Tapura cubensis (Poepp.) Griseb.
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Authority
Prance, Ghillean T. 1972. Dichapetalaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 10: 1-84. (Published by NYBG Press)
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Family
Dichapetalaceae
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Scientific Name
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Synonyms
Chailletia cubensis Poepp. & Endl., Tapura cubensis var. wrightiana Baill., Tapura obovata Britton & P.Wilson
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Description
Species Description - Small to medium sized tree or shrub, the young branches sparsely pubescent, soon becoming glabrous. Leaves oblong, orbicular, elliptic or lanceolate, thickly coriaceous, 2.0-10.0 cm long, 1.0-5.8 cm broad, rounded to acute or rarely bluntly acuminate at apex, rounded to subcuneate and equal at base, glabrous beneath; midrib slightly impressed above especially on lower portion, prominent and glabrous beneath or with a few stiff appressed hairs; primary veins 5-8 pairs, slightly arcuate, anastomosing; petioles 2.0-7.0 mm long, puberulous to glabrous, rugose, shallowly canaliculate. Stipules deltoid, to 1.0 mm long, caducous. Flowers hermaphrodite, sessile, borne in many-flowered sessile glomerules on upper portion of petioles; bracteoles ca 0.5 mm long, ovate, pubescent, persistent. Calyx 2.0-4.5 mm long, puberulous on exterior, the lobes unequal. Corolla exceeding calyx lobes, with 2 large bicucullate lobes and 3 smaller simple lobes, united at base to form a distinct tube, the tube glabrous on exterior, sparsely pubescent at base of lobes within. Fertile stamens 3, alternating with corolla lobes, 2 staminodes present. Ovary trilocular with 2 ovules in each loculus, pilose on exterior. Style with trifid apex, pubescent throughout. Fruit roundish, 1.0-1.5 cm diameter, unilocular to trilocular; epicarp with a short appressed pubescence; mesocarp thin; endocarp very thin, hard, bony, glabrous within.