Duguetia asterotricha (Diels) R.E.Fr.

Authority

Maas, Paulus J. M., et al. 2003. (Annonaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 88: 1-274 pp. (Published by NYBG Press)

Family

Annonaceae

Scientific Name

Duguetia asterotricha (Diels) R.E.Fr.

Type

Type: Brazil. Amazonas: Manaus, Mar 1901 (fl), Ule 5389 (holotype, B; isotypes, F, G, K, MG, S).

Synonyms

Aberemoa asterotricha Diels

Description

Species Description - Tree or shrub, 1.5-12 m tall, 3-5 cm in diam. Young twigs and petioles totally covered with stellate hairs 0.1-0.3 mm in diam. Petioles 3-8 mm long, 2-4 mm in diam. Lamina narrowly obovate to narrowly elliptic, 16-33 cm long, (4-)5-10 cm wide, leaf index 3.3-3.6, chartaceous, pale green to greyish green above, brownish below, glabrous above, sparsely covered with stellate hairs 0.2-0.5 mm in diam. below, base acute, obtuse, or rounded, slightly oblique, apex acuminate (acumen 10-25 mm long) to acute, primary vein impressed above, secondary veins curved to recurved, 12-18 on either side of primary vein, impressed above, angles with primary vein 55-80°, loop-forming at obtuse angles, loops distinct, and forming a marginal vein, smallest distance between loops and margin 2-4 mm, tertiary veins flat above. Inflorescences among leaves, supra-axillary or occasionally terminal, 1-3-flowered, to about 10(-15?) flowers in succession. Indument: peduncles, pedicels, and outer side of bracts, sepals, and petals densely to sparsely covered with stellate hairs 0.1-0.4 mm in diam., inner side of sepals and petals subglabrous. Peduncle 1-3 mm long, 2-5 mm in diam. Sympodial rachis to 15 mm long. Pedicels 5-15 mm long, 1-3 mm in diam., distinctly ribbed. Upper bract at 1/3 of base of pedicel, depressed ovate-triangular, 4-9 mm long. Flower buds ovoid. Flowers white to yellow in vivo. Sepals connate for 35-55%, 25-55 mm long, free parts more or less deltate, 15-25 mm long, 15-20 mm wide, distinctly ribbed. Petals subequal, narrowly obovate-spathulate, 30-40 mm long, 8-12 mm wide, slightly exceeding sepals when mature, acute to obtuse, inner base of inner petals callose, strongly grooved. Stamens 1.5-2 mm long, color unknown, apex of connective discoid, 0.2-0.5 x 0.7-1 mm, papillate. Carpels 3-3.5 mm long, ovary and stigma totally covered with stellate hairs. Fruit green (when young) to brownish in vivo, subglobose, 1.5-3 cm in diam., sepals persistent up to a very late stage, basal collar absent, fertile carpels 5-30, obovoid to broadly obovoid, 8-12 mm long, 6-11 mm in diam., free, areoles very broadly to depressed ovoid, 6-8 mm high, obtuse to rounded, apiculate (apicule to 1 mm long), slightly verrucose, totally covered with a velutinous, brown indument of stellate hairs 0.1-0.2 mm in diam. Seeds very broadly obovoid, 7-10 mm long, 7-8 mm in diam., rounded or obtuse, brown to red-brown, shiny.

Discussion

Duguetia asterotricha is very easily distinguished by strongly connate and persistent sepals which almost completely enclose the velutinous fruit, combined with an indument of stellate hairs on the lower side of the leaves. Fries (1957) placed D. asterotricha, together with D. guianensis, D. macrocalyx, and D. oblanceolata in Sect. Synsepalantha, based on the far-connate sepals. A recent study by E. J. M. C. Boon in Utrecht, under the supervision of P. J. M. Maas (unpublished), confirmed the closeness of the four species. UPGMA analysis also placed the four species in one cluster (Fig. 37, 10th cluster). Superficially D. asterotricha also looks similar to D. ulei (see comments under that species).

Common Names

Envira, Envira surucucu do mata, Envireira

Distribution

Amazonian Brazil and Peru. In non-inundated forest; on sandy or clayey soil. At low elevation up to 120 m. Flowering throughout the year, but most often in March and November, fruiting in January and February and from May to September.

Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America|