Maquira costaricana (Standl.) C.C.Berg

  • Authority

    Berg, Cornelius C. 1972. Olmedieae, Brosimeae (Moraceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 7: 1-229. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Moraceae

  • Scientific Name

    Maquira costaricana (Standl.) C.C.Berg

  • Type

    Type. Standley 37037 [female] (US), Limón, near Guápiles, Costa Rica.

  • Synonyms

    Perebea costaricana Standl., Perebea trophophylla Standl. & L.O.Williams

  • Description

    Description - Dioecious shrubs or trees up to 20 m tall. Leafy twigs 1-5 mm thick, puberulous, glabrescent. Leaves oblong to (narrowly) lanceolate, sometimes broadest near the upper end, inequilateral or hardly so, 9-30 cm long, 3.5-9.5 cm broad, subcoriaceous to coriaceous, acuminate, acute to obtuse at the base, glabrous and shining above, sparsely puberulous, glabrescent beneath; veins prominent, 8-16 pairs of secondary veins, tertiary veins not parallel; petioles 6-13 mm long; stipules 3-8 mm long, puberulous. Staminate inflorescences up to 3 together, discoid, 5-10 mm in diameter; peduncle 2-8 mm long; involucre with reniform to deltoid to ovate, acute, puberulous bracts in ca 5 series; flowers free; perianth o.6-1.0 mm high, 4-fid to 4-parted, puberulous, tepals membranaceous or thicker, obtuse; stamens 4, filaments 0.8-1.2 mm long, straight or slightly incurved before anthesis, anthers 0.4-0.5 mm long, 0.25-0.4 mm broad, connectives rather broad. Pistillate inflorescences solitary, discoid, 6-10 mm in diameter, subsessile or pedunculate; peduncle up to 6 mm long; involucre with reniform to deltoid to ovate, acute to obtuse, puberulous bracts in 3-6 series; flowers ca 15-35; perianth 2-2.5 mm high, 4-lobed, puberulous; ovary basally adnate to the perianth, style 0.5-1 mm long, stigmas linguiform, 1-1.5 mm long. Infructescences 3.5-4 cm in diameter; fruiting perianth ellipsoid, ca 1.5 cm high, almost glabrous, red; fruit almost entirely adnate to the fruiting perianth; seed globose or subglobose, 9-10 mm long. Flowering from February to April.

  • Discussion

    The Ruiz & Pavon collection differs from all other specimens in its narrow leaves and its distinctly pedunculate pistillate inflorescences.

  • Distribution

    (Fig 23). From Nicaragua to Peru; in forests up to 850 m altitude.

    Nicaragua Central America| Costa Rica South America| Panama Central America| Colombia South America| Peru South America|