Licania arachnoidea Fanshawe & Maguire

  • Authority

    Prance, Ghillean T. 1972. Chrysobalanaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 9: 1-410. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Chrysobalanaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Licania arachnoidea Fanshawe & Maguire

  • Type

    Type. Fanshawe 1495 (F.D. 4231), Guyana, fl (holotype, NY; isotypes, IAN, K).

  • Description

    Description - Medium-sized tree, the young branches puberulous, soon becoming glabrous. Leaves narrowly oblong-lanceolate with parallel sides, coriaceous, 17.0-25.0 cm long, 4.5-7.0 cm broad, acuminate to acute at apex, with acumen to 11.0 mm long, rounded at base, glabrous on both surfaces; palisade glands absent; midrib prominent and glabrous above; primary veins 12-14 pairs, prominulous above, prominent beneath; petioles 7.0-9.0 mm long, glabrous, canaliculate, rugose, with two discshaped, medial glands above. Stipules linear, 10.0-30.0 mm long, submembraneous, intrapetiolar, persistent. Inflorescences axillary racemose panicles, ramiflorous, the rachis and branches sparsely arachnoid. Flowers 3.5-4.0 mm long, in dense glomerules on primary branches of inflorescence. Primary bracts ovate, to 8.0 mm long, other bracts and bracteoles 1.0-3.0 mm long, persistent, pubescent on exterior, glabrous within, often slightly serrate. Receptacle narrowly urceolate, sessile, densely arachnoid on exterior, lanate within. Calyx lobes acute, pubescent on exterior, glabrous within. Petals 5, densely pubescent, some shortly unguiculate. Stamens 5 fertile, inserted in a complete circle, with about 4 sterile staminodes; filaments slightly exceeding calyx lobes, connate for half of length, with a dense lanate mass surrounding them and filling the mouth of the receptacle. Ovary inserted at base of receptacle, lanate-tomentose. Style pubescent throughout, equalling filaments. Fruit unknown.

  • Discussion

    Licania arachnoidea is close to L. macrophylla, but is distinct in a number of important features which were listed by Fanshawe & Maguire in the original description.

    The most significant differences are the arachnoid pubescence and disposition of the flowers.

  • Distribution

    Non-flooded forest in Guyana and Amazonian Brazil.

    Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America|