Eschweilera brevipetiolata S.A.Mori & Cornejo

Description

Author: Scott A. Mori & Xavier Cornejo

Type: Colombia. Cauca: Bajo Calima, Concesión Pulpapel/Buenaventura, altura aprximadamente 100 m. s. n. m., 25 Sep 1986 (fl), Monsalve B. 1169 (holotype, NY -- barcode 00853327).

Description: Tree, 6-12 m tall, the trunk unknown. Bark unknown. Stems 6-10 mm diam. near attachment of lower leaves, glabrous, sparsely lenticellate, cracked or shallowly fissured when dry. Leaves: petiioles 3-10 mm long but appearing shorter because of decurrent leaf bases; blades narrowly to broadly elliptic 54-74 x 10-27.5 cm, chartaceous, minutely white papillate and conspicuously punctate abaxially, the base obtuse to rounded, decurrent onto petiole, the margins entire, the apex acuminate; venation eucamptrodromous toward base, brochidodromous toward apex, without conspicuous marginal veins, the midrib salient adaxially, more salient abaxailly, the secondary veins in 22-32 pairs, widely spaced, 2.5-3.5 cm apart in middle of leaf, salient abaxially, the intersecondaries developed to near middle on each side of midrib, the tertiaries reticulate. Inflorescences cauline (fide Gentry & Monsalve 48417 and Monsalve 1169). Flowers (only buds seen) when leaves present, size unknown; hypanthium glabrous, sparsely lenticellate; calyx-lobes 6, triangular, 3 x 4 mm, not imbricate, arising from fused calyx rim; petals rose colored (fide Monsalve 1169); androecium zygomorphic, with 4 coils (i.e, turns inward), vestigial stamens on outside of coils; staminal ring with ca. 300 stamens, the filaments ca. 1.5 mm long, clavate, the anthers 0.5-0.7 mm long; ovary 2-locular, with ca. 10 ovules per locule, the summit widely oboconical, the style not distinguished from summit of ovary. Fruits (only fragments seen), the pericarp 3 mm thick. Seeds (only fragments seen), the seed coat smooth, with plane veins.

Common names: None recorded

Distribution: Known only by five collections all of which are from southern Colombia along the Pacific coast in the Departments of Cauca, Chocó, and Valle.

Phenology: Known only by two fertile collections--flowers in Sep and fruits in Jul.

Pollination: No observations recorded but the pollinators are most likely bees.

Dispersal: No observations recorded. The fruit collection is so fragmentary that it is not possible to determine the presence and structure of an aril if one is present.

Predation: No observations recorded.

Field characters: Eschweilera brevipetiolata is characterized by its small size, large leaves, very short petiole made even less conspicuous by the decuirrent leaf base, widely separated secondary veins, non-imbricate calyx-lobes arising from a calyx rim, rose-colored petals, and 4-coiled ligule.

Taxonomic notes: This species appears to be part of a group of Pacific coastal species of the genus that is characterized by large leaves and three or four coiled ligules (e.g., Eschweilera awaensis, E. pachyderma, E. sclerophylla, and E. integricalyx). It and E. integricalyx are the only species in this group with scarcely-developed calyx-lobes, in the first species the lobes are absent and the calyx consists only of a rim whereas in the latter species the rim has six broadly triangular lobes.

Uses: None recorded.

Etymology: The epithet refers to the short petioles that appear even less apparent because of the decurrent leaf bases.

Conservation: The conservation status of this species has not yet been determined but it has a relatively limited distribution and grows in areas threatened by deforestation.

Source: This is an original species page.

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