Parkia paraensis Ducke

  • Authority

    Hopkins, Helen C. F. 1986. Parkia (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 43: 1-124. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Mimosaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Parkia paraensis Ducke

  • Type

    Type. Brazil. Pará. Belém do Pará, Sep 1918 (fr), (lectotype here designated, RB; isolectotypes, BM, G, P, US).

  • Description

    Species Description - Tree. Leaves opposite, to 50 cm long. Petiole bearing a circular or elliptical gland on upper side, half way between base and first pair of pinnae. Pinnae 5-15 pairs, opposite or subopposite. Leaflets 50-80 pairs, opposite, linear, sometimes curved, 7-15 x 1-2 mm. Compound inflorescence axis usually proximal to leaves, pendent, unbranched, to ca. 40 cm long. Peduncles in up to 3(-5) pairs per axis, opposite, pendent, very flexible, ca. 30-80 cm long. Receptacle apex spherical. Capitula ca. 4 cm diameter x 3 cm long. Hermaphrodite calyx 9.5-11.5 mm long (including pseudopedicel of ca. 1 mm), the lobes 1.5-2.5 mm long; corolla 11-13.5 mm long, the lobes 5-7 mm long; filaments exserted 4-8 mm beyond calyx, united for ca. 8 mm above base. Nectar-secreting flowers: calyx 9-11.5 mm long; corolla 9.5-12 mm long, the lobes 2.5-4 mm long. Pods strap-shaped, sometimes curved, ca. 25 (including stipe of ca. 6-8 cm) x 3.5-4.2 cm, the adaxial suture much thickened and secreting large quantities of sticky amber-colored gum into which the seeds are released, and the subligneous, glabrous, uncorrugated valves dehiscent only down the adaxial suture; the cavity without gum. Seeds to ca. 28 per pod, in two series, similar in size to those of P. pendula. Field characters. A large tree (fide Ducke), although there are fertile collections from trees only 10-15 m. Ducke (1925b) says that it is similar in appearance to Parkia pendula, thus implying a flattened crown. Petioles and leaf-bearing twigs have prominent lenticels. Buds golden-brown. Capitula at anthesis purplish. Immature pods green, mature ones black.

  • Discussion

    Note. Flowering material collected on 2 Jun 1918 from the same tree as the lectotype is also labelled “Ducke HAMP17038.”At least some isolectotypes (fruiting material) were distributed with labels without a date.

    Local names. Brazil: Visgueiro.

    Distribution and Ecology: Restricted to eastern Amazonian Brazil near the estuaries of the Amazon and Para rivers. According to Ducke (1925b), it grows in marshy areas of forest near black water streams, on sandy ground. In addition to the localities verified by collections, he also recorded it from Bragança (SW 0146) and Breves (SW 0150) (Ducke, 1925b, 1949). Flowering specimens have been collected in March, June, and July, and fruits in May, June, and August.

  • Objects

    Specimen - 01190423, B. Maguire 47030, Parkia paraensis Ducke, Mimosaceae (149.0), Magnoliophyta; South America, Brazil, Amapá

    Specimen - 01190424, W. A. Ducke 1243, Parkia paraensis Ducke, Mimosaceae (149.0), Magnoliophyta; South America, Brazil, Pará

    Specimen - 01190425, W. A. Ducke 16857, Parkia paraensis Ducke, Mimosaceae (149.0), Magnoliophyta; South America, Brazil, Pará

  • Distribution

    Brazil South America| Amapá Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America|