Duguetia decurrens 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 decurrens R.E.Fr.

  • Type

    Type: Guyana. Mahdia River, Potaro River, 107 miles on Bartica-Potaro Road, 15 Jan 1943 (fl, yfr), Forest Dep. Brit. Guiana 3764 = Fanshawe 1028 (holotype, K, 2 sheets; isotypes, NY, S: fragment, U, US).

  • Description

    Species Description - Tree, (3-)5-20 m tall, to 15 cm in diam. Young twigs and petioles totally covered with stellate hairs 0.1-0.5 mm in diam. Petioles 5-10 mm long, 1-2 mm in diam. Lamina elliptic to obovate to narrowly so, 14-26 cm long, 5-9 cm wide, leaf index 2.5-4.2, chartaceous, greyish green above, brown below, sparsely covered with stellate hairs to 0.3 mm in diam. when young above, becoming glabrous, sparsely (to more densely so along primary vein) covered with stellate hairs to 0.3 mm in diam. below, base attenuate, apex long-acuminate (acumen to 25 mm long) to subacute, primary vein impressed above, secondary veins straight, 8-12 on either side of primary vein, raised above, angles with primary vein 60-75°, loop-forming at obtuse angles, loops distinct, smallest distances between loops and margin 3-7 mm, tertiary veins raised above. Inflorescences among leaves, leaf-opposed (to supra-axillary), a single rhipidium, 1-2-flowered, to about 10 flowers in succession. Indument: peduncles, pedicels, outer side of bracts, and both sides of sepals and petals totally to densely covered with stellate hairs 0.1-0.3 mm in diam., most parts with brownish hairs, but petals with greyish hairs. Peduncle 3 mm long, 2 mm in diam., fruiting peduncle to 5 mm long, to 3 mm in diam., strongly and somewhat irregularly grooved. Sympodial rachis to 10 mm long. Pedicels 7 mm long, 1.5-2 mm in diam., young fruiting pedicels to 11 mm long, to 3 mm in diam. Upper bract halfway the pedicel, ovate-triangular, 2-A mm long, caducous. Flower buds ovoid. Flowers pale cream in vivo. Sepals free, ovate, 8-10 mm long, 6-8 mm wide, obtuse. Petals subequal, ovate-triangular, 12-15 mm long, 6-8 mm wide, acute, inner base of inner petals callose, distinctly grooved. Stamens ca. 1 mm long, color unknown, apex of connective discoid, 0.2 x 0.4 mm, glabrous. Carpels 2-2.5 mm long, ovary totally covered with stellate hairs, stigma glabrous. Fruit (only young ones seen) yellowish green to brown in vivo, globose, 2.5-2.8 cm in diam., basal collar composed of 9-15 connate, sterile carpels, not protruding below the fruit, 8-10 mm in diam., fertile carpels 30-50, obovoid to obtrulloid, 9-12 mm long, 5-8 mm in diam., free, areoles depressed ovoid, 2-6 mm high, acute to obtuse, apiculate (apicule to 0.5 mm long), polygonal to rounded, surface wrinkled, totally covered with a velutinous, brownish indument of stellate hairs up to 0.1 mm in diam. Seeds ellipsoid, 6 mm long, 4 mm in diam., obtuse, brown, shiny.

  • Discussion

    The systematic position of Duguetia decurrens is not yet clear. Because of insufficient available data, cluster analyses so far have not truly provided a clue either.

  • Distribution

    Guyana. In non inundated forest with Pentaclethra, Eschweilera, and Hymenolobium; on brown sand. At sea level (type collection), all other collections at elevations from 500-760 m. Flowering in January and October, fruiting in January and February.

    Guyana South America|