Swartzia cuspidata 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 cuspidata Spruce ex Benth.

  • Type

    Type collection. R. Spruce 2048 (holotype K; isotype BM, CGE, F, Fl, G, GH, GOET, LE, M, NY, P, RB, W), below the falls of São Gabriel, Amazonas, Brazil, Jan. 1852.

  • Synonyms

    Tounatea cuspidata (Spruce ex Benth.) Taub., Tunatea cuspidata (Spruce ex Benth.) Kuntze, Swartzia cuspidata var. brevistyla Huber

  • Description

    Description - Shrub or tree 3-18 m tall, the trunk 0.9-2.5 dm or more diameter, the branchlets microscopically strigulose, soon glabrescent; stipules persistent, glabrous or microscopically strigulose and glabrescent, usually foliaceous, (0.7-)2-6(-15) mm long, (0.6-) 1-2.5 mm wide, narrowly elliptic or falcate-elliptic and acute to acuminate, or less frequently triangular; petioles estipellate, glabrous or microscopically strigulose and glabrescent, (8-) 12-17(-30) mm long, the rachis estipellate, (35-)40-60(-140) mm long, glabrous or micro-strigulose and glabrescent; leaflets 2- or 3-jugate, the petiolules (2.5-)5-6(-8) mm long, glabrous or glabrescent, the blades of the lowermost pair of leaflets smaller, 6.5-9 cm long and 2.5-4 cm wide, those of the other pairs 8-13.5 cm long, 3-6 cm wide, all the leaflets strongly discolorous, acute basally or those of the lowermost pair rounded-obtuse, the apex long-acuminate or caudate-acuminate, the tip obtuse or mucronulate, the upper surface glabrous, the lower glabrous or sparingly micro-strigulose, the venation obscure to prominulous, the costa salient on both sides or plane on the upper surface, the primary veins plane; inflorescences panicled-racemose or occasionally simply racemose, cauligerous to ramuligerous, 6-35 cm long, the axis micro-strigulose, the bracts deciduous to persistent, (1-)2-3 mm long, 0.5-1.5 mm wide, ovate to lanceolate, infrequently triangular, micro-strigulose externally, glabrous within, the bracteoles deciduous to persistent, arising in the upper half of the pedicel, 0.5-2 mm long, lanceolate; pedicels (6-)8-15 mm long, very much compressed laterally, micro-strigulose; buds mostly oval in outline, 6-9 mm diameter, acute apically, truncate basally, often with light-colored vertical streaks; calyx segments 4, sparingly to densely micro-strigulose externally, sometimes glabrous, the inner surfaces glabrous; petal yellow or pale yellowish-white, glabrous, the claw ca 2.5 mm long, the blade broadly ovate to circular, the base rounded-truncate, 11-16 mm long, 14 mm wide; larger stamens 4-6, glabrous, the filaments 8-10(-15) mm long, the anthers 2-3.5 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, oblong, the connective and filaments black, the thecae white, the smaller stamens glabrous, the filaments united basally in fascicles, 4-7.5 mm long, the anthers oval-oblong, ca 1-1.5 mm long, 0.7-1 mm wide, the thecae white and the connective black; gynoecium glabrous, the stigma obtuse, the style 2.5-3 mm long, the ovary 5-8 mm long, 1-2 mm wide, narrowly elliptic, arcuate, the gynophore 6-12 mm long; fruit elliptic in outline, 2.5-7.5 cm long, 1.5-2 cm wide, glabrous, 1- or 2-seeded, the stipe 8-9 mm long; seeds ca 2.5 cm long and 1.5 cm wide, elliptic.

  • Discussion

    This species, with S. discocarpa and its relatives, forms a small, closely knit group which appears to be most nearly related to S. recurva. The absence of pubescence on the inner surfaces of the calyx in S. cuspidata and its allies is a good distinguishing characteristic separating them from S. recurva. Swartzia cuspidata may be separated from its near-relatives by its non-foliaceous bracts and bracteoles, differently shaped leaflets, and by the form of the fruits.

    The variety described by Huber is well within the range of morphologic variation characterizing the species; the style was described as being much shorter than in the typical variety and the androecium with fewer large stamens.

  • Distribution

    (Fig. 20). Typically, individuals of this species are forest trees ca 6-7 m tall, apparently occurring most commonly on sandy soils, less frequently on clay. The species is commonest in the upper Amazon Basin in Brazil, but it is also represented in southwestern Venezuela (Río Negro Drainage) and in eastern Peru. The collection from the mouth of the Amazon appears greatly disjunct from the main part of the range, but this distribution is not uncommon for plants of the Amazonian riverine forest.

    Venezuela South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Mato Grosso Brazil South America|