Caraipa parvielliptica Cuatrec.

  • Authority

    Maguire, Bassett. 1978. The botany of the Guayana Highland--part X. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 29: 1-288.

  • Family

    Clusiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Caraipa parvielliptica Cuatrec.

  • Description

    Species Description - Large tree; young branchlets stellate-pubescent, glabrescent. Leaves spiral, coriaceous, puberulous along midrib on both faces but otherwise glabrous, (ovate-)elliptic or lanceolate, 1.7-2.7 times longer than wide, 2.5-5.5 cm long, 1.5-2.6 cm wide, the base cuneate, the top obtuse or rounded, sometimes shortly (0.1-0.2 cm) acuminate, the midrib slightly, the nerves inconspicuously elevated beneath, nerves 10-12 pairs, translucent dots usually present; petiole puberulous, 2-4 mm long. Inflorescences terminal many-flowered panicles 4-7 cm long, the branches, bracts, and pedicels stellate-pubescent, bracts and bracteoles caducous, the latter inserted in the middle or above the middle of the pedicels, pedicels 3-5 mm long. Flower buds ellipsoid, 3-4 mm long before anthesis, sepals and petals tomentellous outside, sepals obtuse, free lobes about 0.8 mm wide and 0.6 mm long, petals elliptic, about 7 mm long, ovary tomentellous. Capsule obUquely ovoid, subtrigonous, 1.2-1.4 cm long, brownish-tomentellous, exocarp probably not separable from endocarp.

  • Discussion

    5. Caraipa parvielliptica Cuatrecasas, Rev. Acad. Colomb. 8: 64. 1950. Type. Colombia. Vaupes: J. Cuatrecasas 6920 (holotype US, isotype F). Note. My first impression was to regard this as deriving from and representing a subspecies of C. densifolia with which it seems to be linked through some specimens from the upper Rio Negro (see p. 108) but closer inspecfion showed the present species to differ from C. densifolia, apart from being more graceful, through a spiral phyllotaxy and the lack of pits on the lower leaf epidermis.

  • Distribution

    Distribution. Fig 64. COLOMBIA. Vaupes: Rio Kananari and Cerro Isibukuri, Garcia-Barriga 13778 (NY, US); Schultes & Cabrera 14738 (COL); Rio Vaupes, between Mitu and Miriti, Cuatrecasas 6920 (F, US).

    Colombia South America|