Eschweilera spbcostarica S.A.Mori

  • Family

    Lecythidaceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Eschweilera spbcostarica S.A.Mori

  • Description

    Status: A temporary name given to this species. A final name will be assigned this species when enough information is gathered about the species to justifiy publication.

    Description: Small tree, 5 m tall. Bark unknown. Leaves: petioles 5-8 mm long, horizontally grooved at least when dry; blades oblong to narrowly elliptic, 15-21 x 5.5-6.5 cm, coriaceous, glabrous, punctate abaxially, coriaceous, the adaxial surface shiny; secondary veins in 13 pairs. Inflorescences probably terminal (suprafoliar) or axillary, weakly once-branched; pedicel/hypanthium unknown. Flowers unknown. Fruits short turbinate (including operculum), 4 cm diam., reddish-brown, the pericarp 4 mm thick, the operculum dome-shaped, with short, blunt umbo. Seeds with lateral aril.

    Common names: None known.

    Distribution: Known from a single collection in the plains of northern Costa Rica (north of the central cordillera).

    Ecology: Found in lowland, wet, primary forest .

    Specimens examined: COSTA RICA. Alajuela: Cantón de San Carlos; Llanura de San Carlos, Boca Tapada, 7 km al norte, camino al Río San Juan (10° 42' 25" N, 84°10'50" W), bosque primario, 20 m, 23 Jun 1993 (fr), J. F. Morales et al. 1550 (INB, NY).

    Phenology: The single collection was gathered in June with an immature seed.

    Pollination: No information recorded.

    Dispersal: No information recorded.

    Taxonomic notes: The following collection is similar to Eschweilera biflava but differs by having more coriaceous leaves, a once-branched inflorescence, and different vascularization in the seed. The seed comparison is based on a flattened, immature, conspicuously veined seed of this collection while E. biflava (Chacón 1012) possesses a plump, scarcely veined, ripe seed. Images of the seeds are attached to the species descriptions of both species. Flowers and mature fruits and seeds are needed before it can be described. When collections are made it is very important to photograph the flowers from the side, the top, and from the bottom to show the calyx. It is especially important to make a medial section of the flower to show the structure of the androecial hood. Likewise, the fruits should be photographed from the side, the top, and the bottom. It is especially important to show the seeds in the fruit (remove the operculum) and the seeds outside of the fruit. The structure of the aril is very useful in the classification of Neotropical Lecythidaceae. For an example of a species with all of these features photographed see Lecythis tuyrana. When legal, one centimeter square pieces of leaves dried in silica or sunlight (not on a drying stove) should be collected for molecular studies

    Uses: None recorded.

    Etymology: This species had not yet been given a name.

  • Sorry, no descriptions available for this record.