Duguetia longicuspis Benth.

  • 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 longicuspis Benth.

  • Type

    Type: Brazil. Amazonas: Lago do Alexo ( Aleixo ), near mouth of Rio Negro, Jul 1851 (fl), Spruce 1742 (holotype, K; isotypes, BM, F: fragment, K, M, P).

  • Description

    Species Description - Tree, 5-20 m tall, to 35 cm in diam. Young twigs and petioles totally covered with greyish, stellate hairs 0.2-0.6 mm in diam. Petioles 2-7 mm long, 1-2 mm in diam. Lamina narrowly oblong-elliptic to narrowly oblong-ovate, 10-21 cm long, 2.5-5 cm wide, leaf index 3.2-4.7, chartaceous, often slightly shiny, dark green to blackish green above, greyish to greyish green below, glabrous above, but primary vein densely covered with stellate hairs 0.2-0.6 mm in diam., densely to sparsely covered with stellate hairs 0.1-0.8 mm in diam. below, base acute to obtuse, apex long-acuminate (acumen up to 30 mm long) or tapering towards a very long acute point, primary vein impressed above, secondary veins curved and recurved, 12-20 on either side of primary vein, raised above, angles with primary vein 60-80°, loop-forming at obtuse angles, loops distinct, smallest distance between loops and margin 1-6 mm, tertiary veins slightly raised above. Inflorescences among leaves, supra-axillary or leaf-opposed, 1-3-flowered. Indument: pedicels and outer side of bracts and both sides of sepals and petals totally covered with brownish to greyish, stellate hairs 0.2-0.5 mm in diam., inner base of petals glabrous. Peduncle 0-1 mm long. Pedicels 5-10 mm long, 1-2 mm in diam., slightly grooved, fruiting pedicels to 5 mm in diam., often much conically widened below the fruit. Upper bract at 1/2 to 2/3 of pedicel, depressed ovate, 2-3 mm long. Flower buds broadly ovoid-triangular, acute. Flowers red to pink in vivo. Sepals greenish in vivo, broadly ovate to triangular, free to connate for ca. 10%, 10-15 mm long, 6-8 mm wide, acute. Petals subequal, narrowly ovate to triangular, 16-25 mm long, 6-8 mm wide, acute, primary vein distinctly raised at the outer side, inner base of inner petals callose, strongly grooved. Stamens 0.8-1.2 mm long, color unknown, apex of connective discoid, umbonate, 0.2 x 0.5 mm, papillate to puberulous (in the type collection). Carpels 2.5-3 mm long, ovary totally covered with hairs to 0.5 mm long, stigma sparsely to densely so. Fruit yellowish green in vivo, globose, 4.5-15 cm in diam., basal collar composed of 14-18 connate, sterile carpels, 10-11 mm in diam., not protruding below the fruit, fertile carpels 200-300, obovoid to obtrulloid, 15-40 mm long, 4-13 mm in diam., free, laterally flattened, areoles pyramidal, 4-8 mm high, acute, apiculate (apicule curved, 1-2 mm long), surface wrinkled, totally covered with stellate hairs to 0.1 mm in diam. Seeds narrowly ellipsoid, 14-22 mm long, 4-7 mm in diam., acute, pale brown to orange-brown, dull.

  • Discussion

    Locally used as a fishing rod.

    Duguetia longicuspis cannot easily be confused with any other species of Duguetia because of its narrow, long-acuminate leaves with stellate hairs on the lower side. The fruit is composed of many (200-300) greyish carpels. Young leaves are mostly densely hairy below, turning to sparsely hairy or subglabrous with age. The systematic position of D. longicuspis remains doubtful. Fries’ grouping together with D. uniflora, D. pohliana, and D. vallicola (in Sect. Calothrix; Fries, 1934) is not matched by our UPGMA analysis (Fig. 37, compare 7th and 8th clusters).

  • Distribution

    Amazonian Brazil. In periodically-inundated forest (igapó, várzea), one collection from non-inundated forest; on sandy or clayey soil. At elevations up to 200 m. Flowering from July to October, one collection from February, fruiting from August to February (one collection of ripe fruit in July). Knob et al. 817 has flowers with a weak odor.

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