Gustavia latifolia Miers

  • Family

    Lecythidaceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Gustavia latifolia Miers

  • Primary Citation

    Trans. Linn. Soc. London 30: 182. 1874

  • Description

    Author: Scott A. Mori & X. Cornejo

    Type: Colombia. Cundinamarca: At hacienda del Palmar near Guaduas, without date (fl), Hartweg 981 (lectotype, K, designated by Mori in Prance & Mori, 1979; isolectotype, COL, K).

    Description: Slender, understory trees, to 9-12 m tall. Leaves present at anthesis; petioles subterete in cross section, 35-40 x 2-3 mm; blades narrowly obovate, 12-15 x 5-6 cm, chartaceous, glabrous, the base long cuneate, the margins entire, the apex not seen; venation camptrodromous near base, brochidodromous rest of length, the secondary veins in 17-19 pairs, the higher order venation unknown. Inflorescences cauline, racemose, with 4-7 flowers, rusty-tomentose, the rachis ca. 6 mm long; pedicels 25-35 mm long, subtended by a single caducous bract and bearing 2 ovate, 2-3 mm long, densely pubescent bracteoles 3/4 distance from articulation. Flowers: size unknown; calyx entire; petals densely pubescent in bud; androecium not studied; ovary without costae, rusty-tomentose, the summit truncate, pubescent in lines radiating from style; style ca. 1.5 mm; stigma with 4 lobes. Fruits and seeds unknown.

    Common names: None recorded

    Distribution: This species is only known from a single collection from the type locality.

    Ecology: This species is a small tree of the forest understory.

    Phenology: The type was collected with flowers only but there is not date of collection provided on the label.

    Pollination: No observations recorded but, because of the poricidal anthers it is most likely buzz pollinated by bees as has been reported for other species of the genus (Mori & Boeke, 1987).

    Dispersal: No observations recorded but the seeds are surrounded by an edible pulp that is eaten by animals which, in turn disperse the seeds. See discussion of the dispersal and prediation of Gustavia superba.

    Predation: No observations recorded.

    Field characters: This species is recognized in the field by its its small size; long petioles; chartaceous leaf blades with a cuneate base; cauline or ramiflorous inflorescences; and entire calyx.

    Taxonomic notes: Gustavia latifolia is most closely related to G. nana subsp rhodantha, differing in its entire instead of 4-lobed calyx and long cuneate instead of usually obtuse or rounded leaf bases. Both species have primarily cauline or ramiflorous inflorescences instead of suprafoliar ones as is the case with the morphologically similar G. petiolata. Additional collections from the type locality are needed to confirm that these species, all of which possess long petioles, merit being recognized as distinct species. The Seeman s.n. collection cited in the protologue of G. latifolia by Miers (1874) as representing G. latifolia most likely represents G. superba.

    Uses: None recorded.

    Etymology: The epithet refers to the very wide leaves of this species.

    Conservation: This species appears on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species ver 3 as Critically Endangered B1+2c. If it continues to be recognized as a separate species it will remain critically endangered. In contrast, if G. nana subsp. nana is placed in synonymy under G. latifolia it will be included in a species not considered to be endangered.

    Source: Based on Mori in G. T. Prance & S. A. Mori. 1979. Lecythidaceae--Part I. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 21: 1-270. The species description written based on an image of the type.

  • Floras and Monographs

    Gustavia latifolia Miers: [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.