Hirtella subscandens Spruce ex Hook.f.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Chrysobalanaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Hirtella subscandens Spruce ex Hook.f.

  • Type

    Type. Spruce 3533, Venezuela, Terr. Amazonas, fl (holotype, K; isotypes, BM, BR, CGE, GH, LD, LE, NY, OXF, P).

  • Description

    Description - Shrub, often with trailing branches, the young stems sparsely hispid, soon becoming glabrous. Leaves oblong, thick-coriaceous, 7.0-12.0 cm long, 2.1-4.9 cm broad, acuminate at apex, with acumen 4.0-10.0 mm long, cordate at base, glabrous beneath, the palisade glands rare; primary veins 10-14 pairs, prominulous above, prominent beneath; midrib prominulous above, prominent and glabrous beneath; petioles 1.0-2.0 mm long, terete, eglandular, hispid when young. Stipules ca 4.0 mm long, linear, tomentellous, subpersistent, eglandular. Inflorescences terminal and axillary racemes 17.0-25.0 cm long, the rachis puberulous above, hispid towards base. Bracts and bracteoles 1.0-3.0 mm long, oblong to lanceolate, persistent, puberulous, with stipitate glands. Flowers 5.0-6.0 mm long. Receptacle campanulate, puberulous on exterior, glabrous within except at throat; pedicels 7.0-11.0 mm long. Calyx lobes rounded to acute, glabrescent on exterior, gray-puberulous within. Petals 5, pink, glabrous. Stamens 6-7, unilateral with toothed staminodes opposite them, the filaments far exceeding calyx lobes, glabrous. Style hirsute at base only. Ovary inserted at mouth of receptacle, tomentose. Fruit not seen.

  • Discussion

    Flowering April to August.

  • Distribution

    Open forest in Amazonian Venezuela.

    Venezuela South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America|