Licania mollis Benth.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Chrysobalanaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Licania mollis Benth.

  • Type

    Type. Schomburgk 910, Brazil, Amazonas, fl (holotype, K; isotypes, BM, CGE, F, G, GH, L, NY, OXF, US, W).

  • Synonyms

    Licania lucida J.F.Macbr.

  • Description

    Description - Tree to 15.0 m tall, the young branches pubescent, becoming glabrous and lenticellate with age. Leaves ovate-elliptic to oblong, coriaceous, 5.0-13.0 cm long, 2.3-7.0 cm broad, cuspidate to acuminate at apex, with acumen 3.0-18.0 mm long, base rounded to subcordate, glabrous and shining above, the lower surface deeply reticulate-venose and densely lanate; midrib impressed for most of length above, becoming prominulous near base, tomentose; primary veins 9-12 pairs, prominent beneath, plane or nearly so above; petioles 3.0-6.0 mm long, tomentose, terete, eglandular. Stipules linear-lanceolate, 3.0-6.0 mm long, erect, adnate to base of petiole, persistent. Inflorescences terminal and axillary racemose panicles, densely brown-tomentose. Flowers 3.0-3.5 mm long, sessile and crowded on primary branches of inflorescence. Bracts and bracteoles 1.0-3.5 mm long, oblong-lanceolate, persistent entire, eglandular, tomentose on exterior. Receptacle broadly campanulate, sessile, tomentose on exterior, tomentellous within. Calyx lobes acute, tomentose on exterior, puberulous within. Petals absent. Stamens 8-11, inserted in an arc of ca 270°; filaments shorter than calyx lobes, connate at base. Ovary inserted at base of receptacle, villous. Style equalling filaments, lanate throughout. Fruit globose but surface more or less longitudinally much-ridged, to 2.5 cm in diameter; epicarp ferrugineous-velutinous; pericarp thick, hard, glabrous within.

  • Common Names

    Juan-poop

  • Distribution

    River banks and river islands and in riverine forest on sandy soil, in Amazonian Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil.

    Colombia South America| Vaupés Colombia South America| Bolívar Colombia South America| Amazonas Colombia South America| Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Roraima Brazil South America|