Tabebuia umbellata (Sond.) Sandwith

  • Authority

    Gentry, Alwyn H. 1992. Bignoniaceae--part II (Tribe Tecomeae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 25: 1-370. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Bignoniaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Tabebuia umbellata (Sond.) Sandwith

  • Type

    Type. Brazil. Minas Gerais, prope Caldas, 3 Oct 1864 (fl), Regnell II. 195 (sphalm. 197 by Sonder) (B* isotypes, BR, P, S, UPS).

  • Synonyms

    Tecoma umbellata Sond., Tecoma eximia Miq., Tecoma umbellata var. lanceolata Bureau & K.Schum., Tabebuia eximia (Miq.) Sandwith, Tabebuia umbellata var. lanceolata (Bureau & K.Schum. ex Mart.) Toledo, Handroanthus umbellatus (Sond.) Mattos, Handroanthus umbellatus var. lanceolatus (Bureau & K.Schum.) Mattos, Handroanthus eximius (Miq.) Mattos

  • Description

    Species Description - Tree 5-25 m tall, the branchlets subterete, lepidote and short-stellate tomentose when young, glabrescent. Leaves palmately 5-(7-)foliolate, the leaflets narrowly obovate to oblong-elliptic, obtuse to acuminate, obtusely cuneate to rounded at base, the terminal leaflet to 8(-10) cm long and 3(-3.5) cm wide, lateral leaflets progressively smaller and less obovate, entire, membranaceous, persistently lepidote above and below, when young also stellate-rufescent above and below with mostly few branched (in part simple at least above) trichomes, especially along the main veins, partially glabrescent but some stellate trichomes persisting at least on the midvein above and in the nerve axils and sparsely along midvein below; terminal petiolule 0.5-2 cm long, the laterals shorter but even the lowermost (0.3-)0.4-0.9 cm long, the petiole 3-7 cm long, persistently reddish or tannish tomentose from stellate and short-dendroid trichomes. Inflorescence a contracted more or less fasciculate terminal cluster usually of 3-12 flowers with stellate-rufescent pedicels 0.5-1 cm long, the bracts and bracteoles reduced and caducous, <2 mm long. Flowers with the calyx campanulate, irregularly shallowly 5-dentate, (0.8-)10-18 mm long, (5-)6-14 mm wide, thick-stellate rufescent, the minute reddish-tan trichomes concentrated at base and in lines descending from points of teeth, the rest of calyx sparsely to not at all pubescent and drying contrastingly darker; corolla yellow with reddish pencilling in throat, when dried with the venation reticulate to the margins of the lobes, the dried tube and lobes indistinguishable in color, tubular-infundibuliform, 5.5-9 cm long, the tube 4-7 cm long and 1.5-3.5 cm wide at mouth, the lobes 1.5-2.5 cm long, glabrous outside, inside rather densely pilose in throat and floor of tube with long flattened somewhat flexuous trichomes extending to near stamen insertion, not otherwise noticeably glandular-pubescent at stamen insertion, the lobes ciliate margined, otherwise glabrous except for minute scattered glands; stamens didynamous, the thecae divaricate, 3 mm long; ovary linear-cylindric, 5-7 mm long, 1 mm wide, rather sparsely or inconspicuously lepidote with a smooth surface; disk bowl-shaped with a distinct rim, ca. 1 mm long, 2-3 mm wide. Fruit a linear-cylindric capsule, tapering to base and apex, 26-55 cm long, (0.6-)0.9-l. 1(-1.2) cm wide, the valves very thin, more or less chartaceous, sparsely lepidote or lepidote-punctate, otherwise glabrous, finely and irregularly striate-ridged; seeds thin, bialate, 0.5-0.7 cm long, 1.5-2.5 cm wide, the wings hyaline-membranaceous, clearly demarcated from the seed body.

  • Discussion

    This is the common yellow-flowered species of swamp Tabebuia in coastal Brazil. It is characterized vegetatively by the rather small narrow-based leaflets with persistently tomentose petiolules and petioles. The flowers, with their large finely tomentose calyces, are very similar to those of T. chrysantha ssp. pluvicola of Central America and western South America but that plant always has at least some stellate trichomes on its usually broader fruit. The most similar sympatric species is T. serratifolia, which does not grow in swamps, lacks stellate vegetative trichomes, and has thicker, woodier capsules and an even less tomentose calyx.

  • Common Names

    ipe-amarelo, ipe da varzea, ipe da vargem, ipe

  • Distribution

    Through much of the mata atlantica formation of coastal Brazil from Bahia to Rio Grande do Sul, inland to Minas Gerais and the Distrito Federal. Ecologically restricted (always?) to fresh-water swamp forests where it is often the dominant species, but never growing in association with T. cassinoides which grows in more oligotrophic situations; near sea level to 760 m.

    Brazil South America| Bahia Brazil South America| Distrito Federal Brazil South America| Minas Gerais Brazil South America| Paraná Brazil South America| Rio Grande do Sul Brazil South America| Rio de Janeiro Brazil South America| Santa Catarina Brazil South America| São Paulo Brazil South America|