Eschweilera parvifolia Mart. ex DC.

  • Family

    Lecythidaceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Eschweilera parvifolia Mart. ex DC.

  • Primary Citation

    Prodr. (DC.) 3: 293. 1828

  • Description

    Author: Scott A. Mori & Ghillean T. Prance

    Type: Brazil. Without locality, no date (fr), Martius s.n. (lectotype, M, designated Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 21(II). 1990, photo NY; isolectotype, M).

    Description: Small to medium-sized trees, infrequently to 30 m. Bark dark gray or brown to nearly black, the slash with outer and inner bark about some thickness, the inner pink to reddish, sometimes with red line between outer and inner bark. Leaves not known to flush just before anthesis; petioles 7-15 mm long, glabrous to puberulous; blades usually ovate to narrowly ovate, sometimes elliptic, 7-14(-20) x 3.5-6.5 cm, completely glabrous or puberulous on lower abaxial midrib, usually without punctae, coriaceous, the base obtuse to rounded, the margins entire, the apex acute to acuminate; secondary veins in 7-9 pairs. Inflorescences terminal, axillary, or ramiflorous, racemose, usually unbranched, infrequently once-branched, the principal rachis 1-14 cm long, puberulous, the pedicel 7-12(-20) mm long, glabrous to puberulous. Flowers ca. 3 cm diam.; calyx with 6 lobes, the lobes very widely ovate to ovate, 2.5-4.5 x 1.6-3.7 mm, horizontally oriented to ascending, not or slightly imbricate, convex to carinate abaxially, sometimes gibbous; petals 6, widely to narrowly obovate, 12-27 x 8-15 mm, usually white, infrequently described as light yellow on labels; androecium with staminal ring asymmetric, with 170-324 stamens, the filaments slender, equal diameter throughout or only slightly swollen toward apex, white, 1-1.5 mm long, the anthers 0.5 mm long, yellow, the hood 11-15 x 12-17 mm, usually with double coil but sometimes with incipient third coil; hypanthium tapered into well-defined pedicel; ovary 2-locular, with 5-7 basally attached ovules, the summit slightly elevated to 0.5 mm, the style thick, well differentiated from summit, often obliquely oriented, 2-2.5 mm long. Fruits unknown at maturity, turbinate, tapered into persistent woody pedicel, the calycine ring inserted near opercular opening, often prominent, the operculum umbonate. Seeds with lateral aril.

    Common names: Brazil: cravinho da beira da agua (Mato Grosso), matamata (applied to many species of Eschweilera. Peru: machimango, machinpuro. Venezuela: coco de mono (applied to other species, especially to Lecythis ollaria and L. minor).

    Distribution: Eschweilera parvifolia is wide-spread throughout central and western Amazonia.

    Ecology: This species is a small tree found in periodically flooded forest (igapó).

    Phenology: Most flowering collections of this species have been made from May to Sep. Peak flowering of plants growing along the Solimões river is from Jun to Aug which coincides with high water levesl on this river.

    Pollination: No observations recorded but is it most likely pollinated by bees.

    Dispersal: No observations recorded but the lateral aril may be eaten by animals.

    Field characters: Eschweilera parvifolia is characterized by its flooded forest habidtat; mediium-sized, ovate to narrowly ovate, coriaceous leaf blades with 7-9 pairs of lateral veins; ovary with a well-defined, often obiquely oriented style 2-2.5 mm long; and relatively small turbinate fruits.

    Taxonomic notes: Eschweilera parvifolia is morphologically similar to Eschweilera ovata of eastern coastal Brazil and eastern Amazonia which is usually found in non-flooded forests in contrast to the preference of E. parvifolia for periodically flooded habitats. Do not confuse this species with Eschweilera parviflora which is a different species with an easily confused name.

    Uses: None recorded.

    Etymology: The species epithet refers to the relatively small leaves of this species.

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

    Acknowledgements: We are grateful to C. Gracie for allowing us to use her images to illustrate the characters of this species.

  • Floras and Monographs

    Eschweilera parvifolia Mart. ex DC.: [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.