Drypetes spruceana Müll.Arg.
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Authority
Maguire, Bassett. 1967. The botany of the Guayana Highland--Part VII. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 17: 1-439.
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Family
Euphorbiaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Distribution and Ecology - Known only from the type locality.
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Discussion
Type. "Ad flumina Casiquiari, Pasiva et Pacimoni, R. Spruce 3296” (isotype NY) Terr. Amazonas, Venezuela.
The type is a juvenile male specimen, too young to enable me to establish the correct picture of the male flower. The female flower and fruit are unknown. The drawing in Fl. Bras. 79, t.12 is about correct. Dissection of male buds did not give more reliable details. Muller-Argoviensis statement “rudimento ovarii conico hirsuto” could not be verified with certainty, but it is probably correct. In the expanded description ( Fl. Bras. 79), the disk is described as "crassus, vulgo inter basin filamentorum peripheriam versus progrediens, unde filamenta tum in emarginaturis profundis disci inserta apparent.” The illustration shows glands opposite the outer stamens. The isotype in NY did not permit me to verify this. I suspect the above description of the disk was not made from the type, but is simply quoted from specimens outside of our area, possibly from West Indian specimens.