Swartzia cardiosperma Spruce ex Benth.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Fabaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Swartzia cardiosperma Spruce ex Benth.

  • Type

    Type collection. R. Spruce 3361 (lectotype K; isolectotypes BM, BR, C, CGE, F, GOET, M, NY, RB, W), collected along the Río Pacimoni, Amazonas, Venezuela. The other Spruce collection cited in the original description is fruiting and thus less desirable as a lectotype.

  • Synonyms

    Swartzia cardiosperma var. foliolosum Benth., Tounatea cardiosperma (Spruce ex Benth.) Taub., Tunatea cardiosperma (Spruce ex Benth.) Kuntze

  • Description

    Description - Tree 6-20 m tall, the trunk 15-50 cm diameter, the branchlets minutely strigulose; stipules usually persistent but sometimes deciduous or caducous, 3.5-9 mm long, lanceolate to subulate, often falcate, acute to acuminate, minutely strigulose externally, glabrous within; petioles terete, often stipellate apically, sometimes slightly canaliculate, (1-)2.5-4.5 cm long, minutely strigulose or infrequently glabrous, the rachis 6-12.5 cm long, canaliculate on the upper surface, usually stipellate at each pair of leaflets, minutely strigulose or infrequently glabrous; leaflets (2-)3-5-(-6-) jugate, the petiolules 1-3 mm long, glabrous or strigulose, the blades oblong-elliptic or elliptic to narrowly elliptic, (6-) 12-20 cm long, (2.5-) 4-5.5(-7) cm wide, the upper pairs progressively larger than the lower ones, the base of all the leaflets acute or narrowed but finally obtuse, the apex acute or acuminate, sometimes bluntly so, often mucronulate, pilosulose on the costa on the upper surface, glabrous or sparingly strigulose minutely and glabrescent beneath, the venation obscure above, prominulous beneath, the costa plane or impressed on the upper surface, the costa and primary veins salient beneath; inflorescence racemose, cauligerous or ramigerous, 11-30 cm long, the axes minutely strigulose or with some erect hairs, the bracts persistent or less frequently deciduous, 1-2 mm long, 0.7-1.5 mm wide, triangular-ovate, acute, minutely strigulose externally, glabrous within, the bracteoles lacking; pedicels 11-25 mm long, minutely strigulose or densely puberulous; buds globose, 7-10 mm diameter; calyx segments 3-5, deciduous, minutely strigulose externally, glabrous within; petal yellow, the claw 2.5-4 mm long, sparsely sericeous on both sides or glabrous, the blade ca 10-17 mm long and wide, oval to rounded, basally rounded, subcordate or cordate, glabrous or sparingly sericeous on the base and on the costa externally; large stamens 4, the filaments 12-15 mm long, villose, the anthers 5-6 mm long, oblong, the connective apiculate, sparingly villose on the outer surface, the smaller stamens numerous, the filaments 7-10 mm long, villose, the anthers 2-3 mm long, oblong-lanceolate, villose at the filament-attachment, the connective apiculate, all the pollen 26-28.5 µ diameter, mostly globose, occasional grains deltoid-globose; stigma truncate-obtuse; style 1.5-3 mm long, sericeous; ovary 6-15 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, linear, arcuate, sericeous, the gynophore 5-9 mm long, sericeous; fruit moniliform, each section ca 2 cm long and 1.5 cm diameter, densely strigulose minutely, ± reticulate-rugose, the stipe 10-20 mm long, minutely strigulose densely; seeds 1-9 per fruit, oval to oblong, 1-1.5 cm long, 1 cm wide, the funiculus to 4 cm long.

  • Discussion

    Considering the wide geographic range of this species, it is remarkably uniform morphologically. It is quite similar to S. laurifolia but that species has narrowly revolute leaflets which are nearly evenose on the upper surface, and the filaments are either glabrous or sparsely strigulose.

  • Common Names

    Macuca montañero, voo-a-gú-choy

  • Distribution

    (Fig. 7). Forests of the upper Amazon Basin at low elevations, 100-300 m, in southeastern Colombia, southwestern Venezuela, eastern Peru, and northwestern Brazil on non-inundated lands.

    Colombia South America| Vaupés Colombia South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America|