Panopsis rubescens (Pohl) Rusby

Authority

Prance, Ghillean T., et al. 2007. Proteaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 100: 1-218. (Published by NYBG Press)

Family

Proteaceae

Scientific Name

Panopsis rubescens (Pohl) Rusby

Type

Type. Brazil. Goias: Rio Areas, Aug 1819 (fl), Pohl s.n. (holotype, W [burned]; lectotype, designated here, BR; isolectotype, NY, fragm. F; possible isolectotype, M ["Pohl (Herb. Zuccarini) 322"]).

Synonyms

Andriapetalum rubescens Pohl, Andriapetalum rubescens var. acuminatum Meisn., Panopsis acuminata (Meisn.) J.F.Macbr., Andriapetalum sprucei Meisn., Panopsis rubescens var. sprucei (Meisn.) Sleumer, Panopsis sprucei Meisn. ex Rusby, Roupala yauaperyensis Barb.Rodr., Panopsis rubescens var. acuminatum Meisn., Panopsis cuaensis Steyerm.

Description

Species Description - Tree, less frequently treelet, or shrub. Young branches with dense indumentum on new growth, somewhat appressed, short to long, tomentose, villous, or puberulous, ferruginous to ochraceous to pale yellow fading to gray, glabrescent; bark red-brown to gray-brown; lenticels absent or present, small, to 0.7 × 0.5 mm, plane becoming raised peripherally, granular, gray through light brown to rufous. Axillary buds small, solitary, densely ferruginous-villous. Petioles (0.4-)l-10(-16.0) cm × 1-2 mm at midlength (broadening to 3 mm at base), generally flat, the hairs sericeous, closely appressed, short to long, tomentose, villous, or puberulous, (straighter and more strongly appressed than on twigs), glabrescent. Leaves subcoriaceous to coriaceous (rarely chartaceous), spirally arranged, rarely decussate, petiolate, the indumentum closely appressed, long sericeous-pilose above, shorter and less sericeous-pilose beneath, glabrescent on both sides except densely persistent hairs on midrib above, ferruginous to golden or pale yellow fading to gray. Lamina 5-29.5x2-9 cm, elliptic, narrowly elliptic, narrow obovate, oblanceolate (occasionally narrowly oblong or widely elliptic); base symmetrical, acute, at times decurrent, to ± cuneate, rarely obtuse; apex acute to obtuse, often acuminate, the acumen to 15 mm long; margin sometimes slightly revolute; venation not conspicuous, raised above, brochidodromous from lowermost secondary vein, rarely eucamptodromous at base; midrib slightly channeled above, rarely slightly raised; lateral veins (6-)8-16(-17) pairs, leaving midrib at 40-80°, remaining straight and parallel almost to leaf margin before ascending steeply, sometimes bifurcating between midrib and marginal vein. Primary axis of inflorescence unbranched, (5-)8-14 cm × 0.5-2 mm, or branched, (5-)8-22(-25) cm × 1.5-3.5 mm (elongating to 33 cm post-anthesis); 1-6 lateral inflorescences at 1-6 nodes, (5-)8-14 (-19) cm × 0.5-1.5 mm, spirally arranged; indumentum yellow-brown- to ferruginous-tomentose, rarely sparsely villous. Common bracts, minute (0.3-) 1-1.5 mm long, tomentose to pilose. Pedicels 4-11(-13) mm long, elongating to 15 mm post-anthesis, (0.2-) 0.3(-0.5) mm wide, short-tomentose to pilose, rarely villous, ferruginous or yellow-brown; flowers (3-)4-6(-6.5) mm long; perianth indumentum closely appressed, sparsely to densely short-sericeous, yellow-brown, rarely ferruginous; free part of filaments 1.2-3 mm long, adnate 1-2 mm from base of perianth parts; anthers 1-1.5 mm long, ca. 0.5 mm wide, narrowly oblong to elliptic; hypogynous nectary to 0.51.5 mm long, deeply lobed from one-third down to (more rarely) the base; ovary hairs reaching 1-2 mm from base, yellow-orange to orange; style 0.20.3 mm wide at midlength, clavate, the style apex slightly drawn out, truncate at very tip with small depression centrally. Fruit pedicel 7-13 × 1-2 mm. Fruit 2.6-6.7cm long, 1.2-3.l cm wide, 0.8-1.7 cm wide, resembling a follicle but indehiscent, highly variable in shape, most commonly elliptic, less frequently narrowly elliptic, widely elliptic, narrowly ovate, ovate, lanceolate, suborbiculate, or oblong; somewhat flattened anterio-posteriorly, tapering proximally at times, more often distally, often at both ends, frequently curving from main axis of fruit forming a boat shape, smooth to irregularly corrugate, indentations oriented with fruit axis, ferruginous, rufous, or brown, velutinous when young, sometimes becoming close-appressed short-tomentose and fading in color, glabrescent; pericarp (1-) 1.5-3 mm thick; outer and mid mesocarp 1-2.5 mm thick, not clearly demarcated; inner mesocarp very thin. Seed coat chartaceous, fused to pericarp in herbarium material. Seed fleshy, laterally compressed.

