Heisteria spruceana Engl.

  • Authority

    Sleumer, Hermann O. 1984. Olacaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 38: 1-159. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Olacaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Heisteria spruceana Engl.

  • Type

    Type. Brazil. Amazonas: Igapó on S shore of Rio Negro (=the area S of Manaus to mouth of Rio Solimões), May 1851 (fr) Spruce 1510 (holotype, M, photo F neg. 19089; isotypes, B, photo B 1431/15, BM, C, E, F, photo F neg. 56748, Fl-Webb, G, GH, GOET, K, LE, NY, OXF, P).

  • Synonyms

    Heisteria tessmanniana Sleumer, Heisteria cauliflora Sm.

  • Description

    Species Description - Glabrous shrub or tree, 2-10(-15) m tall; trunk 4-15(-20) cm diam.; branches spreading. Branchlets slender, subangular, dark, striate lengthwise and a little rugulose by numerous small lenticels. Leaves ovate-lanceolate or -oblong, rarely almost lanceolate, apex usually gradually attenuate, or subacuminate, sometimes subfalcate, tip acute or bluntish, base broadly cuneate to rounded, not rarely subinequilateral, thin-chartaceous to subcoriaceous, pale olive-green or yellowish-green in dry specimens, somewhat shiny above only or rather dull on both surfaces, edge hardly revolute, laticifers poorly visible beneath, usually finely tuberculate and wrinkled on both surfaces, though sometimes less distinctly or hardly so, 9-12(-15, -25) x 4.5-6(-7, -10) cm, sometimes in part microphyllous 6x2cm) in the same specimen, midrib plane or slightly immersed above, prominent beneath, lateral nerves 1 basal steeply ascendent pair and 5-7 upper curved-ascending pairs, visibly looping before the edge beneath only, plane or subimpressed above, raised beneath, reticulation of veins and veinlets rather inconspicuous above, faintly though distinctly raised beneath; petiole longitudinally striate and more or less distinctly transversely rugulose, 5-10(-12) x 2 mm. Flowers 5-10 per axillary bracteolate usually small glomerules; pedicels stoutish, 1-2(-3) mm long. Calyx spreadingly cup-shaped, 5-lobed halfway, lobes subacute, 1 mm long. Petals ovate-acuminate, acute, cream or white, subdensely hairy inside, 2 mm long. Stamens 10, subequal; filaments filiform. Ovary subglobose. Drupe (sub)globose, whitish or pale yellowish, turning gray, slightly striate lengthwise, (0.7-)1-1.3 cm diam. Fruit-calyx membranaceous, deep red, 5-lobed about halfway, cupuliform, 3(-3.5) cm diam. when expanded, lobes erect, ovate, obtuse, plicate, accumbent to the drupe and hiding it, (1-)1.5(-1.8) cm long; peduncle 3-5(-7) mm long.

  • Distribution

    Amazonian Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, and Brazil; in undergrowth of rain forest on terra firme, but also on seasonally inundated soil (igap6, tahuampa), often along streams or lakes, apparently locally common, at low alt.

    Colombia South America| Amazonas Colombia South America| Vaupés Colombia South America| Vichada Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Rondônia Brazil South America| Roraima Brazil South America|