Licania leptostachya Benth.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Chrysobalanaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Licania leptostachya Benth.

  • Type

    Type. Schomburgk III, Guyana, fl (holotype, K; isotypes, CGE, F, G, L, LE, NY, US, W).

  • Synonyms

    Licania incana Aubl., Licania axilliflora (Sagot) Hochr., Licania incana var. axilliflora Sagot, Licania leptostachya var. axilliflora (Sagot) Fritsch

  • Description

    Description - Small tree or shrub, the young branches puberulous to glabrescent, soon becoming glabrous and conspicuously lenticellate. Leaves ovate, membraneous, oblong-ovate to oblong-lanceolate, 3.0-7.0 cm long, 1.5-3.5 cm broad, the apex usually with a finely pointed acumen 2.0-15.0 mm long, cuneate to rounded at base, glabrous above, densely brown-lanate below, the pubescence easily removed; midrib plane above, pubescent towards base; primary veins 7-10 pairs, prominent beneath, plane above; petioles 2.0-4.0 mm long, terete, eglandular, tomentose when young. Stipules linear, to 3.0 mm long, pubescent, persistent, axillary. Inflorescences unbranched spikes or glomerules, predominantly axillary, the rachis tomentose when young, becoming glabrescent in fruit. Flowers ca 2.0 mm long, in dense glomerules on rachis. Bracts and bracteoles 0.5-1.5 mm long, triangular, persistent, puberulous on exterior. Receptacle cupuliform- campanulate, sessile, tomentose on exterior, tomentose within. Calyx lobes acute, tomentose on exterior, puberulous within. Petals absent. Stamens 6-7, inserted in a complete circle; filaments shorter than calyx lobes, glabrous. Ovary inserted at base of receptacle, tomentose. Style equalling filaments, tomentose at base, glabrous above. Fruit oblong, ca 2.5 cm long, including stipe ca 6.0 mm long; epicarp short-tomentose; pericarp thin, hard, fibrous, densely hirsutulous-tomentose within.

  • Discussion

    This species is very close to L. incana, but the considerable material available reinforced with my own field observations make clear the distinctions between the two. The principal differences are in the predominantly axillary inflorescence, and the membraneous leaves with well developed acumen of L. leptostachya which is a species of river margins and forest, while L. incana is confined to savannas throughout its range. L. axilliflora was described as a separate species because of its glomerulous inflorescence. However, many herbarium sheets of L. leptostachya have both glomerules and spikes on the same collection, negating any basis for the maintenance of L. axilliflora as a species or variety.

  • Common Names

    Hierrito, Onitjatja, Sabana Foengoe, Caripe

  • Distribution

    Riverine forest, river banks and river islands in the Guianas and northeastern Amazonian Brazil.

    Brazil South America| French Guiana South America| Guyana South America| Suriname South America|