Caryocar cuneatum 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 cuneatum Wittm.

  • Type

    TYPE. Burchell 8749-5, Brazil, Goiás, Porto Imperial, fl (isotype, K).

  • Synonyms

    Caryocar brasiliense var. planifolium Wittm.

  • Description

    Description - Tree to 15.0 m tall X 35.0 cm diameter, the young branches glabrous. Leaves trifoliolate; petioles 3.5-7.0 cm long, glabrous, longitudinally striate; leaflets shortly petiolulate, the terminal petiolule 3.0-7.0 mm long, the lateral petiolules shorter than the terminal one, the petiolules with a few sparse hairs, soon glabrescent, terete to shallowly canaliculate; the laminas oblong-ovate, slightly to markedly asymmetrical, apiculate at apex, the acumen 2.0-5.0 mm long, cuneate to subcuneate at base, serrate crenulate at margins, glabrous above, glabrous beneath except for sparse hairs on midrib and hirsute mass at junction of midrib with primary veins, the terminal lamina 8.0-12.0 cm long, 4.5-9.0 cm broad, the lateral laminas slightly smaller than the terminal one; primary veins 9-11 pairs, prominulous above, prominent beneath; venation prominulous beneath; stipels absent. Peduncles 4.0-9.5 cm long, glabrous, sparsely lenticellate, terete. Inflorescences slightly elongated racemes, the rachis 2.0-7.0 cm long, glabrous; flowering pedicels 1.5-5.5 cm long, with deltoid, membraneous, caducous bracteoles on upper portion. Calyx broadly cupuliform, 9.0-11.0 mm long, glabrous on exterior, the lobes 5, rounded, the margins ciliate. Corolla 2.5“3.0 cm long, the lobes 5, oblong, glabrous, white sometimes tinged reddish on exterior towards apex. Stamens numerous, ca 250-400, the filaments shortly united into a caducous ring at base, but not into groups, the outer one 4.0-6.0 cm long, white, the apical portion tuberculate, the inner row much shorter, ca 2.0 cm long, tuberculate for entire length, the anthers small. Ovary globose, glabrous, usually 4 locular. Styles 3-4, glabrous, filamentous, exceeding filaments in length. Fruit (immature) ellipsoid, ca 5.0 cm long; exocarp smooth, glabrous, not lenticellate; pericarp thick, fleshy, detaching from mesocarp; mesocarp and endocarp enveloping seed to form a stone; exterior of mesocarp smooth, the interior enveloping endocarp spines; endocarp with numerous fine needle-like spines ca 6.0 mm long and a hard thin woody interior ca 1.5 mm thick, glabrous within.

  • Discussion

    This species is very close to C. coriaceum and has been much confused with it, but it differs in the apiculate leaf apices, the tuft of hair at the junction of the midrib and primary veins on the lower surface of the leaf, the larger leaves and in the more elongate inflorescence.

    Caryocar cuneatum is cultivated in Sumatra (Krukoff 280, Sumatra, fr NY).

    The gathering Weddell 2455 represents a mixed collection since one sheet at Paris is C. cuneatum and the other is C. brasiliense.

    Collected in flower June to September.

  • Common Names

    Piquizeiro

  • Distribution

    Woodlands of the northern part of the Planalto of central Brazil.

    Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Maranhão Brazil South America| Piauí Brazil South America| Goiás Brazil South America| Bahia Brazil South America|