Terminalia valverdeae A.H.Gentry

  • Authority

    Stace, C. A. & Alwan, A.-R A. 2010. Combretaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 107: 1-369. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Combretaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Terminalia valverdeae A.H.Gentry

  • Type

    Type. Ecuador. Guayas: Cerro Azul, entrâda por Casas Viejas, Cordillera de Chongón, 200 m, Aug 1978, Valverde 301 (holotype, MO; isotypes, GUAY n.v., SEL n.v.).

  • Description

    Species Description - Tree to 30 m (? deciduous or evergreen). Leaves (5-)8-15 × 3-7 cm, chartaceous, obovate, acute to obtuse or subacuminate at apex, cuneate (usually narrowly so) at base, glabrous at maturity except sparsely pubescent on main veins abaxially; domatia absent. Venation eucamptodromous; midvein moderate, prominent; secondary veins 5-8 pairs, close to moderately spaced, arising at narrowly to moderately acute angles, curved distally, prominent; intersecondary veins usually absent; tertiary veins regularly percurrent; quaternary veins conspicuous; areolation small, imperfect, slightly prominent. Petiole 1-2 cm, glabrous to sparsely pubescent, inconspicuously biglandular. Inflorescences 5-8 cm, simple, with all flowers bisexual; peduncle 0.7-1.7 cm, pubescent; rhachis 4-7 cm, pubescent. Flowers pentamerous, 4-5 × ca. 3 mm; lower hypanthium 1.3-1.8 mm, densely pubescent; upper hypanthium 1.5-2 mm, campanulate, rather sparsely pubescent; calyx lobes 1-1.5 mm, sparsely pubescent, revolute; disk densely pilose; stamens 2.5-4 mm; style 3-4.5 mm, pilose for most of length. Fruits few crowded on short axis, 2-2.3 × 6-8 cm, flattened, transversely oblong in side view, emarginate at apex and base, sparsely pubescent; wings 2, fairly stiff, equal, 2.5-3.5 cm wide, to 4.3 cm long at longest point, rounded laterally; body 0.6-1.5 cm wide, strongly ridged on one face with sometimes l(-2) extra smaller wings, flat on other face. Reproductive biology. Flowers white. Flowering June, October; fruiting May to August.

  • Discussion

    Uses. Valued locally for its timber.

    Illustrations. Figs. 83c (lf), 84h (fr). Gentry (1981), p. 235; Stace (2007b), Fl. Ecuador 81: 37.

    Terminalia valverdeae has much larger fruits than any other species in western tropical America and is geographically well separated from all other species in section Diptera. Its closest relations are probably the two species of southeastern Brazil, T. januariensis and T. mameluco. It is one of the few species of the family occurring close to the Pacific coast of South America.

  • Common Names

    castaña, huarapo, guarapo

  • Distribution

    Premontane moist mature forest canopy tree, persisting where forest has been cleared, 200-1800 m. Central and southern Ecuador and extreme northwestern Peru, near the coast.

    El Oro Ecuador South America| Loja Ecuador South America| Tumbes Peru South America|