Couepia canescens (Gleason) Prance

  • Authority

    Prance, Ghillean T. 1989. Chrysobalanaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 9S: 1-267. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Chrysobalanaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Couepia canescens (Gleason) Prance

  • Type

    Type. Venezuela. Amazonas: Cerro Duida (fl), Tate 870 (holotype, NY; isotype, K).

  • Synonyms

    Parinari canescens Gleason, Couepia cognata var. cognata

  • Description

    Description - Tree to 10 m tall, the young branches tomentellous. Leaf lamina oblong to oblong-lanceolate, coriaceous, 2-6.5 × 1.5-3.2 cm, cuneate to rounded at base, acuminate at apex with acumen 2-5 mm long, glabrous above except on midrib, densely brown-lanate pubescent beneath, the pubescence obscuring rather prominent venation with parallel primary veins; midrib impressed and tomentellous towards base above, prominent and lanate pubescent beneath; primary veins 10-12 pairs, plane or slightly impressed above, prominent beneath; petioles 2-3 mm long, densely tomentose, terete. Stipules ca. 1 mm long, linear, tomentose, caducous. Inflorescences terminal and subterminal racemes 1.5-3 cm long, the rachis densely brown tomentose. Bracts and bracteoles elliptic, ca. 1 mm long, tomentose on exterior, caducous. Receptacle campanulate, straight, not curved, 3-4 mm long, brown-tomentose on exterior, glabrous within except for deflexed hairs at throat; pedicels 0.5-1 mm long. Calyx lobes five, acute, tomentose on exterior. Petals five, white, glabrous. Stamens 12-16, unilateral with a few short staminodes opposite them. Ovary villous. Style glabrous except at extreme base. Fruit globose; exocarp glabrous and verrucose when mature; pericarp hard and thick, undifferentiated, densely lanate within.

  • Discussion

    Couepia canescens is closest to C. cognata, but differs in the shorter racemose inflorescence, the shorter thicker pedicels, the calyx tube that is campanulate and erect, not curved, the shorter and caducous bracteoles, and the shorter pubescence of the inflorescence and flowers. In Couepia cognata the inflorescence is nearly always a slightly branched panicle; only rarely is it reduced to a raceme and then it is longer than that of C. canescens. These two species are ecologically distinct. Couepia cognata is a small tree of the forest on higher mountain slopes.

  • Distribution

    (Fig. 98). Guayana Highland region of Venezuela.

    Venezuela South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America|