Swartzia robiniifolia Willd. ex Vogel

  • Authority

    Cowan, Richard S. 1967. Swartzia (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae Swartzieae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 1: 3-228. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Fabaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Swartzia robiniifolia Willd. ex Vogel

  • Type

    Type collection. A. Bonpland 1704 (holotype B; isotypes BM, F, NY, P, US), Honda, Tolima, Colombia, June 1801. This collection is listed in the Willdenow Herbarium as No. 10289.

  • Description

    Description - Tree 6-8 m tall, the branchlets villose-tomentose; stipules caducous, inequilaterally ovate to oblong-lanceolate, acute, 5.5-12 mm long, 2-7 mm wide, subappressed-strigose externally, glabrous within; petioles terete, (1.5-)4-4.5 cm long, villose-tomentose, stipellate apically, the rachis (11 -)30-34 cm long, alate, the wing oblanceolate-oblong, 3-10 mm wide, terminating at each pair of leaflets in arcuate stipels ca 3 mm long, the rachis tomentose to strigose on both surfaces; leaflets (5-)7- or 8-jugate, the petiolules 1-2(-3) mm long, villose-tomentose, the blades of the two lowermost pairs oval to oval-oblong, 3-7.5 cm long, 1.5-4 cm wide, the blades of the remaining pairs oblong to elliptic, 8.5-17 cm long, 4-6 cm wide, the base of all the leaflets rounded, subcordate, the apex acute with a tufted apiculum, both the upper and lower surfaces tomentose, the venation plane above, salient beneath; inflorescence a many-flowered, axillary to ramuligerous raceme 10-21 cm long, the axes villose-tomentose, the bracts persistent, (2-)4-6.5 mm long, ca 1-5 mm wide, broadly ovate or lanceolate, acute, densely villose-strigose on the outer surface, glabrous within, the bracteoles persistent, arising at or near the apex of the pedicel, 2-6 mm long, densely villose-strigose on the outer surface, glabrous within; pedicels 9-20 mm long, villose-tomentose or strigulose; buds globose to elliptic in outline, opening irregularly; calyx segments densely villose-strigose externally, glabrous within; petal yellow, villose-sericeous on the outer surface, glabrous on the inner, the claw 1-4 mm long, the blade broadly ovate, 25-30 mm long, 20-35 mm wide, slightly cordate; larger stamens 2-4, the filaments 15-25 mm long, sparingly villose, the anthers oblong, ca 2.5 mm long, and 1 mm wide, glabrous, the smaller stamens glabrous, the filaments 10-16 mm long, the anthers oval, 1 mm long; gynoecium glabrous except for the gynophore, the stigma capitellate, the style 8-9 mm long, the ovary 9.5-17 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, arcuate-fusiform, the gynophore 6-10 mm long, sparingly villose; fruit not seen.

  • Discussion

    Swartzia robiniifolia is very closely related to S. macrosema of eastern Peru but they are separable by the numbers of pairs of leaflets, the shape and size of the buds and bracteoles, and a large difference in petal size, as well as geographic disjunction. There is also considerable relationship with S. haughtii of western Ecuador; like that species, S. robiniifolia has a relatively large number of leaflet pairs but the latter has larger bracts and bracteoles, and a slightly smaller petal. The pubescence is appressed in S. haughtii.

    The collection from the Florence Herbarium cited below is slightly different from the others cited and a collector is not indicated on the sheet. It differs in having the pubescence on the leaflets and pedicels appressed and the bracts shorter; there are other even slighter differences, none of which seem to justify more than incidental mention.

  • Common Names

    Mulatto

  • Distribution

    (Fig. 6). Along streams and rivers from southern to north central Colombia up to 1700 m alt.

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