Swartzia tessmannii Harms
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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. G. Tessmann 3631 (lectotype NY; isolectotypes F, G, S, US), Río Marañón, near Iquitos, Peru. The holotype in the Berlin Herbarium was destroyed by fire during World War II.
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Description
Description - Tree 7 m or more tall, the branchlets minutely strigulose; stipules 1.5-3 mm long, linear, minutely strigulose externally; petioles 10-15(-23) mm long, stipellate apically, minutely strigulose; rachis marginate to canaliculate, (2.5-)4-6 cm long, stipellate at each pair of leaflets, minutely strigulose; leaflets (1 -)2-(-4-) jugate, the petiolules 1-2 mm long, minutely strigulose, the blades ovate to elliptic to broadly elliptic, the lateral leaflets 4.5-8 cm long, 2-3 cm wide, the terminal one 9-12 cm long, 4.5-6 cm wide, the base cuneate, the apex sharply to bluntly acute to acuminate, the upper surfaces shining and green, glabrous except for the strigulose or velutinous costa, the lower surface dull, darker and minutely strigulose at least on the costa, the costa impressed but the venules slightly salient on the upper surface, both costa and venules more or less salient beneath; inflorescence ramuligerous, racemose, 5.5-10 cm long, the axis minutely strigulose, the bracts persistent, ca 0.5 mm long and wide, acute, minutely strigulose externally, glabrous within, the bracteoles lacking; pedicels 2-5 mm long; buds globose, ca 3 mm diameter, minutely strigulose; calyx segments 4, persistent with the mature fruits, 3-4 mm long, minutely strigulose externally, glabrous within; corolla lacking; larger stamens 2, the filaments ca 3 mm long, the upper part minutely strigulose, the anthers oval, ca 1 mm long and 0.5 mm wide, the pollen globose, ca 23.5 n diameter, the filaments of the smaller stamens glabrous, ca 3.5 mm long, the anthers orbicular, 0.6 mm diameter, the pollen globose, 23.5-26 n diameter; gynoecium sericeous, excepting the 0.5 mm long style, the stigma punctiform, the ovary oval, ca 2 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, the gynophore ca 1 mm long; fruits orange-colored, elliptic in outline, glabrous, 1-seeded, 23-28 mm long, 15-17 mm diameter; seed shining, black, oval, ca 25 mm long and 15 mm diameter, not arillate.
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Discussion
Swartzia tessmannii is perhaps most nearly related to the S. apetala complex, most of which is restricted to southeastern Brazil. The present species differs at once in its sericeous gynoecium, in addition to the geographic disjunction. Its nearest relative geographically is S. oraria which inhabits the coastal forest of western Colombia; the sericeous gynoecium of S. tessmannii is the most obvious difference to separate it from S. oraria but there are a rather large number of small differences which cumulatively are considered to be of specific importance.
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Distribution
(Fig. 30). Riverine forest up to 425 m alt. in Amazonian Brazil and Peru, and in southern Venezuela.
Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America|