Talisia chartacea Acev.-Rodr.
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Authority
Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro. 2003. Meliococceae (Sapindaceae):
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Family
Sapindaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type. Venezuela. Bolívar: Município Raúl Leoni, humid forest on consolidated sandy grounds, 3 km from foothills of Cerro Camarón (S W of Guaiquinima Tepui complex), 42.5 km SE of Entre Ríos, 250 m elevation, ca. 5° 43' N, 64° 07' W, 30 Oct-2 Nov 1988 (fr), G. Aymard & A. Fernández 7176 (holotype, PORT; isotypes, MO, NY, US).
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Description
Species Description - Tree to 30 m tall. Stems terete, smooth, puberulent to glabrous at maturity, dark brown to grayish. Leaves paripinnate; distal process early deciduous, leaving a truncate base ca. 2 mm long; leaflets 4, alternate to opposite, lanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, 6-13 × 2.5-5.7 cm, chartaceous, concolorous, glabrous on both surfaces, slightly shiny on adaxial surface, the venation brochidodromus, prominulous on both surfaces especially the midvein, tertiary venation reticulate, the margins slightly undulate, the apex long-acuminate or less often obtuse, the base obtuse or acute-obtuse and slightly unequal; petiolules slender, adaxially canaliculate, 0.7-1 cm long, glabrous or puberulent; rachis 2-3(4) cm long, slender, terete to slightly angled, faintly striate, puberulent to glabrous; petioles 3-5(6.5) cm long, slightly flattened adaxially, slightly thickened at base. Thyrses paniculate, axillary or terminal on lateral branches, to 13 cm long,; cataphylls minute, early deciduous; axes slightly angled, puberulent or glabrous; bracts triangular, early deciduous, 0.5-0.7 mm long; dichasia simple or compound, nearly sessile; pedicels ca. 2 mm long, articulate at the middle. Calyx 3-3.5 mm long, tomentulose, the sepals free to the base, oblong-ovate, concave, rounded at apex; petals oblong-ovate, 3.5-4 mm long, erect, papillate on adaxial surface, glabrous to puberulent on abaxial surface, the apex obtuse, the base attenuate; appendages as long as the petals, lanceolate, erect, obtuse at apex, adnate at base along 1/4 of the petal length, woolly on both surfaces; disc cup-shaped, 5-lobed, tomentose, 1 mm tall; stamens 8, the filaments of unequal length, 1.2-2 mm long, glabrous, the anthers ca. 1 mm long, ovate, glabrous, apiculate at apex; ovary not seen. Fruits ellipsoid, glabrous, purplish green, 3.5-3.7 cm long, smooth, mammiliform at apex, the pericarp 1-2 mm thick, the endocarp glabrous. Seed one per fruit, known only in immature stage.
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Discussion
Talisia chartacea seems to be most closely related to T. firma Radlkofer in that both possess similar floral morphology and 4-foliolate leaves. However, T. chartacea differs from T. firma by having chartaceous, concolorous, abaxially shiny leaflets (vs. coriaceous, discolorous, abaxially dull leaflets), a slender, greenish to light brown leaf rachis (vs. robust and blackish brown), and glabrous fruits with coriaceous (ca. 1 mm thick) pericarp (vs. flavido-tomentose with semi-woody, 2-2.2 mm thick pericarp). The specific epithet refers to the chartaceous texture of the leaflets.
Phenology. Collected in flower in December and July, and in fruit in August and late October to early November. -
Distribution
Known from Venezuela and Brazil in terra firme forest, humid forest, and along seasonally flooded river banks.
Venezuela South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America|