Licania ovalifolia Kleinhoonte

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Chrysobalanaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Licania ovalifolia Kleinhoonte

  • Type

    Type. B.W.6437, Suriname, fl (holotype, U; isotypes, IAN, K, NY).

  • Synonyms

    Licania stahelii Kleinhoonte

  • Description

    Description - Tree, the young branches puberulous, soon becoming glabrous and conspicuously lenticellate. Leaves oval to elliptic, thick-coriaceous, 3.5-10.0 cm long, 2.0-6.0 cm broad, the margins often recurved, usually rounded at apex but frequently acute, rounded at base, glabrous above, the lower surface densely rufous-lanate ; midrib slightly impressed above, glabrous; primary veins 5-7 pairs, prominulous beneath, plane or slightly impressed above; petioles 4.0-7.0 mm long, tomentellous when young, usually eglandular, terete. Stipules lanceolate, 4.0-6.0 mm long, persistent, pubescent when young, adnate to lower portion of petiole. Inflorescences terminal and axillary racemose panicles, the rachis and branches rufous-tomentellous. Flowers 3,0-4.0 mm long, sessile on primary branches of inflorescence. Bracts and bracteoles 1.5-2.5 mm long, ovate, persistent, exterior tomentellous. Receptacle urceolate, sessile, tomentose on exterior, tomentose within. Calyx lobes acute, tomentellous on exterior, puberulous within. Petals absent. Stamens 3, unilateral; filaments shorter than calyx lobes, glabrous. Ovary inserted at base of receptacle, pilose. Style equalling filaments, pubescent throughout. Fruit unknown.

  • Discussion

    Licania ovalifolia is most closely related to L. micrantha, but differs in the leaves with a blunt apex. See also note under L. micrantha. Kleinhoonte distinguished between L. ovalifolia and L. stahelii by leaf shape: broadly oval in L. ovalifolia and narrowly oval in L. stahelii. The material now available shows continuous variation from broad to narrow leaves. No additional characters were discovered. Consequently, L. stahelii is reduced to synonymy here.

    Flowering January to May.

  • Common Names

    Foengoe, Zandhout, Bois Gaulette, Gris-gris, Weti koko

  • Distribution

    Primary forest in the Guianas.

    Suriname South America| French Guiana South America|