Discussion

The taxa Panopsis rubescens var. rubescens and P. rubescens var. simulans were separated by Sleumer on the basis of the shape of their leaf apices, the former having an obtuse to subobtuse apex, the latter having an acute acuminate apex. However, there are many specimens of this species with acute acuminate apices, and occasionally both types of apices occur on the same specimen. There is no distinct geographical distribution separating one taxon from the other, so P. rubescens var. simulans has not been recognized here.

Distribition and Ecology: Collected in Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana, Ecuador, Peru, throughout Amazonian Brazil, and at one locality in Bolivia. Commonly grows at altitudes to 500 m, very rarely reaching 2100 m alt. (La Paz, Bolivia). Habitats include riverbanks, lakesides, islands, wet savanna, morichales, and igapó and várzea flooded forest (periodically inundated). Grows on rocky ground and on sand and clay humid soils. Also found on brick red latosols after loss of evergreen mesophytic forest, as a survivor among remnant trees.

Field characters. Small, spreading tree 3-20(-25) m high, 8-65 cm diam, with irregular, open, wide crown; trunk generally branching towards the base. Bark gray to brown, thin, fissured, at times slightly rough or corrugated, otherwise smooth; inner bark reddish or brown. Wood usually with distinct demarcation between heartwood and sapwood, the former pink-brown or brownish to dark red, the latter lighter in color, yellowish to white. Leaves subcoriaceous to coriaceous, dull dark green, indumentum on both sides (sometimes cinereous beneath), becoming glabrous. Inflorescence yellow to rusty pink or ferruginous. Pedicels slender, salmon-buff. Flower buds green or brown. Flowers white or cream to yellow or pale green, often mixed with brown, giving a rusty appearance, fragrant; perianth white to pale green; stamens greenish, ovary pilose, orange or brown. Fruit oval, corrugated, velvety, green- to gray-brown or brown when immature, brown at maturity. One specimen, Capucho 336, was described as being a tree 40 m tall, which exceeds the height from other field descriptions of this species. This species is indicated as being rare at several collections, but reported as common at Alter do Chão (G. Prance, per s. obs.).

Common Names

chaparro de agua, canillo de locho, laurel cachorro, bjuiba halli, abiurana brava, arariea, araribao, Itaubarana, urucuraninha, faia vermelha, cuinha, malheia, pau malheira

Distribution

Amazonas Brazil South America| Amapá Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Rondônia Brazil South America| Tocantins Brazil South America| Roraima Brazil South America| Maranhão Brazil South America| Goiás Brazil South America| Mato Grosso Brazil South America| Bahia Brazil South America| Rio de Janeiro Brazil South America| Loreto Peru South America| La Paz Bolivia South America| Pando Bolivia South America| Napo Ecuador South America| Sucumbíos Ecuador South America| Cayenne French Guiana South America| Rupununi Guyana South America| Madre de Dios Peru South America| Marowijne Suriname South America| Nickerie Suriname South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Anzoátegui Venezuela South America| Apure Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Arauca Colombia South America| Caquetá Colombia South America| Guainía Colombia South America| Vaupés Colombia South America| Vichada Colombia South America| Demerara Guyana South America|