Eschweilera panamensis Pittier

  • Authority

    Mori, S. A. & Prance, Ghillean T. 1990. Lecythidaceae - Part II: The zygomorphic-flowered New World genera (Couroupita, Corythophora, Bertholletia, Couratari, Eschweilera, & Lecythis). With a study of secondary xylem of Neotropical Lecythidaceae by Carl de Zeeuw. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 21: 1-376. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Lecythidaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Eschweilera panamensis Pittier

  • Type

    Type. Panama. San Blas: Hills back of Puerto Obaldía, 2 Sep 1911 (fl, fr), Pittier 4338 (holotype, US herb. no. 679481; isotypes, BM, F, K, NY).

  • Description

    Description - Trees, to 30 m tall. Leaf blades widely elliptic to elliptic, 11-18 x 7-9 cm, glabrous, with black punctae abaxially, with 10-12 pairs of lateral veins; apex short acuminate to acuminate; base acute to rounded; margins entire; petiole 7-17 mm long. Inflorescences usually terminal, sometimes in axils of uppermost leaves, once branched paniculate arrangement of racemes, the rachis 525 cm long, all axes sparsely to conspicuously lenticellate, with persistent pedicel bases, the pedicels 5-7 mm long, jointed at middle, lenticellate. Flowers 2-3 cm diam.; calyx with six lobes, the lobes widely ovate, 2-6 x 2-5 mm, ascending to erect, not imbricate to imbricate for ½ length, convex abaxially, flat adaxially; petals six, widely obovate, 14-22 x 10-17 mm, white; hood of androecium 11-13 x 14-19 mm, forming double coil, yellow; staminal ring with 115-200 stamens, the filaments ca. 1-1.5 mm long, clavate, the anthers 0.5 mm long; hypanthium cuneate, puberulous, sparsely to densely lenticellate; ovary 2-locular, each with 4-5 erect ovules attached to placenta at base of septum, the style 2-3.5 mm long. Fruits globose, 2.5-3 x 3-5 cm (excluding operculum), the pericarp 4-5 mm thick; operculum dome-shaped, without umbo, 2.2 cm high. Seeds unknown.

  • Discussion

    This species is characterized by its snow-white petals which contrast with the light yellow androecial hood.

    The easternmost collections of this species have smaller, less imbricate Calyx-lobes, and less markedly lenticellate axes of the inflorescence and hypanthium as well as slightly longer pedicels.

  • Distribution

    Known only from non-flooded habitats in tropical wet forests of eastern Panama and the Choco of Colombia. Flowers have been collected from Feb to Nov.

    Panama Central America| Colón Panama Central America| San Blás Panama Central America| Veraguas Panama Central America| Colombia South America| Chocó Colombia South America|