Eschweilera grandiflora (Aubl.) Sandwith

  • Authority

    Mori, S. A. & Lepsch da Cunha, Nadia M. 1995. The Lecythidaceae of a central Amazonian moist forest. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 75: 1-55.

  • Family

    Lecythidaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Eschweilera grandiflora (Aubl.) Sandwith

  • Description

    Species Description - Understory trees, to 22 m tall, unbuttressed. Bark dark brown, with very fine vertical cracks, the outer bark ca. 1 mm thick, the inner bark ca. 2 mm thick, often orangish, with distinct red line between outer and inner bark. Leaves: petioles 15-25 mm long; blades elliptic or narrowly oblong to oblong, 10-35 x 5-14 cm, chartaceous, glabrous, often with longitudinal striations running parallel to midrib, with 12-19 pairs of lateral veins; base obtuse to rounded; apex short acuminate to acuminate. Inflorescences terminal or in axils of uppermost leaves, simple racemes, the rachis angular, often zig-zag; pedicels 20-30 mm long, glabrous. Flowers 4.5-6 cm diam.; calyx-lobes 6, markedly imbricate, wine-colored, 12-24 x 11-20 mm; petals 6, tightly appressed to androecial hood and turned under at apex, white tinged with various shades of red; androecial hood yellow on outside, more intense yellow on inside, the staminal ring with 250-400 stamens; ovary usually 4-locular, the style oblique, 4-8 mm long. Fruits depressed globose, 2.5-4 x 5-6 cm, the persistent, nonaltered calyx-lobes attached near base, the supracalycine zone occupying most of fruit, the pericarp 2-4 mm thick; operculum slightly convex, umbonate.

  • Discussion

    Common name. Matamatá rósea. This common name is selected as most appropriate because it describes the pinkish or reddish tinge of the calyx and corolla. Comments. This species is characterized by its (1) dark trunk, (2) slash with dark red middle bark, (3) large leaves with distinct longitudinal striations, (4) large flowers on an angular, zig-zag inflorescence, (5) very large and imbricate calyx-lobes, and (6) fruits with persistent but nonaltered calyx-lobes.

  • Distribution

    Habitat. Terra firme. The 100-ha plot contains 335 individuals of this species >10 cm dbh.

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