Licania polita Spruce ex Hook.f.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Chrysobalanaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Licania polita Spruce ex Hook.f.

  • Type

    Type. Spruce 2676, Brazil, Amazonas, fl (holotype, K; isotypes, BM, BR, C, CGE, F, GH, GOET, LD, LE, NY, OXF, P).

  • Synonyms

    Licania poeppigii Fritsch, Licania laurifolia Huber, Licania laxa Fanshawe & Maguire

  • Description

    Description - Medium to large-sized tree, the young branches puberulous, becoming glabrous with age. Leaves ovate to elliptic, thick-coriaceous, 7.0-18.0 cm long, 3.0-11.0 cm broad, acute to acuminate at apex, with acumen to 10.0 mm long, subcordate or rounded to subcuneate at base, glabrous on both surfaces; palisade glands present; venation often minutely papillose on lower surface; midrib plane to prominulous above, glabrous; primary veins 6-10 pairs, prominent beneath, prominulous above; petioles 6.0-14.0 mm long, terete, rugose, eglandular, short-velutinous when young. Stipules lanceolate, 4.0-7.0 mm long, coriaceous, glabrous, persistent to subpersistent, adnate to base of petioles. Inflorescences terminal racemose panicles, the rachis and branches puberulous to short-tomentellous. Flowers 2.5-3.5 mm long, densely crowded in small groups on primary branches of inflorescence. Bracts and bracteoles lanceolate to elliptic, often equalling flowers, puberulous on both surfaces, persistent, entire. Receptacle campanulate, sessile, short-velutinous-tomentose on exterior, tomentose within. Calyx lobes acute, tomentellous on both surfaces. Petals absent. Stamens 6-7, unilateral; filaments shorter than calyx lobes, free to base, sparsely pubescent. Ovary inserted at base of receptacle on short gynophore, densely villous. Style equalling calyx lobes, pubescent throughout. Fruit pyriform; epicarp ferrugineous-tomentose; pericarp thin, undifferentiated, fragile, granular, fibrous, sparsely hirsute within.

  • Discussion

    Licania polita differs from related species in the large flowers and stipules as well as the large, thick-coriaceous leaves. Specimens documenting the three names reduced to synonymy here do not differ in any significant features. L. polita displays a wide range of variation in leaf shape and size, which has led to the proposal of the names cited as synonyms.

  • Common Names

    Perú

  • Distribution

    Non-flooded and periodically flooded forest in the Guianas and Amazonian Brazil.

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