Dichapetalum latifolium Baill.

  • Authority

    Prance, Ghillean T. 1972. Dichapetalaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 10: 1-84. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Dichapetalaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Dichapetalum latifolium Baill.

  • Type

    TYPE. Spruce 2165, Brazil, Amazonas, São Gabriel, Rio Negro, fl (holotype, K; isotypes, P, W).

  • Synonyms

    Dichapetalum amazonicum Krause, Dichapetalum vestitum var. cinerascens Baill., Dichapetalum scandens var. cinerascens (Baill. ex Mart.) J.F.Macbr.

  • Description

    Description - Liana, the young branches shortly and densely tomentellous, becoming glabrous with age. Leaves elliptic to ovate-elliptic, coriaceous, 8.0-36.0 cm long, 4.0-21.0 cm broad, mucronate to shortly acuminate at apex, rounded to subcuneate at base, plane not bullate above, with a gray lanate tomentum beneath; midrib plane and pubescent above; primary veins 6-8 pairs, plane to weakly impressed above; the secondary and tertiary venation usually weakly impressed above; petioles 7.0-18.0 mm long, short-tomentellous. Stipules caducous (not seen). Flowers androdioecious; pedicels 1.5-3.0 mm long. Inflorescences spreading terminal or petiolar panicles; the rachis and branches tomentellous. Bracts and bracteoles lanceolate, 0.7-4.0 mm long, persistent, tomentose. Calyx ca 2.0 mm long, gray-tomentellous on exterior, the lobes slightly unequal. Corolla of 5 equal deeply bifid and slightly cucullate lobes, free to base, glabrous to sparsely pubescent on exterior. Fertile stamens 5, alternating and slightly exceeding corolla lobes. Disc of 5 free glands with a weekly bifid apex. Ovary bilocular or trilocular with 2 ovules in each loculus, lanate on exterior. Style lanate at base, glabrous above, the apex trifid. Fruit (immature) ellipsoid; epicarp tomentose.

  • Discussion

    This species was placed in synonymy under D. scandens (D. rugosum) by Macbride (Publ. Field Mus. Bot. 13(3): 956. 1950). Dichapetalum latifolium is certainly distinct from that species, and differs in the gray-lanate pubescence of the leaf undersurface, the inflorescence and the longer pedicels.

    Flowering October to May.

  • Distribution

    Forests of western Amazonia in Venezuela, Peru and western Brazil.

    Venezuela South America| Apure Venezuela South America| Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| La Paz Bolivia South America|