Rheedia achachairu Rusby
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Authority
Rusby, Henry H. 1927. Descriptions of New Genera and Species of Plants Collected on the Mulford Biological Exploration of the Amazon Valley 1921-1922. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 7: 205-387.
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Family
Clusiaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - (Fruiting specimen.) Glabrous. Branchlets slender, divaricate, fleshy, greenish, sharply angled. Petioles 1.5 cm. long, thick, dilated and clasping at the base, transversely finely many-wrinkled. Blades to 15 cm. long, 5 cm. broad, oval, with acute base and very abruptly short-pointed, acute summit, entire, thick, drying yellowish-green, the venation prominent on both surfaces, the secondaries about 40, with intermediate smaller ones. Peduncle slender, nearly 1 cm. long. Persistent sepals 2, oval, 2 mm. long, strongly reflexed. Berry globose, yellow, 2 cm. broad. Stigma black, nearly sessile, 2 mm. broad. Seed mostly 1, sometimes 2.
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Discussion
Distribution and ecology - Rurrenabaque, 1,000 feet, M. Cardenas, October 12, 1921 (no. 1256). "Fruit edible, and known locally as 'Achachairu.' A shrub or small tree of the forest, with yellow fruit." A specimen, collected by Dr. White (no. 1476) appears to me to be the same, although he says that the fruit has a waxy bloom, and is bluish, possibly because immature.