Swartzia pendula 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 pendula Spruce ex Benth.

  • Type

    Type collection. R. Spruce 2154-A (lectotype K; isolectotypes BM, CGE, Fl, G, GH, GOET, LE, M, NY, P, RB, S, W), Falls of San Gabriel, Amazonas, Brazil, Apr. 1852. There are two collections by Spruce numbered "2154"; they were collected in different months at approximately the same locality. The number has been applied to the first collection in March 1852, which is only fruiting; the second collection in April 1852, has been re-numbered "2154-A." It consists of mature flowers and fruit.

  • Synonyms

    Swartzia bracteosa Mart. ex Benth.

  • Description

    Description - Tree or shrub 3-20 m tall, the branches pendent nearly or quite to the base of the trunk, the branchlets slender, strigulose at first but glabrescent; stipules coriaceous, mostly conspicuous, foliaceous, persistent, venose, glabrous, (4.5-) 10-25 mm long., (1 -)7-12(-17) mm wide, sometimes falcate, oblong to elliptic or sometimes ovate, rarely narrowly lanceolate, the apex obtuse to acute, apiculate, or acuminate; leaves unifoliolate, the petiole (3-)4-12 mm long, glabrous or strigulose and early glabrescent, apically stipellate, the stipels subulate, 2-3(-7) mm long, the petiolules 1.5-6 mm long, strigulose but soon glabrescent, the blade 10-25(-36) cm long, 4.5-7.5(-12) cm wide, elliptic to oblong-elliptic or broadly elliptic, to oblong-lanceolate, the base rounded and slightly cordate, the apex acuminate to long-acuminate, glabrous, or the upper surface glabrous and the lower sparingly strigulose and glabrescent, the venation prominent, coarsely reticulate, the costa plane or slightly impressed and the primary veins plane to slightly salient on the upper surface, both salient beneath; inflorescences axillary, 6-15 cm long, the axes sparingly to sparsely strigulose, the peduncle 15-40 mm long, the bracts near the base of the inflorescence free from the bracteoles, both 1.5-6(-12) mm long, elliptic to linear to lanceolate, sparingly strigulose externally, glabrous within, the upper part of the inflorescence with the bracts partly to completely united with the bracteoles forming a structure 3-7 mm long, 1.5-3.5 mm wide; pedicels (9-) 15-25(-32) mm long, strongly compressed, minutely strigulose; buds glabrous to minutely strigulose, broadly elliptic in outline, 10-11 mm long, ca 9 mm diameter; calyx segments 3 or 4, persistent with the fruit, glabrous, or sparingly to sparsely strigulose externally; petal usually glabrous, occasionally sparingly strigulose on the outer surface of the veins, the claw (1-)3.5-4 mm long, the blade rounded to oblate, 18-20 mm long, 18-25 mm wide, the base cordate; larger stamens 2-4, glabrous, the filaments 14-15 mm long, the anthers lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, 3.5-5 mm long, 1-1.2 mm wide, the connective prolonged in an apiculum ca 0.4 mm long, the smaller stamens glabrous, the filaments 6-10 mm long, the anthers elliptic to lanceolate-elliptic, 1.5-2.5 mm long, 0.8-1 mm wide, the connective prolonged in an apiculum ca 0.3 mm long; gynoecium glabrous, the stigma punctiform, the style 1.5-3.5 mm long, the ovary narrowly arcuate-elliptic, 7-9 mm long, 3-4.5 mm wide, the gynophore 7-12 mm long; fruit elliptic to oblong in outline, (2.5-)3.5-4.5 cm long (including the persistent, 4-5 mm long style), 1-2 cm diameter, orange-colored, glabrous, the surface minutely tessellate, the stipe 8-15 mm long, glabrous; seed 1 per fruit, elliptic in outline, brownish or gray-brown, nitid, 1.5-2.5 cm long, 1 cm diameter, the aril small.

  • Discussion

    This widespread, rather variable, species is closely related to S. conferta of southwestern Venezuela and the Vaupés region of southeastern Colombia; S. conferta has smaller leaflets and non-foliaceous stipules, bracts, and bracteoles.

    The name adopted for this species is the one most commonly used for it, and I have seen no evidence to indicate a previous choice. The competing name was taken up by Bentham for a minor variant in the population.

  • Distribution

    (Fig. 43). Lowland rain forest of Amazonian Brazil, Colombia, and Peru at elevations below 200 m, on soils above the level of seasonal flooding.

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