Dichapetalum spruceanum Baill.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Dichapetalaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Dichapetalum spruceanum Baill.

  • Type

    TYPE. Spruce 4927, Peru, San Martín, Tarapoto, fl (holotype, K; isotypes, BM, CGE, P, W).

  • Synonyms

    Symphyllanthus plicatus Gleason

  • Description

    Description - Tree, shrub, scandent shrub or vine, the young branches tomentellous becoming glabrous with age. Leaves ovate to elliptic, coriaceous, 8.0-30.0 cm long, 4.0-16.5 cm broad, abruptly acuminate at apex, the acumen 5.0-10.0 mm long, usually curved, rounded to cuneate and unequal at base; plane not bullate above, sparsely hirsute or with a few stiff appressed hairs only beneath; midrib more or less plane above, pubescent when young; primary veins 8-10 pairs, plane to slightly impressed above; venation plane to slightly impressed above; petioles 7.0-15.0 mm long, sparsely short-tomentellous or puberulous when young. Stipules to 8.0 mm long, lanceolate, tomentellous, caducous, the margins entire. Flowers hermaphrodite; pedicels ca 0.5 mm long. Inflorescences axillary and petiolar spreading panicles, 4.0-6.5 cm long, the rachis and branches shortly puberulous; peduncles 8.0-30.0 mm long. Bracts and bracteoles triangular, 0.5-2.0 mm long, persistent, tomentose. Calyx ca 2.0 mm long, gray-tomentose on exterior, the lobes equal. Corolla of 5 equal lobes, the apex deeply bifid, slightly cucullate, free to base, glabrous. Fertile stamens 5, alternating and equalling the corolla lobes. Disc of 5 glands, the apices lobed. Ovary bilocular or trilocular, with 2 ovules in each loculus, lanate on exterior. Style with bifid or trifid apex, glabrous except for lanate base. Fruit ellipsoid; epicarp with short dense appressed pubescence; mesocarp thin; endocarp thin, hard, glabrous within.

  • Discussion

    This species is close to D. rugosum but differs in the less hirsute leaves with less impressed venation, and the gray-tomentellous axillary inflorescence.

    The unicate collection, Killip 34375, from the State of Meta, Colombia probably belongs to this species. It has much larger leaves than any other collections examined, and only further material will show whether this is part of D. spruceanum or whether it is a new species with much larger leaves than any other American Dichapetalum.

    Symphyllantus plicatus was described without comparison to South American species of Dichapetalum. There are no differences to justify maintaining this species in Dichapetalum since it matches D. spruceanum.

  • Distribution

    Forests of the eastern fringes of the Andes in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

    Colombia South America| Meta Colombia South America| Putumayo Colombia South America| Ecuador South America| Napo Ecuador South America| Pastaza Ecuador South America| Peru South America| San Martín Peru South America|