Aniba affinis (Meisn.) Mez
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Authority
Kubitzki, K. & Renner, Susanne S. 1982. Lauraceae I (Aniba and Aiouea). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 31: 1-125. (Published by NYBG Press)
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Family
Lauraceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
T: Spruce 3769; Dec 1854; Brazil (B)
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Synonyms
Aydendron affine Meisn.
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Description
Species Description - Tree to 15 m; wood fragrant; branchlets dark, minutely and laxly dusty-to-mentellous, conspicuously lenticellate, glabrescent, ca. 3 mm thick; terminal bud slender, tomentellous, ca. 0.7 cm long. Leaves indistinctly clustered at top of branchlets, or evenly distributed along branchlets, chartaceous-coriaceous, (ob-ovate-)elliptical or (obovate-)lanceolate, 2-3.7 times longer than wide, 10-16 x 4-7.5 cm, base acute or angustate, margin slightly recurved, apex shortly, obtusely acuminate, glabrous above, midrib and nerves flat or impressed, pilosulous at midrib beneath, otherwise glabrous, midrib and nerves prominulous, veins hardly conspicuous; nerves 8-11 per side, arcuately ascendent; petioles rather slender, laxly tomentellous, glabrescent, canaliculate, 1.2-2.5 cm long. Panicles subterminal, crowded below the terminal bud, many-flowered, minutely rusty-tomentellous, 10-16 cm long. Flowers minutely tomentellous, 2.2-3 x 2 mm; floral tube glabrous or pilose inside; tepals erect, broadly ovate, 1-1.3 mm long, glabrous inside, ciliate at margin, 1-1.3 mm long; stamens ca. 1 mm long, outer ones with broad anthers and papillose connectives protruding beyond the small, ventral-lateral cells, and with pilose filaments narrower than anthers, the inner stamens with globose anthers and pilose, biglandulose filaments; staminodes stipitiform, small, or absent; pistil 1.5-2 mm long, densely or laxly tomentellous, or glabrous; style as long as ovary; stigma minute. Berry ellipsoid, to 2.5 x 1.7 cm; cupule subhemispherical, to 1.8 x 2 cm, rugose with several rusty warts, margin entire.
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Discussion
There is some clinal variation within this species. From the upper to the lower Rio Negro, the indument of the gynoecium and floral tube fades away, leaf width becomes larger, and fruit size seems to increase.
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Distribution
In black water flooded river margins (igapó) and in moist forests along borders of black water rivers. Flowers Sep-Dec; fruits Feb-Sep. I suspect that this species may be dispersed by fish, however, this has not been verified.
Venezuela South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America|