Caryocar coriaceum Wittm.

  • Authority

    Prance, Ghillean T. & Frietas Da Silva, Marlene. 1973. Caryocaraceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 12: 1-75. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Caryocaraceae

  • Scientific Name

    Caryocar coriaceum Wittm.

  • Type

    TYPE. Gardner 1494, Brazil, Ceará, Vila do Crato, fl (B, lost; lectotype, K; isolectotypes, CGE, G, GH, L, NY, OXF, P, S, US, frag F); Gardner 1495, Brazil, Ceará, Vila do Crato, fl (syntypes, BM, CGE, G, K, OXF, P, US), Blanchet 2876, Brazil, Bahia, Rio São Francisco, fl (syntypes, F, G, K, P).

  • Description

    Description - Tree to 15.0 m tall, to 35.0 cm diameter, the young branches glabrous, conspicuously lenticellate. Leaves trifoliolate; petioles 1.5-4.0 cm long, glabrous or sparsely puberulous soon glabrescent, terete; leaflets shortly petiolulate, the terminal petiolule 1.0-3.0 mm long, the lateral petiolules shorter than the center one, the petiolules shallowly canaliculate, glabrous or sparsely puberulous soon glabrescent; the laminas ovate, often slightly asymmetrical, rounded or retuse at apex, subcuneate and usually markedly unequal at base, serrate to crenate at margins, glabrous on both surfaces, the terminal lamina 5.0-10.0 cm long, 3.5-7.0 cm broad, the lateral laminas equal to or smaller than the terminal one; primary veins 8-10 pairs, prominulous above, prominent beneath; venation prominulous beneath; stipels absent. Peduncles 2.5-8.5 cm long, glabrous, terete. Inflorescences clustered racemes, 10-16-flowered, the rachis 1.5-4.0 cm long, glabrous; flowering pedicels 2.0-2.5 cm long, the lower ones longer than the upper ones, glabrous; bracteoles caducous. Calyx broadly cupuliform, 8.0-9.0 mm long, glabrous on exterior, the lobes 5, rounded. Corolla 2.0-2.3 cm long, the lobes 5, oblong, white, sometimes tinged light red on upper half of exterior. Stamens numerous, ca 300, the filaments shortly united at base into a ring, but not in groups, 3.2-4.0 cm long, white, the apical part tuberculate, the inner ones only slightly shorter than the outside ones, the anthers small, yellow. Ovary globose, 3-4-locular, glabrous on exterior. Styles 3(-4), exceeding filaments in length, glabrous, filamentous. Fruit ovoid (stone only seen); mesocarp and endocarp enveloping the seed to form an ellipsoid stone ca 3.8 cm long, the mesocarp enveloping the endocarp spines; endocarp with numerous very fine needle4ike spines ca 5.0 mm long, and a thin hard woody interior ca 1.0 mm thick, glabrous within.

  • Discussion

    The edible fruit also yields a comestible oil.

    Collected in flower August to December.

  • Common Names

    Pequi, Pequi branco

  • Distribution

    Dry woodland (Chapada) of the northern and eastern part of the Planalto of central Brazil.

    Brazil South America| Ceará Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America|