Hirtella macrophylla Benth. ex Hook.f.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Chrysobalanaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Hirtella macrophylla Benth. ex Hook.f.

  • Type

    Type. Spruce 3095, Venezuela, Terr. Amazonas, fl fr (holotype, K; isotypes, BM, BR, CGE, LE, NY, OXF, P).

  • Description

    Description - Small tree, the young branches tomentellous, soon becoming glabrous and lenticellate. Leaves elliptic, coriaceous, 10.0-18.0 cm long, 5.0-9.0 cm broad, acuminate at apex, with acumen 3.0-10.0 mm long, rounded to subcuneate at base, sparsely hirsute beneath on primary venation, with palisade glands frequent towards base; primary veins 7-10 pairs, prominulous above, prominent beneath; midrib plane above, prominent and hirsute beneath; petioles 3.0-10.5 mm long, tomentellous, terete, eglandular. Stipules 2.0-3.0 mm long, subulate, persistent, tomentose. Inflorescences terminal and axillary panicles 10.0-30.0 cm long, the rachis and branches tomentellous to sparsely puberulous. Bracts and bracteoles to 8.0 mm long, oblong, puberulous, persistent, with numerous long-stalked glands arising from pedicels and axils of flowers. Flowers 5.0-6.0 mm long. Receptacle campanulate, puberulous on exterior, glabrous within except at throat. Calyx lobes rounded, sparsely puberulous on exterior, gray-pubescent within, the margins eglandular. Petals 5, glabrous. Stamens 4-6, unilateral with a toothed portion of arc opposite them; filaments glabrous, far exceeding calyx lobes. Style hirsute up to half its length. Ovary inserted at mouth of receptacle, pilose. Fruit ellipsoid; epicarp smooth, glabrous; mesocarp thin, fleshy; endocarp hard, thin, bony, hirsute within.

  • Discussion

    Hirtella macrophylla is close to H. tentaculata and H. glabrata, but for differences see under those species.

  • Distribution

    River banks and secondary forest in Amazonian Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil.

    Colombia South America| Putumayo Colombia South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Amazonas Colombia South America| Brazil South America|