Hirtella tentaculata Poepp.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Chrysobalanaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Hirtella tentaculata Poepp.

  • Type

    Type. Poeppig sn, Brazil, Pará, fl fr (holotype, W; isotype, LE; isotype, fragment F).

  • Description

    Description - Tree to 20.0 m tall, the young branches tomentellous, becoming glabrous and lenticellate with age. Leaves elliptic to oblong-elliptic, coriaceous, 7.0-24.0 cm long, 3.5-10.5 cm broad, acuminate at apex, with acumen 2.0-10.5 mm long, rounded at base, with impressed venation above, hirsute beneath, with a few palisade glands towards base; primary veins 10-13 pairs, impressed above, prominent beneath; midrib plane above, prominent and hirsute beneath; petioles 3.0-8.0 mm long, tomentellous, caducous, eglandular. Stipules 2.0-3.0 mm long, ovate, tomentose, persistent. Inflorescences densely-flowered terminal and axillary panicles 6.0-25.0 cm long, the rachis and branches tomentellous to puberulous. Bracts and bracteoles 1.0-6.0 mm long, oblong to lanceolate; glands numerous, long-stalked, stipitate, arising from pedicels and axils of flowers, on stalks up to 8.0 mm long. Flowers 4.0-6.0 mm long. Receptacle campanulate, puberulous on exterior, glabrous within except at throat. Calyx lobes rounded to acute, puberulous on exterior, gray-pubescent within, the margins eglandular. Petals 5, glabrous. Stamens 3-5, unilateral, with short filamentous staminodes opposite them; filaments glabrous, far exceeding calyx lobes. Style hirsute up to one third its length. Ovary inserted at mouth of receptacle, pilose. Fruit ellipsoid; epicarp smooth, glabrous; mesocarp thin, fleshy; endocarp thin, hard, bony, hirsute within.

  • Discussion

    This species was omitted by Hooker in Flora Brasiliensis. It is related to H. macrophylla, but differs in the impressed venation of the upper surface of the leaf, and in the more pubescent lower surface.

    Flowering May to November.

  • Common Names

    Can-wadak-yek, Ajurúrana

  • Distribution

    Non-flooded or periodically flooded forest in eastern Venezuela, Guyana, and Pará, Brazil.

    Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Guyana South America| Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America|