Duguetia guianensis 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 guianensis R.E.Fr.

  • Type

    Type: Guyana. Madray-Bubu trail, Essequibo-Demerara, 8 Feb 1944 (fl, fr), Forest Dep. Brit. Guiana 4427 = Fanshawe 1691 (holotype, K, 2 sheets; isotype, S, fragment).

  • Description

    Species Description - Tree or shrub to 10 m tall. Young twigs and petioles densely covered with stellate scales 0.1-0.3 mm in diam. Petioles 2-5 mm long, 1-2.5 mm in diam. Lamina narrowly elliptic to narrowly obovate, 9-16 cm long, 2.5-5 cm wide, leaf index 3-3.7, chartaceous, pale green above, pale brown below, glabrous above, sparsely covered with stellate scales 0.1-0.3 mm in diam. below, base acute, apex acuminate (acumen 10-20 mm long), primary vein impressed above, secondary veins curved, 8-14 on either side of primary vein, slightly raised above, angles with primary vein 60-80°, loopforming at obtuse angles, loops distinct, smallest distance between loops and margin 1.5-4 mm, tertiary veins slightly raised above. Inflorescence among leaves, leaf-opposed, 1-2-flowered, to 6 flowers in succession. Indument: peduncles and outer side of bracts and sepals densely covered with stellate scales 0.1-0.6 mm in diam., outer side of petals sparsely covered with stellate hairs and scales 0.1-0.6 mm in diam., inner side of sepals densely covered with greyish white, stellate hairs ca. 0.1 mm in diam., inner side of petals sparsely covered with stellate hairs 0.1-0.2 mm in diam., basally glabrous. Peduncle 1 mm long, 1 mm in diam. Sympodial rachis to 5 mm long. Pedicels 5-10 mm long, 1-2 mm in diam., grooved. Upper bract halfway the pedicel, broadly ovate-triangular, 1.5-3 mm long, caducous. Flower buds ovoid. Flowers cream in vivo, inner base of inner petals red. Sepals connate for 50-60%, broadly ovate-triangular (free part), 22-27 mm long, 18-20 mm wide, distinctly ribbed, obtuse. Petals subequal, narrowly oblong-obovate, 18-21 mm long, 5-6 mm wide, acute, inner base of inner petals callose, weakly grooved. Stamens 1.2-1.3 mm long, pink in vivo, apex of connective discoid, 0.2-0.3 x 0.5-0.6 mm, papillate. Carpels not seen. Fruit green maturing white in vivo, globose to subglobose, 2-3 cm in diam., sepals persistent and completely enclosing the fruit, basal collar absent, fertile carpels ca. 25, obovoid, 7-10 mm long, 6-8 mm in diam., free, areoles depressed obovoid, 3-4 mm high, rounded, apiculate (apicule 0.5-1 mm long), verrucose, blackish, glabrous. Seeds obovoid, 8 mm long, 6 mm in diam., obtuse to rounded, chestnut brown, shiny.

  • Discussion

    Duguetia guianensis is easily recognized by its distinctly-ribbed sepals, which even exceed the petals in length, a fruit completely enclosed by the far-connate sepals, and with few and rounded fruiting carpels. The relationship is discussed under D. asterotricha.

  • Distribution

    Guyana and Suriname. In low, non-inundated forest; on brown sandy clay, on loamy soil among granite boulders, and on weathered ironstone. At elevations up to 915 m. Flowering in February, July through September, fruiting in February, June through September. Flowers with strong scent of acetone (University of Guyana, Course Neotropical Botany 33).

    Guyana South America| Suriname South America|