Grias multinervia Cuatrec.

  • Family

    Lecythidaceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Grias multinervia Cuatrec.

  • Primary Citation

    Fieldiana, Bot. 27(2): 97. 1951

  • Description

    Author: Xavier Cornejo & Scott A. Mori

    Type: Colombia. Valle del Cauca: Costa del Pacífico, Río Micay, orilla derecha, en Caliche, 5-10 m alt., 26 Feb 1943 (fr), J. Cuatrecasas 14208 (lectotype, F-1358434; isolectotypes, F-1358435, F-1358436, F-1358437). Designated by Mori, Fl. Neotrop. 21: 199 (1979).

    Description: Pachycaulous, unbranched or few-branched, understory trees, to 8 m x ca. 15 cm, the trunk cylindrical, the base not know. Bark smooth. Stems glabrous; leaf-bearing branches to 23 mm diam. Leaves: petioles to 100 x ca. 15-20 mm, semicircular in cross section, glabrous; blades oblanceolate, ca. 140 x 25 cm, coriaceous, glabrous, with inconspicuous reddish papillae and scattered hairs on abaxial surface, the base tapering, the margins entire, the apex acuminate; venation brochidodromous, the secondary veins in ca. 86 pairs, the tertiary veins weakly percurrent, the higher order venation plane and difficult to see. Inflorescences cauline; pedicels 4-10 cm long. Flower buds and mature flowers unknown. Fruits oblongoid to ellipsoid, brown, to 10 x 5 cm, the pericarp with 8 longitudinal ribs (dry), the mesocarp unknown. Seeds ca. 77 x 30 mm (dry).

    Common names: None recorded.

    Distribution: Known only from the type locality in the lowlands of the Rio Micay area, Department of Cauca, Colombia.

    Ecology: This species is an infrequent, small to medium size tree of lowland wet forests.

    Phenology: Fruits have been collected in Feb and Jul; flowers have not been seen.

    Pollination: Not known. As in some species of the genus, the flowers of Grias multinervia may be pollinated by beetles (Knudsen & Mori, 1996).

    Dispersal: No field observations recorded. It is likely that the fruits of this species, once fallen to the ground, are dispersed by rodents seeking the edible mesocarp.

    Predation: No field observations recorded. However, as in all species of Grias, it is possible that the seeds of this species are eaten by rodents and insects.

    Field characters: This species is characterized by the unbranched or few-branched growth form; the sparsely pubescent abaxial leaf blade surface; and the elongate (4-10 cm long) pedicels of fruits. There are only three known species of Grias with pubescence on the abaxial leaf blade surfaces. Grias subbullata is very densely pubescent on the abaxial leaf blade surface as well as on the hypanthium. The other two are this species and Grias ecuadorica which differ by the much longer pedicel of the latter.

    Taxonomic notes: The flowers of Grias multinervia are still unknown and, as a result, this is the least known described species of the genus.

    Conservation: So far, this species is know only by two collections (including the type). We suggest that Grias multinervia be assigned the IUCN conservation status of endangered, EN B1ab(iii) (IUCN, 2001).

    Uses: None recorded.

    Etymology: The specific epithet means the Grias with many-nerved leaf blades.

    Source: Based in Mori in Prance, G.T. & S. A. Mori. 1979. Fl. Neotrop. 21, Lecythidaceae-Part I: 199.

  • Floras and Monographs

    Grias multinervia Cuatrec.: [Article] 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.