Byrsonima garcibarrigae Cuatrec.

  • Authority

    Maguire, Bassett. 1978. The botany of the Guayana Highland--part XI. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 32: 1-391.

  • Family

    Malpighiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Byrsonima garcibarrigae Cuatrec.

  • Description

    Species Description - Trees 6-20 m tall; vegetative stems glabrous except hirsute in axils of stipules. Lamina of the larger leaves 9-12.5 cm long, 3.5-5 cm wide, elliptical, attenuate or cuneate at the base, acuminate or rarely acute at the apex, glabrous, the lateral veins prominulous on both sides; petiole 15-20 mm long, glabrous; stipules ca 1 mm long, free, broadly rounded, abaxially glabrous, adaxially hirsute. Inflorescence 6-16 cm long, tomentose, the flowers borne 1(-2) per bract; bracts 1-1.5 mm long and wide, triangular, often revolute, glabrous or bearing a few hairs, persistent, probably past maturity ofthe fruit; peduncle none; bracteoles like the bracts or smaller. Pedicel 4.5-6 mm long, subsericeous to subvelutinous, circinate in bud, straight in old flowers and young fruits. Sepals all biglandular, 1.7-2 mm long and wide, obtuse or rounded, glabrous except at base and ciliate on margin, reflexed in anthesis, accrescent in fruit; glands 1.9-2.2 mm long, pink. Petals white (pink in age?), glabrous, the outermost concealing all others during enlargement ofthe bud. Anthers 1.2-1.5 mm long, glabrous, the locules 0.8-1 mm long, dorsiventrally flattened, the connective exceeding the locules by 0.4-0.6 mm, the extension globose, inserted slightly between the locules. Ovary glabrous, aH 3 locules fertile; styles ca 3 mm long. Mature fruit unknown.

  • Discussion

    Type. Garcia-Barriga 14107, Soratama, entre los rfos Kananar y Pacoa, Río Apaporis, Amazonas, Colombia, 250 m, Dec flr (holotype US! isotype NY!). This species is very similar to Byrsonima densa (Poiret) DC. (=B. amazonica Grisebach), and I shall not be surprised if the two are eventually united on the strength of collections that combine the characters that presently distinguish them. Those characters are summarized in this couplet: 1. Pedicel 4.5-6 mm long; petiole of larger leaves 15-20 mm long; outermost petal concealing all others during enlargement of the bud; vegetative parts glabrous (except stipules adaxially). B. garcibarrigae. 1. Pedicel 6-11 mm long; petiole usually less than 10 mm long; 3-4 petals visible in enlarging bud; vegetative parts often initially sericeous, soon glabrate. B. densa. Most collections of Byrsonima densa have been from northeastern Amazonia (Para, Amapa, French Guiana, Surinam). However, Froes 22804 (IAN), from the Rio Negro, seems to be referable to that species, so the apparent geographic disjunction of the two maybe an artifact of inadequate collecting.

  • Distribution

    Distribution. Northwestern Amazonia. BRAZIL. Amazonas: CEPLAC, Km 29 Manaus-Itacoatiara Road, Sep flr, Pennington et al P22759 (MICH). COLOMBIA. Vaupes: Rio Kananari y Cerro Isibukuri, Nov flr, Garcia-Barriga 13769 (NY, US), Sep flr, Schultes & Cabrera 14683 (COL, GH). Amazonas-Vaupes: Rio Apaporis, entre los ros Kananarf y Pacoa, 250 m, Dec flr, Garcia-Barriga 13835 (NY, US).

    Brazil South America| Colombia South America|