiro Brazil South America| Paraná Brazil South America| Santa Catarina Brazil South America| Rio Grande do Sul Brazil South America|