Ormosia fastigiata Tul.

  • Authority

    Rudd, Velva E. 1965. The American Species of Ormosia (Leguminosae). Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 32(5): 279-384.

  • Family

    Fabaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Ormosia fastigiata Tul.

  • Type

    Type locality: Near Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Type collected by Claussen (no. 1704), cited below.

  • Description

    Description - Large trees; young stems fulvo-tomentose; stipules lanceolate, 4-15 mm. long, 1-4 mm. broad at the base; leaves 7-11-foliolate, the axis about 10-20 cm. long, tomentose, glabrescent, the petiole 2-8 cm. long, the pairs of leaflets 2-6 cm. apart, the petiolules 2-5 mm. long and 2-5 mm. in diameter, the blades coriaceous, ovate to oblong, sometimes obovate, 3-16 cm. long, 2-10 cm. broad, the apex obtuse or acute or, sometimes, breviacuminate, the acumen about 5 mm. long, the base obtuse to subcordate, the upper surface essentially glabrous except for a trace of pubescence along the midvein, the lower surface densely to moderately fulvo-tomentose, the hairs loosely crispate, the secondary veins usually prominent, about 10-13 pair, essentially parallel, 3-15 mm. apart, forming angles of about 55°-70° with the midvein; inflorescences with axes fulvo-tomentose; the bracts linearlanceolate, 4-10 mm. long, 1-2 mm. broad, the bracteoles linear, 2-3 mm. long, 0.5-1 mm. broad; flowers 10-15 mm. long; calyx fulvo-ferrugino tomentulose, 6-8 mm. long, the tube 4-5 mm. long, 5-6 mm. in diameter, the teeth 2-4 mm. long; petals dark lilac, or purple; fruit dehiscent, lignous, densely ferrugino- or fulvo-velutinous, 1-3-seeded, 2-5 cm. long, 2-2.5 cm. broad, slightly constricted between the seeds, about 1.5 cm. thick, the valves 2-3 mm. thick; seed bicolored, red and black, 10-13 mm. long, 9-12 mm. broad, 7-9 mm. thick, the hilum about 2 mm. long and 1.5 mm. wide.

  • Discussion

    The type collection of 0. fastigiata consists of flowering material, and one can only presume that the fruit would be velutinous and the seeds bicolored. On the basis of the leaves, compared with fruiting collections from the same general area, I believe that to be a safe presumption. In most cases, however, the other collections tendto have leaflets with less dense pubescence. There is some variation in the size and shape of the leaflet blades, but all extremes are represented on the many sheets of type material collected by Claussen. In his original description of 0. glazioviana, Harms suggested the possibility that 0. escragnolliana might belong to his new species. I agree, but prefer to reduce both names to synonymy under 0. fastigiata.

  • Common Names

    angelim, arvore do tento, coronha, corunha, tento