Swartzia remiger Amshoff
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Authority
Cowan, Richard S. 1967. Swartzia (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae Swartzieae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 1: 3-228. (Published by NYBG Press)
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Family
Fabaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type collection. Suriname For. Dept. Herb. No. 3308 (lectotype U; isolectotype NY), Brownsberg Forest Reserve, Suriname, Sept. 1917. Of the several collections cited in the original publication of this species, only two are fertile; both are in bud and this one is considerably better material. Since no holotype was indicated at the time of publication, this collection is designated as the lectotype collection.
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Description
Description - Tree 15-20 m tall, the trunk 0.25-1.5 m diameter, broadly and deeply fluted, narrowly buttressed, the branchlets velutinous; stipules caducous, lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, acute, 4.5-6 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, densely strigose externally, glabrous within; petioles terete, 2-5.5 cm long, velutinous, glabrescent; rachis 6-17.5 cm long, velutinous, glabrescent; leaflets 6-8-jugate, opposite to subopposite, the petiolules 4-9 mm long, velutinous, canaliculate, the blades (8-) 10.5-15.5 cm long, 3.5-5.5 cm wide, ovate-elliptic, elliptic or elliptic-oblong, the base acute, the apex acute to acuminate, the upper surface glabrous, strigulose but glabrescent beneath, the costa impressed on the upper surface, salient beneath, the primary veins plane to slightly impressed on both surfaces; inflorescences racemose, ramuligerous, 8-18 cm long, the axis velutinous, the bracts persistent, 5-7.5 mm long, ca 2.5 mm wide, oblong-lanceolate, tomentose-strigose externally, glabrous within, the bracteoles persistent, arising near the apex of the pedicel, 5.5-7.5 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, oblong-lanceolate, tomentose-strigose externally, glabrous within; pedicels 8-9 mm long, velutinous; buds ovate in outline, ca 9 mm long and 7 mm diameter; calyx segments 4 or 5, thick, rigid, densely strigose externally, glabrous within; petal white, glabrous, the claw ca 5 mm long, the blade oblate, ca 20 mm long and 25 mm wide; larger stamens 5, glabrous, the filaments 20 mm long, the anthers oblong, ca 1.5 mm long and 0.7 mm wide, the smaller stamens glabrous; gynoecium glabrous, the style ca 11 mm long, the ovary ca 9 mm long and 2 mm wide, narrowly elliptic, the gynophore ca 10.5 mm long; fruit oblanceolate in outline, ca 6.5 cm long and 2.5 cm diameter, glabrous, verrucose.
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Discussion
The very large, conspicuous, densely pubescent bracts and bracteoles amply separate S. remiger from its near-relatives, such as S. polyphylla and S. schomburgkii. These latter species usually have fewer pairs of leaflets per leaf; the lower surfaces of the leaflets of S. schomburgkii are densely micro-puberulous with peltate hairs.
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Distribution
(Fig. 12). High forest in the interior of Suriname up to 600 m alt.
Suriname South America|