Hirtella bullata Benth.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Chrysobalanaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Hirtella bullata Benth.

  • Type

    Type. Schomburgk 132, Guyana, fl (holotype, K; isotype, BM;.

  • Synonyms

    Hirtella aureohirsuta Pilg., Hirtella amplexicaulis Pilg., Hirtella stipitadenia Rusby

  • Description

    Description - Shrub or small to medium-sized tree, with long horizontal branches often sprawling over vegetation, the young branchlets tomentellous, becoming glabrous and lenticellate with age. Leaves oblong to ovate, thick-coriaceous, 6.0-22.0 cm long, 3.5-10.0 cm broad, acute to short-acuminate at apex, with acumen 0-12.0 mm long, subcordate or rarely rounded at base, bullate above with impressed venation, hirsute beneath; primary veins 11-17 pairs, impressed above, prominent beneath; midrib prominulous above, prominent and hirsute-tomentose beneath; petioles 1.5-4.0 mm long, tomentose, terete, eglandular. Stipules 3.0-6.0 mm long, linear-lanceolate, tomentellous, eglandular, persistent. Inflorescences terminal and axillary panicles 9.0-35.0 cm long, the long central rachis bearing short lateral branches with 1-3 flowers, or rarely reduced to racemes, 8.0-33.0 cm long, the rachis and branches tomentose. Bracts and bracteoles 1.0-4.0 mm long, oblong-lanceolate, bearing large sessile glands or with numerous stipitate glands arising from the region of pedicel articulation. Flowers 4.5-8.0 mm long. Receptacle campanulate, tomentellous on exterior, glabrous within except at throat; pedicels 1.0-3.0 mm long. Calyx lobes acute, tomentellous on exterior, sparsely gray-puberulous within, the margins eglandular. Petals 5, white, glabrous. Stamens 4-6, unilateral with small toothed staminodes opposite them, the filaments glabrous, purple, far exceeding calyx lobes. Style pilose for up to half its length. Ovary inserted at mouth of receptacle, pilose. Fruit ellipsoid; epicarp smooth and glabrous; mesocarp thin, fleshy; endocarp very thin and bony, hirsute within.

  • Discussion

    Edible fruit.

    The three species reduced to synonymy under H. bullata are not at all distinct.

    Hirtella aureohirsuta was said to differ from H. bullata solely in the indumentum of the inflorescence. This more golden pubescence occurs in some collections, over much of the range of H. bullata and thus offers no basis for the recognition of a separate taxon. Hirtella amplexicaulis and H. stipitadenia were not compared to H. bullata in the original description and fall well within the range of the latter species. Hirtella bullata is most closely related to H. glandulosa, and the differences are given under that species.

  • Common Names

    Bokobokotokon, Urarau

  • Distribution

    Open habitats at river and savanna margins and savannas in Guyana and western Amazonia to Bolivia.

    Colombia South America| Vaupés Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Guyana South America| Peru South America| Junín Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| Amazonas Peru South America| Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Bolivia South America|