Couepia grandiflora (Mart. & Zucc.) Benth. ex Hook.f.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Chrysobalanaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Couepia grandiflora (Mart. & Zucc.) Benth. ex Hook.f.

  • Type

    Types. Martius sn, Brazil, Goiás, fl (lectotype, M); Martius sn, Brazil, Minas Gerais, fl (paratype, M).

  • Synonyms

    Moquilea grandiflora Mart. & Zucc., Couepia formosana Taub., Couepia suberosa Pilg.

  • Description

    Description - Tree to 8.0 m tall, the branches pubescent when young, the older branches often with a conspicuous thick cork covering ca 4.0 mm thick. Leaves oblong to ovate, 7.5-18.0 cm long, 3.5-9.0 cm broad, cordate to cuneate at base, rounded to bluntly acuminate at apex, glabrous above, or with sparse ferrugineous pubescence when young, shortly dense-arachnoid beneath; primary veins 10-16 pairs, prominent beneath, prominulous above; midrib prominent on both surfaces; petioles 3.0-13.0 mm long, pubescent, terete. Stipules to 2.0 mm long, subulate, caducous. Inflorescences terminal and axillary panicles, the rachis and branches with dense yellow-brown pubescence. Bracts and bracteoles 1.5-5.0 mm long, ovate, membraneous, caducous. Receptacle campanulate, 5.0-11.5 cm long, densely cinereous-pubescent, glabrous within except for deflexed hairs at throat; pedicels 2.0-5.0 mm long. Calyx lobes rounded. Petals 5, white, pubescent, ciliate on margins, caducous. Stamens 50-125, inserted in a complete circle. Ovary densely villous. Style pubescent for most of its length. Fruit oblong; epicarp smooth, glabrous, drying black; pericarp thick, fleshy, glabrous within.

  • Discussion

    The only difference allegedly separating C. suberosa from C. grandiflora, is the thick corky bark of the mature stems of the former. This feature is not at all constant as the thickness of the bark is variable, and since this character is not correlated with any other characters, C. suberosa is reduced to synonymy. The thick bark is apparently a common adaption for the annual fires of the dry season in the Brazilian cerrados.

    Flowering July to December.

  • Common Names

    Pitomba de leite

  • Distribution

    Cerrados and savannas of the Planalto of central Brazil.

    Brazil South America| Maranhão Brazil South America| Piauí Brazil South America| Mato Grosso Brazil South America| Goiás Brazil South America| Distrito Federal Brazil South America| Minas Gerais Brazil South America| Paraná Brazil South America|