Swartzia cuspidata Spruce ex Benth.

Description

Authors: Benjamin M. Torke and Vidal de Freitas Mansano

Type: Brazil. Amazonas: below the falls of São Gabriel (da Cachoeira), Jan 1852 (fl), R. Spruce 2048 (holotype: K; isotypes: BM, CGE, F, FI, G, GH, GOET, LE, M, NY, P, RB, W).

Description: Tree to 18 m; trunk prominently nodulate in adults, to 25 cm in diameter; bark smooth, strongly lenticellate, gray-brown with lighter brown spots and patches; cambium often with red-oxidizing exudate young branchlets glabrous to sparsely minute-strigulose. Leaves imparipinnate, with (1-) 2 (-3) pairs of opposite (to subopposite) lateral leaflets, occasionally with the terminal leaflet abortive; stipules narrowly ovate- to elliptic-lanceolate, often falcate, venulose, parallel-veined, 1.5-11 x 0.3-3 mm, mostly glabrous, sometimes sparsely strigulose adaxially, caducous; petioles unwinged, 0.7-3.4 cm, pulvinus 1.5-6 mm long; rachis terete, unwinged, 2.5-9.5 cm long; stipels minute, triangular, 0.1-0.6 (-1.5) mm, caducous; petiolules 2.2-5.5 mm, glabrous or essentially so; leaflet blades chartaceous, elliptic, 1.8-3.3 x as long as wide, 3.5-15 x 1.4-6.6 cm, lustrous adaxially, glabrous or nearly so, sometimes sparsely minute-strigulose on the midrib abaxially, base acute to rounded-obtuse, apex caudo-acuminate, acumen pointed or rounded, usually briefly mucronate, occasionally retuse, 5.5-21.5 mm, midrib and other venation raised on both leaflet surfaces, secondary veins fairly straight, ascending at 12-29°, curving distally and forming loose submarginal loops with several intersecondary and tertiary veins parallel to the secondaries, higher order venation reticulate. Inflorescences simple or compound racemes with a single order of branching, often 2-several-fascicled, usually borne on trunk, often from conspicuous nodules, sometimes on larger branches well below leaves, to ca. 50-flowered; primary axes (5-) 12-30 (-35) cm, densely to rather thinly whitish-gray or golden minute-strigulose; bracts ovate, 1.2-4.2 x 0.7-1.6 mm, strigulose abaxially; pedicels dorso-ventrally compressed, 8.2-17.5 mm, usually somewhat densely whitish-gray or golden minute-strigulose; bracteoles, opposite to subopposite, typically inserted between middle and apex of pedicel, ovate- to elliptic-lanceolate, 0.5-2.5 mm, minute strigulose abaxially; flower buds ellipsoid to globose, often somewhat umbonate at apex, 8.0-10.3 x 5.6-8.9 mm, usually longituninally striped, glabrous to thinly strigulose, more densely so at base and apex. Calyx green, glabrous adaxially, glabrous to thinly strigulose abaxially; segments usually 4, subequal, recurved, more or less ovate, (5-) 8-13 x (3.7-) 5-8.3 mm. Petal pale yellow to orange-yellow, glabrous; claw 1.8-4 mm; blade elliptic to broadly ovate, the base obtuse to truncate, 12-19.2 x 10.5-14.5 mm. Androecium glabrous, the stamens white to yellowish-white, arranged in two groups, dimorphic; stamens of the abaxial group (4-) 5-7, filaments 11-16.3 mm, anthers oblong-ovate in outline, 2.7-3.5 x 1.2-1.5 mm, connective shortly prolonged at apex; stamens of the adaxial group ca. 150-230, filaments 5.8-14.3 mm, anthers elliptic in outline, 1-1.7 x 0.8-1 mm, connective shortly prolonged at apex. Gynoecium glabrous; stipe bulbous at base, 5-10.7 mm; ovary green, inequilaterally arcuate-elliptic in outline, 6-10 x 2-2.5 mm, locule glabrous, ovules 6-10; style obliquely terminal, 2.5-3.8 mm; stigma punctiform. Fruits lenticellate, maturing from green to brown or purplish-brown, glabrous, stipe 7-17 mm, body elliptic to oblong in outline, usually inequilateral, the sutures little or not at all constricted between seeds, the base broadly acute to rounded-obtuse, the apex apiculate by the persistent style, 3.8-8.6 x 1.8-3.2 cm,. Seeds 1-5, ellipsoid when solitary, irregularly ellipsoid to globular when multiple, ca. 1.8-3.1 x 1.6-1.8 cm; aril convex-elliptic, the margin more or less entire, ca. 1.7-2.2 mm long, covering a quarter to about half of seed on the adaxial side.

Common names: Gumbeira (Portuguese); geographical location: Amazonas, Brazil; source: Monteiro et al. 1365. Chamanare (language unknown); geographical location: Venezuela; source: Stergios et al. 9789.

Distribution: Swartzia cuspidata is widespread in the Amazon basin. As presently understood, the main geographical distribution is discontinuous between two areas. The first encompasses the upper Rio Negro drainage of southernmost Venezuela and northwestern Brazil. The second area comprises central Amazonia, with most collections coming from north of the Rio Amazonas, from the lower Rio Negro to the drainage of the Rio Trombetas. The species is particularly common in the vicinity of Manaus. The adjacent area south of the Rio Amazonas is poorly sampled, but the species has been collected in the lower Rio Madeira, in the basin of its tributary, the Rio Secundari, and in the basin of the Rio Maués. Finally, it has also been found at localities well separated from these two main areas: at Gurupá, near the mouth of the Amazon and at Tonantins on the Rio Solimões in far western Amazonas, Brazil. It is difficult to judge the validity of apparent disjunctions in the range of S. cuspidata, as much of the intervening areas between documented occurrences are poorly collected, particularly in upland (terra firme) habitats where the species is to be expected. Its reported occurrence in Peru and the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso by Cowan (1967) was based on misidentified specimens. The species is restricted to lowlands; it is not known to occur above 600 m elevation.

Ecology: Swartzia cuspidata occurs in upland ("terra firme") rainforest on both sandy and clay soils. It is particularly common on alluvial sandy soils in "floresta de baixa" near small streams. In the upper Rio Negro basin, it also occurs in seasonally waterlogged Amazonian caatinga on highly leached white sands. Nothing is known of the pollination or dispersal ecology of the species. The fruits may be attractive to ants (Vicentini et al. 504).

Phenology: Flowering September to May, particularly October to January. Fruiting peaks in March and April.

Taxonomic notes: Swartzia cuspidata belongs to S. section Recurvae. It is closely related to S. caudata, S. recurva, S. krukovii, and S. gracilis. The species is more strongly cauliflorous than any of these species. Other features that aid its identification are essentially glabrous leaves, distinctly caudate leaflets with a raised midrib, relatively long pedicels, thinly pubescent to nearly glabrous flower buds, and frequently multi-seeded, oblong fruits.

Uses: No uses have been recorded.

Etymology: The specific epithet refers to the distinctive leaflet apex.

Conservation status: The species is widespread and often common. Its distribution encompasses large areas of intact, forested habitat. It is present in several protected areas, including the Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke and the Reserva Biológica de Uatumã in Brazil. It is not currently threatened.

Floras and Monographs

Swartzia cuspidata Spruce ex Benth.: [Article] Cowan, Richard S. 1967. Swartzia (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae Swartzieae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 1: 3-228.

Map Distribution

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