Ormosia discolor Spruce ex Benth.
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Authority
Rudd, Velva E. 1965. The American Species of Ormosia (Leguminosae). Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 32(5): 279-384.
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Family
Fabaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type locality: "Barra do Rio Negro" [Manaus], Amazonas, Brazil. Type collected by R. Spruce (no. 1506), cited below.
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Description
Description - Tree, to about 18 m. high; young stems fulvo- or ferrugino-velutinous, glabrescent; stipules not seen; leaves (3-) 5-7-foliolate, the axis 5-18 cm. long, finely velutinous, glabrescent, the petiole 3-10 cm. long, the pairs of leaflets 2-6 cm. apart, the petiolules 5-25 mm. long, 1.5-4 mm. in diameter, the blades coriaceous, ovate to oblong, 7-30 cm. long, 4-12 cm. broad, acuminate, the acumen to about 1-1.5 cm. long, the base rounded to subcordate, the upper surface glabrous, nitid, the lower surface finely fulvo-sericeous, the secondary veins inconspicuous, about 20-50 pair, essentially straight and parallel, 2-10 mm. apart, forming angles of 70°-75° with the midvein; inflorescences with axes minutely fulvo- or ferrugino-velutinous, the bracts linear-deltoid, 2-4 mm. long, the bracteoles deltoid, scarcely 1 mm. long; flowers 6-8 mm. long; calyx fulvo- to ferrugino-velutinous, 4-6 mm. long, the tube 2.5-4 mm. long and about 3 mm. in diameter, the teeth deltoid, 1.5-3 mm. long; corolla blackish purple; fruit dehiscent, coriaceous, minutely fulvo- to ferrugino-velutinous, usually 1- or 2-seeded, 2-5 cm. long, 1.5-2 mm. wide, 1 cm. thick, the valves about 1 mm. thick; seeds red, or red with irregular black markings, 9-11 mm. long, 8 mm. broad, and 6 mm. thick, the hilum about 1.5 mm. long and 1 mm. wide.
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Discussion
This species is readily recognizable by its small flowers and leaflets with numerous lateral veins. Specimens of Wurdack & Adderly 43432 have larger and glossier leaflets than the other collections cited, but otherwise they seem to be comparable. According to Egler (Bol. Mus. Par. Emilio Goeldi, II. 18:63. 1963) the type, actually a lectotype, of Ducke's O. micrantha is RB no. 35084, which is a flowering specimen, presumably at RB. Ducke cited two collections in his original description, one in flower, the other in fruit; composite specimens with material of both collections have been distributed to various herbaria, sometimes as one number, sometimes as the other, or with both numbers. Since the material is essentially identical to the collections by Spruce cited above, including the type of O. discolor, O. micrantha falls into synonymy and the designation of its holotype becomes relatively unimportant. Ducke apparently based his concept of O. discolor on the illustration, table 126, in Flora Brasiliensis, which is misleading as to venation of the leaflets; his misinterpretation, as indicated by specimens that he annotated as O. discolor, prompted him to describe his material of true O. discolor as the new species, O. micrantha.
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Common Names
mulungu, tenteiro