Pourouma velutina Mart. ex Miq.

  • Authority

    Berg, Cornelius C., et al. 1990. Cecropiaceae: Coussapoa and Pourouma, with an introduction to the family. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 51: 1-208. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Urticaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Pourouma velutina Mart. ex Miq.

  • Type

    Type. Brazil. Pará: Mouth of Rio Tocantins, Aug 1819 (male), Martius s.n. (lectotype, M, chosen here; isolectotype, M).

  • Synonyms

    Pourouma steyermarkii Standl. & Cuatrec.

  • Description

    Species Description - Tree, up to 15 m tall. Leafy twigs 2-6 mm thick, brownish- to yellowish- to whitish-sericeous to puberulous and sometimes with brown, arachnoid hairs. Lamina entire, elliptic to ovate, rarely to obovate, 6-30 × 2-20 cm, coriaceous to subcoriaceous or sometimes chartaceous, apex acuminate, base rounded to acute, sometimes truncate or subcordate; upper surface scabrous, the main veins brown-tomentose to sericeous, sometimes with orange or orange-brown, pluricellular hairs; lower surface whitish-sericeous to velutinous, sometimes with brown, pluricellular hairs, white arachnoid hairs in the areoles and on the smaller veins; lateral veins 7-13 pairs, basal pair branched or unbranched, tertiary venation prominent beneath; petiole 1.5-20 cm long, yellow- to brown-sericeous to tomentose, and sometimes with brown, pluricellular hairs; stipules 2-12 cm long, caducous, outside yellow-sericeous to velutinous, and often with brown to yellow, pluricellular hairs, inside yellow-sericeous to velutinous. Staminate inflorescences up to 12 cm long and 8 cm wide; peduncle 2-7 cm long, peduncle and branches yellowish-sericeous to velutinous or to -tomentose, and often with dense, brown, pluricellular hairs; flowers sessile, diffusely distributed along the ultimate branches; tepals 1.3-1.8 mm long, free or basally connate, white-puberulous, filaments shorter than the perianth, free. Pistillate inflorescences in fruit up to 12 cm long and 7 cm wide; peduncle 2.5- 7 cm long, peduncle and branches yellowish- to brownish-sericeous to velutinous, sometimes to tomentose or to puberulous, and with dense, brown, pluricellular hairs; flowers 2-8, ± distinctly in two clusters; pedicel up to 0.4 cm long, in fruit up to 1 cm, already at anthesis with a widened apex; perianth 4-6 mm long, yellowish-velutinous, at the apex with brown, pluricellular hairs; stigma peltate, 1.5-3 mm diam., with sparse, yellow hairs and dense, brown, pluricellular hairs. Fruiting perianth black, ovoid to ellipsoid or sometimes to oblongoid, 1.2-1.8 × 0.6-1 cm, densely to sparsely hairy.

  • Discussion

    This species can sometimes be very difficult to distinguish from forms of P. guianensis subsp. guianensis with entire leaves and sparse pluricellular hairs on the leafy twigs.

    The lectotype is chosen from the two (syntype) collections of Martius cited above.

  • Common Names

    cucura, Boroma, boroma ibeberobana, bospapaja, yarayara, Bois canon, papaye apici, imbaübarana, mapatirana

  • Distribution

    Venezuela (Amazonas and Bolívar), Surinam, French Guiana, Amazonian Brazil (Amapá, Amazonas, Mato Grosso, and Pará) and Peru (Loreto), and eastern Brazil (Bahia and Espírito Santo); in non-inundated forest, mostly at low altitudes, in Venezuela up to ca. 1200 m.

    Venezuela South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Suriname South America| French Guiana South America| Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| Brazil South America| Amapá Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Bahia Brazil South America| Espirito Santo Brazil South America| Mato Grosso Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America|