Gustavia brachycarpa Pittier

Authority

Prance, Ghillean T. & Mori, S. A. 1979. Lecythidaceae - Part I. The actinomorphic-flowered New World Lecythidaceae (Asteranthos, Gustavia, Grias, Allantoma & Cariniana). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 21: 1-270. (Published by NYBG Press)

Family

Lecythidaceae

Scientific Name

Gustavia brachycarpa Pittier

Type

Type. Pittier 5269 (holotype, US 715480, photos NY, WIS; isotypes, GH, NY). Panama. Chiriqui, Eastern Chiriqui, vicinity of San Felix, collected in woods, 23 Dec 1911 (fr).

Synonyms

Gustavia microcarpa Pittier ex R.Knuth

Description

Description - Trees 5-15 m tall to 35 cm in diameter; trunk straight, branching diffuse, forming a rounded crown; leaf-bearing branches ca 3 mm in diameter, the leaves loosely grouped at their ends, the petiole scars 5-30 mm apart. Bark grayish, smooth. Leaf blades elliptic to narrowly obovate, 10-20x3-8 cm, glabrous, chartaceous, with 11-15 pairs of lateral veins; apices acuminate; bases acute, narrowly decurrent; margins crenulate on upper half of blade to entire on lower half. Petioles 4-20 x 2 mm, subterete in cross section, flattened adaxially; stipules triangular, acute, ca 4 mm, early caducous (fide Pittier), their scars not readily distinguishable on older twigs. Inflorescences suprafoliar or axillary, flowers in bract or leaf axils, puberulous, with 1 or 2 flowers at the branch ends; pedicels 30 mm, winged, subtended by a single caducous bract and bearing 2 variously inserted bracteoles ca 4x2 mm. Flowers 6-merous; calyx lobes triangular, 10x8 mm, slightly rusty-tomentose; petals 6, white, broadly oval, 40-45 mm long; fused androecium base ca 6 mm high; outermost filaments ca 8 mm; anthers 2-2.5 mm; ovary 6-costate, 6-loculate, glabrous at summit; style 2 mm. Fruits cylindrical, 25 x 20 mm, with 6 wings to 5 mm wide, with persistent calyx lobes. Seeds: "2 or 3 fertile seeds in each fruit, the remaining cells occupied by aborted seeds; funicle fleshy; seed ovoid about 12 mm long, with a brown perisperm, paler and torulose around the large apical micropyle" (fide Pittier).

Discussion

Gustavia brachycarpa has distinctive fruit and seed characteristics. The fruits, at maturity, lack an operculum and consequently appear to be dehiscent. Woodson (1958) notes this in his treatment of the Lecythidaceae for the Flora of Panama where he also claims to have seen the same condition in collections of G. hexapetala and cites Sandwith’s report of dehiscence in G. laciniosa (=G. augusta). However, I have never seen freely operculate fruits in any species of Gustavia. My field observations of G. longifuniculata have revealed that G. longifuniculata, like G. brachycarpa, is pseudoperculate. In this species the opercular area is weak and easily removed by rotting and/or animals. I was able to find no intact opercula under the tree while many fruits with fragmented and partially removed opercular regions remained on the tree. I have also observed seedlings growing out of the opercular opening of a fruit of G. augusta. All other species of Gustavia release their seeds only after the pericarp has been opened by animals or rotted away. The reports of Woodson (1958) and of Corner (1976), who described the fruits of Gustavia as woody capsules, are erroneous. There are no freely operculate species of Gustavia.

Distribution

A straight-boled tree ranging from the lowland forests and swamps of the Pacific watershed of Panama to the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica.

Costa Rica South America| Puntarenas Costa Rica Central America| Panama Central America| Chiriquí Panamá Central America|