Lecythis Loefl.
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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)
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Family
Lecythidaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type. Lecythis ollaria Loefling. The name Lecythis is derived from the Greek, Xevdos, which means oil-jar and alludes to the urn-like fruits of the genus.
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Synonyms
Bergena Adans., Chytroma Miers, Cercophora Miers, Sapucaya R.Knuth, Pachylecythis Ledoux
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Description
Description - Trees, small to very large, with leptocaul growth form. Bark nearly smooth to deeply fissured, the outer bark frequently laminated. Leaves deciduous or evergreen, medium sized, (2.5-)5-25(-40) x (1.5-)3-15(-19) cm, never densely congested at branch ends, usually glabrous, infrequently puberulous on abaxial midrib, sometimes with abaxial cuticular papillae. Inflorescences racemose or spicate, unbranched or once-branched, terminal, in axils of uppermost leaves, or from young stems below leaves. Flowers zygomorphic, relatively large, (1.5-)3-8(-11) cm diam.; calyx with six lobes, these with or without mucilage-bearing ducts; petals six, subequal; hood of androecium flat, dorsiventrally expanded, or forming a partial coil, the appendages with or without anthers; staminal ring with 70-1000 stamens, these usually monomorphic, infrequently dimorphic, the filaments often dilated towards apices, the anthers small, 0.5-1 (-2) mm long, dehiscing via lateral slits, basifixed; pollen physiologically monomorphic or dimorphic, when dimorphic often of two distinct colors; hypanthium smooth or infrequently rugose; ovary (3-)4(-6)-locular, the summit usually truncate, the style usually well-differentiated, 1.5-11 mm long, straight, bent toward anterior end of flower, or geniculate, the ovules inserted on lower part of septum. Fruits woody, circumscissile capsules, indehiscent in L. lurida, 2.5-25 x 2.5-30 cm, the base usually remaining on tree after dehiscence or infrequently entire fruit falling with seeds intact. Seeds often with basal aril projecting beyond micropylar end, less frequently with lateral aril on lower one-half of micropylar end, or without aril. X = 17.
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Distribution
Lecythis encompasses twenty-six species which range throughout the lowland moist forests of the Neotropics from Nicaragua to São Paulo, Brazil.
Nicaragua Central America| Costa Rica South America| Panama Central America| Colombia South America| Brazil South America|