Swartzia microcarpa Spruce ex Benth.
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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. R. Spruce 2619 (holotype K; isotypes BM, BR, C, CGE, F, Fl, G, GH, GOET, K, LE, NY, P, RB, S, W), Rio Uaupés and Rio Paapurés, Amazonas, Brazil, Nov. 1852.
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Synonyms
Tounatea microcarpa (Spruce ex Benth.) Taub., Tunatea microcarpa (Spruce ex Benth.) Kuntze
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Description
Description - Tree 10 m tall, the crown spreading, the branchlets densely malpighio-strigulose minutely; stipules caducous, minute; petioles terete, 10-15.5 mm long, minutely malpighio-strigulose; rachis 11-15.5 cm long, estipellate, minutely malpighio-strigulose; leaflets 9-11, alternate, oval to narrowly elliptic, 7-12.5 cm long, 2.5-5 cm wide, the base cuneate, the apex bluntly long-acuminate, the acumen 1-2 cm long, the upper surface glabrous, densely and minutely malpighio-strigulose beneath, the costa plane to impressed above, salient beneath; inflorescence racemose or panicled-racemose, 9-21 cm long, ramuligerous or axillary, the axis minutely malpighio-strigulose, the bracts deciduous, 1-1.5 mm long, 0.8-1 mm wide, triangular-ovate, minutely strigulose externally, glabrous within, the bracteoles arising at the apex of the pedicels, persistent, ca 0.7 mm long and 0.4 mm wide, lanceolate; pedicels 8-10 mm long, laterally compressed, minutely strigulose; buds subglobose, umbonate, ca & mm diameter, minutely strigulose; calyx segments minutely malpighio-strigulose externally, glabrous within; petal yellow, glabrous, the claw 3.5-4.5 mm long, the blade rounded, the base subcordate, 8-12 mm diameter; larger stamens 5-7, the filaments glabrous, 13-15.5 mm long, the anthers oblong, ca 1.5 mm long and 1 mm wide, sparingly malpighio-strigulose, the smaller stamens with glabrous filaments ca 9 mm long, the anthers oval, ca 1 mm long, sparingly malpighio-strigulose, the pollen of all the stamens globose, 28.5-31 ^ diameter; gynoecium densely malpighio-strigulose, the stigma punctiform, the style 3-3.5 mm long, glabrous apically, the ovary 3.5-5 mm long, ca 2.5 mm wide, oval, the gynophore 6-8.5 mm long; fruit broadly oval in outline, very narrowly elliptic in transverse section, 6-6.5 cm long, ca 5 cm wide, minutely malpighio-strigulose, thinner at the sutures, the carpophores 17-18 mm long, minutely strigulose, 1-seeded; seeds oval, 40-42 mm long, 25-32 mm wide, flattened.
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Discussion
The alternate leaflets of this species are a unique characteristic in the genus, which sets it off quite distinctly from all the other species. The malpighian hairs which are found on various parts of the plant, as well as the floral morphology (especially the gynoecial type), relate S. microcarpa to S. schomburgkii, in particular to var. guayanensis, and to the poorly known S. leiocalycina of Guyana. The alternate leaflets of S. microcarpa are much narrower than in any part of S. schomburgkii and the pubescent ovary separates it from vars. schomburgkii and rigida; the same characters distinguish it from S. leiocalycina.
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Distribution
(Fig. 13). Region of the international boundary between northwestern Brazil and southeastern Colombia, along the rivers.
Colombia South America| Amazonas Colombia South America| Vaupés Colombia South America| Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America|