Casearia obovalis Poepp. ex Griseb.
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Authority
Sleumer, Hermann O. 1980. Flacourtiaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 22: 1-499. (Published by NYBG Press)
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Family
Salicaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type. Poeppig 2438, Peru, Loreto, Yurimaguas, fl (holotype, GOET, fragm B; isotypes, B, lost, phot F 13668, BM, F, G, GH, L, P, W).
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Synonyms
Casearia obovata Schltdl., Casearia commutata Briq.
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Description
Species Description - Shrub or tree up to 10.0 m tall; trunk up to 12.0 cm diam. Branchlets very slender, young parts softly patently brownish-yellowish-hirsutulous, older ones verruculose with roundish lenticels. Leaves elliptic- to oblong-obovate, sometimes oblong, apex shortly to subcaudately or subcuspidately acuminate, tip acutish or bluntish, base attenuate to obtuse, membranaceous to thin-chartaceous, rather densely pellucid-punctate and -lineate, olivaceous to brownish in dry specimens, laxly hairy at midrib and nerves above, densely and softly patently tomentulose all over the undersurface, or at least remaining so on midrib and lateral nerves in age beneath, minutely serrate to subentire, (6.0-)8.0-14.0(-15.0) cm long, 3.0-6.0(-7.5) cm broad, lateral nerves 5-6(-7) pairs, arcuate, subimpressed or flat above, prominent beneath, veins more or less transverse, (very) slightly raised as is the reticulation of veinlets; petiole slender, hirsutulous, 2.0-3.0 mm long; stipules subulate, tomentulose, 2.0-3.0 mm long, caducous. Fascicles from defoliate nodes, many-flowered; bracts ovate, acuminate, scarious, subglabrous, 1.0(-1.5) mm long; pedicels very slender, articulate at middle, pubescent, 2.0(-3.0) mm long. Sepals 5, oblong-lanceolate, remaining erect at anthesis, connate and attenuate below into a kind of tube for 1.0 mm, gray-tomentellous, 3.0(-4.0) mm long, 1.0 mm broad. Stamens 10, alternately inequilong; filaments glabrous, ca 1.5 mm long; anthers elliptic-cordate, glabrous, eglandular, 0.5 mm long. Disk-lobes spathulate-oblong, barbate, ca 1.0 mm long. Ovary ovoid, included in the tube formed by the sepals, glabrous though hairy at the short style; stigma capitate. Capsule (Berlin 322, Kayap 1122) globose, glabrous, yellow-orange, minutely tuberculate, 3.0-5.0 cm diam; pericarp coriaceous, fibrose-lignescent, 2.0-3.0 mm thick; seeds ca 10, obliquely ovoid-angular, 1.0-1.4 cm long, with yellow translucent sweet aril.
Distribution and Ecology - Amazonian Colombia, Brazil and adjacent E Peru, and in the Yungas of SE Bolivia; in lowland and submontane forest, up to ca 1000 m alt. Fruit said to be edible.
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Distribution
Colombia South America| Amazonas Colombia South America| Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| San Martín Peru South America| Huánuco Peru South America| Junín Peru South America| Ayacucho Peru South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Acre Brazil South America| Bolivia South America| La Paz Bolivia South America|