Duguetia ruboides Maas & He

  • 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 ruboides Maas & He

  • Type

    Type: Brazil. Maranhão: Mun. Sta. Luzia, Fazenda Agripec ofVARIG, left bank of Rio Pindaré, 2 Apr 1983 (fr), Lobo et al 324 (holotype, U).

  • Description

    Species Description - Tree, 5-10 m tall. Young twigs and petioles totally covered with stellate scales 0.1-0.3 mm in diam. Petioles 1-3 mm long, 1-1.5 mm in diam. Lamina narrowly elliptic, 6-15 cm long, 2-4.5 cm wide, leaf index 3-3.8, chartaceous, pale green above, pale brown below, glabrous above, sparsely covered with stellate scales 0.2-0.3 mm in diam. below, base acute to attenuate, apex shortly acuminate (acumen 5-10 mm long) to acute, a few leaves slightly aberrant in being obtuse to even emarginate, primary vein impressed above, secondary veins curved, 10-14 on either side of primary vein, raised above, angles with primary vein 65-75°, loop-forming at almost right angles, loops indistinct, smallest distance between loops and margin 2-3 mm, tertiary veins slightly raised on both sides. Inflorescences among leaves, leaf-opposed, sub-axillary, or terminal (on a short lateral shoot), 1-flowered. Indument: peduncles, pedicels, and outer side of bracts and sepals totally covered with stellate scales 0.2-0.4 mm in diam., inner side of sepals and both sides of petals densely to totally covered with stellate hairs 0.1-0.2 mm in diam., inner basal 1/4 to 1/5 of inner petals glabrous. Peduncle up to 8 mm long. Pedicels 6-12 mm long, 1-2 mm in diam, fruiting pedicel to 3 mm in diam. Upper bract halfway the pedicel, ovate-triangular, 1.5-3 mm long. Flower buds broadly to depressed ovoid, 3-ridged by recurved edges of the sepals. Flower color in vivo unknown. Sepals free, broadly ovate, 10-12 mm long, 10-12 mm wide, obtuse. Petals subequal, obovate to obtrullate, 1520 mm long, 10-16 mm wide, obtuse, base of inner petals not callose. Stamens 2-2.5 mm long, apex of connective discoid, 0.3-0.4 x 0.5-0.7 mm, densely covered simple hairs. Carpels (as counted in flower) ca. 40, 3-4 mm long, ovary totally covered with simple hairs, stigma glabrous. Fruit brownish green to green in vivo, globose, 2-2.5 cm in diam., basal collar absent, fertile carpels 20-25, globular to more or less obovoid-obtrulloid, 10-12 mm long, 6-10 mm in diam., free, areoles depressed ovoid, 4-6 mm high, distinctly and regularly rounded, minutely apiculate (apicule to 1 mm long), densely covered with stellate hairs 0.1-0.2 mm in diam. Seeds obovoid, 9-11 mm long, 6-9 mm in diam., obtuse to rounded, pale brown, shiny.

  • Discussion

    Duguetia ruboides is distinct by a fruit composed of rather few, globose carpels, or almost so, recalling the fruit of the genus Rubus. In that aspect it resembles D. guianensis. The flowers, on the other hand, resemble those of D. calycina. The latter fact is reflected in cluster analysis bringing D. ruboides and D. calycina into one cluster (Fig. 37, 5th cluster).

  • Distribution

    Endemic to the Brazilian state of Maranhão. In forest; on sandy soil. At elevations from sea level to 100 m. Flowering in October and December, fruiting in April.

    Brazil South America| Maranhão Brazil South America|