Eschweilera eperuetorum Sandwith

  • Family

    Lecythidaceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Eschweilera eperuetorum Sandwith

  • Primary Citation

    Kew Bull. 1955: 475. 1955

  • Type Specimens

    Specimen 1: Isotype -- D. B. Fanshawe F2830

  • Description

    Author: Scott A. Mori & Nathan P. Smith

    Type: Type. Guyana. Mile 21 of Bartica-Potaro Rd., 25 Dec 1948 (fl), Fanshawe 2830 (Forest Dept. British Guiana 5831) (lectotype, K, here designated; isolectotypes, K-2 sheets, NY).

    Description: Trees, 5-20 m tall. Leaves: petioles 12-15 mm long; blades oblong, 16-31.5 x 4-13 cm, glabrous, without punctae, coriaceous, the base rounded to obtuse, the margins entire, the apex short acuminate; venation with 16-27 pairs of lateral veins, the tertiary veins salient on abaxial surface. Inflorescences terminal, once-branched, racemose, the principal rachis 11-17 cm long, glabrous, angular, with persistent, woody pedicel bases, the pedicels glabrous, ca. 12 mm long. Flowers ca. 7 cm diam.; calyx-lobes 6, widely ovate to very widely oblong, 8-10 x 6-8 mm, erect, imbricate, slightly convex abaxially, slightly concave adaxially; petals obovate to oblong, 30-33 x 17-22 mm, white; filaments 1.8 mm long, clavate, the anthers 0.7-1.0 mm long; ovary 2-locular, the ovules ca. 7 per locule. Fruits depressed turbinate, 1.5-2.3 x 3-4.5 cm (without operculum), the pedicel and calyx-lobes persistent, the calycine ring inserted above middle, the pericarp 3-7 mm thick; operculum umbonate. Seeds ovoid to ellipsoid, 18-19 x 13-14 mm; aril present, lateral.

    Common names: None recorded.

    Distribution: Known only from a few collections in Guyana and north and northwest of Manus near the boarder of Roraima and Venezuela.

    Ecology: Very little is known about the ecology of this species. In Guyana it sometimes occurs in forest dominated by Eperua falcata Aublet.

    Phenology: Flowers have been collected in May, Aug, and Dec. Fruits have been collected in Feb.

    Pollination: No reports of pollination have been recorded but flower morphology suggests bees as pollinators.

    Dispersal: No reports of dispersal have been recorded but the basal aril suggests animal dispersal.

    Predation: No observations recorded.

    Field characters: See taxonomic notes.

    Taxonomic notes: Eschweilera eperuetorum is morphologically similar to E. pedicellata. It differs from this species by larger, more coriaceous leaves with more salient tertiary venation; caducous large bracts and bracteoles subtending the pedicels; more robust inflorescences with more glabrous rachises; more rounded, broader sepals; and a thicker pericarp.

    Conservation: IUCN Red List: Not on list (Feb, 2014).

    Uses: None recorded.

    Etymology: -

    Source: This species page is based on Mori & Prance, 1990.

  • Floras and Monographs

    Eschweilera eperuetorum Sandwith: [Article] 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.