Heteropterys macrostachya A.Juss.
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Authority
Maguire, Bassett. 1978. The botany of the Guayana Highland--part XI. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 32: 1-391.
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Family
Malpighiaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Woody vine, rarely a spreading shrub, the young stems sericeous, lenticellate. Lamina of the larger leaves 11-20 cm long, 6.5-10.5 cm wide, elliptical or slightly ovate or obovate, cuneate to rounded at the base, obtuse, short-acuminate, rounded, or retuse and mucronate at the apex, coriaceous, very soon glabrate and shining above or sericeous on the midrib, very densely and persistently metallic-sericeous below, the hairs producing a golden or silvery sheen, with an irregular row of small impressed glands below set in from the margin, the lateral veins and reticulum prominulous on both sides; petiole 8-13 mm long, sericeous, 2-4-glandular at or above the middle; stipules minute, ca 0.2-0.3 mm long, borne on (or beside?) the base of the petiole, often apparently absent. Inflorescence a raceme or panicle of 4-6-flowered umbels, sericeous, the floriferous bracts 1-1.5 mm long, eglandular, the peduncle 3-6 mm long, the bracteoles like the bracts and quite apical. Pedicel 2-5 mm long, sericeous. Sepals 0.5-2 mm long beyond the glands, 1.5 mm wide, triangular, appressed, abaxially uniformly sericeous, adaxially glabrous, the lateral 4 bearing 8 eHiptical glands 2-3.5 mm long and sericeous on the inner edges, the anterior eglandular but appearing glanduliferous due to lateral displacement of adjacent glands. Petals yellow, glabrous, abaxially carinate, the lateral 4 spreading, with the claw 1.2-1.5 mm long, the limb 3-5 mm long, 2-3.5 mm wide, truncate or sagittate at the base, entire or denticulate; posterior petal erect, with the thick claw 1.5-2.5 mm long, the limb 3-4.5 mm long, 2.5-3.5 mm wide, glandular-dentate on the proximal 1/2-2/3. Filaments 1.5-3 mm long, glabrous or abaxially sparsely sericeous, 1/2-2/3 connate, straight; anthers 1.2-1.6 mm long, glabrous, subequal, reflexed, the connective dark red. Ovary 1.5 mm high, sericeous; styles 1.2-2.3 mm long, glabrous, straight or slightly divergent, dorsally truncate at the apex. Samara 30-65 mm long, sericeous, borne nearly erect; dorsal wing 25-57 mm long, 12-27 mm wide, the abaxial edge straight or somewhat recurved; nut subspheroidal, 5-10 mm in diameter, smooth-sided; torus ca 3 mm high.
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Discussion
7. Heteropterys macrostachya Adr. Jussieu, Ann. Sci. Nat. 2° Ser. Bot. 13: 275. 1840. Heteropterys apiculata Miquel, Stirp. Surin. 81. 1851. Type. Kappler, Marowijne River, Surinam (U?). Type. L. C. Richard, French Guiana (G, P). This species is quite variable, especially in size and shape of the leaves and samaras, and my description does not attempt to accommodate extra-Guayana variation. It is based only on the collections cited above.
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Distribution
Distribution. Riverine forests from Costa Rica and Trinidad to Bolivia and central Brazil. Collections from Guayana and adjacent localities: VENEZUELA. Bolívar: Río Paragua, Raudal de Guaiquinima, elev 475 m, Steyermark 90809 (NY); Salto Para, Río Caura, elev 200 m, Steyermark et al 113011 (MICH) & LL Williams 11483 (US, VEN); Piedra Marimare, E bank of Río Orinoco opposite head of Isla El GaHo, Wurdack & Monachino 40860 (MICH, NY, US, VEN); Río Suapure between mouth and Los Aceites (35 km
Costa Rica South America| Trinidad and Tobago South America| Venezuela South America| Guyana South America| Brazil South America| Bolivia South America| Colombia South America|