Eschweilera sclerophylla Cuatrec.

  • Family

    Lecythidaceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Eschweilera sclerophylla Cuatrec.

  • Primary Citation

    Fieldiana, Bot. 27(2): 92. 1951

  • Type Specimens

    Specimen 1: Isolectotype -- J. Cuatrecasas 16879

  • Description

    Author: Scott A. Mori & Nathan P. Smith

    Type: Colombia. Valle: Rio Calima (region del Choco), La Trojita, 5-50 m alt., 27 Feb 1944 (fl), Cuatrecasas 16517 (lectotype, F-herb. no. 1358508, here designated; isolectotypes, F herb. no. 1358509, NY).

    Description: Trees, to 25 m tall. Bark brown, rugose, scaly, thin. Leaves: petioles 15-30 mm long; blades oblong, 36-50 x 11-18.5 cm, glabrous, punctate abaxially, the base obtuse to rounded, the margins entire, the apex acuminate; secondary veins in 16-20 pairs. Inflorescences axillary or terminal, infrequently cauline, usually unbranched, infrequently once branched, spicate, the principal rachis to 13 cm long, gray, sparsely lenticellate, the flowers congested, sessile, subtended by two persistent, widely ovate bracteoles. Flowers 5-6 cm diam.; hypanthium shallow, truncate at base; calyx-lobes 6, very widely to widely ovate, 12-15 x 12-15 mm, erect, imbricate for 3/4 length, plane abaxially and adaxially; petals 6, obovate, 30-38 x 20 mm, rose to magenta; androecium zygomorphic, the stamen filaments clavate, 1.5 mm long, the hood forming 3 coils, yellow flushed with pink; gynoecium with 2-locular ovary, the ovules 6-9 per locule. Fruits depressed globose, with narrow granulated belt around middle, 5 x 8 cm, the operculum obtusely umbonate, the pericarp thin. Seeds 5-6 per fruit.

    Common names: None known.

    Distribution: Known from the departments of Valle and Chocó, Colombia

    Ecology: A medium-sized tree known from near sea level to 1990 m.

    Phenology: Flowers have been collected from Nov to Mar and mature fruits have been collected in Feb and Mar.

    Pollination: No reports of pollination have been recorded.

    Dispersal: No reports of dispersal have been recorded

    Predation: No observations recorded.

    Field characters: See taxonomic notes.

    Taxonomic notes: Eschweilera sclerophylla is morphologically similar to E. calyculata from which it differs in its larger leaves, larger calyx-lobes, and sessile flowers.

    Conservation: IUCN Red List: Vulnerable B1+2c ver 2.3 (World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. Eschweilera sclerophylla. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 28 February 2014.).

    Uses: None known.

    Etymology: The name "sclerophylla" means hard leaf.

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

  • Floras and Monographs

    Eschweilera sclerophylla Cuatrec.: [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.