Brachynema ramiflorum Benth.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Rousseaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Brachynema ramiflorum Benth.

  • Type

    Type. Brazil. Pará: Ad cataractas flum. Aripecurú juxta Obidos, Dec 1849 (fl, fr), Spruce 566 (holotype, K; isotype, B).

  • Description

    Species Description - Few-branched, slender treelet or tree, (2-)5-10 m tall. Branches subterete; bark a little rough. Leaves sparse, ovate-oblong to lanceolate, apex subcaudately and acutely acuminate, sometimes falcate, base cuneate, subentire to shallowly sinuate-dentate, each tooth or end of veinlet marked by a flattish gland, membranaceous, pale olivaceous in dry specimens, glabrous, unequal in size, varying from 10 x 4 to 32 x 12 cm in the same specimen, midrib prominent on both surfaces, lateral nerves (6-)8-10(-12) pairs including a basal pair curved-ascending and confluent before the margin, slightly impressed above, prominent beneath, as are the numerous obliquely transverse veins, reticulation of veinlets finely raised on both surfaces; petiole varying from 2.5 to 10 cm in the same specimen, slender, swollen and irregularly wrinkled or rugose both at base and apex for ca. 1 cm, not properly articulated there. Flowers on trunk or old branches, i.e. from the axils of fallen leaves, 5-15 arranged to short corymbs or subsessile fascicles; pedicels thickish, pubescent, ca. 2 mm long. Calyx cupular at anthesis, edge subentire, 3-4 mm long, much accrescent towards fruiting stage. Corolla tubular, slightly attenuate at base, expanded at lobes, white, with several circular transverse dark ‘zebra’ stripes in the lower part of the tube, (2-)3 cm long, ca. 4 mm wide, lobes ca. 5 x 2.5 mm, each with a vertical midline of hairs decurrent on the tube inside. Stamens 2.5 mm long; filaments ca. 1 mm long; anthers oblong, the connective filiform, 0.8 mm. Ovary subglobular. Drupe depressedly globular, subtended or almost enclosed below by the enlarged calyx, 1.2-1.6 cm diam.; seed subglobular-ellipsoid, finely multistriate, ca. 1.3 cm diam.

  • Distribution

    Brazil (Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Pará); in substage of primary rain forest, at low alt., apparently rare.

    Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Mato Grosso Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America|