Licania boyanii Tutin

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Chrysobalanaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Licania boyanii Tutin

  • Type

    Type. Tutin 293, Guyana, fl (holotype, BM; isotypes, K, NY, RB, U, US).

  • Description

    Description - Large tree to 25.0 m tall, the young branches sparsely tomentellous, becoming glabrous with age, lenticellate. Leaves ovate-orbicular to elliptic, thick-coriaceous, 2.5-5.5 cm long, 1.5-3.5 cm broad, rounded at apex, rounded to subcuneate at base, glabrous above, with waxy-brown pulverulent-furfuraceous pubescence beneath, the margins slightly recurved; midrib impressed above, glabrous; primary veins 5-7 pairs, prominulous beneath, plane or slightly impressed above; petioles 1.5-3.0 mm long, terete, rugose, eglandular, sparsely pubescent. Stipules 1.0-3.0 mm long, lanceolate, persistent, tomentose when young, adnate to base of petiole. Inflorescences short terminal and axillary racemose panicles, 3.0-6.0 mm long, the rachis and recurved branches with short dense sordid-furfuraceous pubescence. Flowers ca 1.5 mm long, sessile, solitary on primary branches of inflorescence. Bracts and bracteoles minute, persistent, triangular, with three partially fused bracteoles subtending each flower. Receptacle campanulate, sessile, tomentellous on exterior, tomentose within. Calyx lobes acute, tomentellous on both surfaces. Petals absent. Stamens 3, unilateral, opposite three calyx lobes; filaments very short, glabrous, free to base. Ovary inserted at base of receptacle, lanate, globose. Style shorter than calyx lobes, pubescent at base only. Fruit ca 2.8 cm long, globose, with base narrowed into a stipe; epicarp pulverulent; pericarp undifferentiated, hard, granular, velutinous within.

  • Common Names

    Thick-skinned Marishiballi

  • Distribution

    Wallaba forest and forest on slopes in Venezuela and Guyana. Flowering April to June.

    Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Guyana South America|