Guarea guentheri Harms

  • Authority

    Pennington, Terence D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28: 1-359, 418-449, 459-470. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Meliaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Guarea guentheri Harms

  • Type

    Type. Tessmann 4156, Peru, Amazonas, mouth of R. Santiago, fl (holotype, B, destroyed; isotype, NY, fragment F).

  • Description

    Species Description - Young branches appressed puberulous to short pubescent becoming brown and scaling. Leaves pinnate with a terminal bud showing intermittent growth, to 50 cm long; petiole semiterete, rhachis terete or laterally compressed, short pubescent to glabrous; petiolule 3-6 mm long. Leaflets to 6 pairs, usually oblanceolate less frequently oblong, apex short acuminate or obtusely cuspidate, base narrowly cuneate or attenuate, chartaceous, 20-31[23.5] cm long, 7.5-11[8.4] cm broad, upper surface glabrous or midrib sparsely pubescent, lower midrib and veins sparsely pubescent or puberulous, lower lamina usually with scattered minute hairs and numerous red papillae, not glandular-punctate or -striate; venation eucamptodromous, midrib slightly sunken; secondaries 14-18 on either side of midrib, ascending, straight, parallel; intersecondaries absent; tertiaries oblique. Inflorescence axillary, ramiflorous, or cauliflorous, 5-20 cm long, a panicle with a few lateral branches near base to 10 cm long, branches ± racemose, puberulous with crisped hairs; pedicel 1-2 mm long. Calyx patelliform or shallowly cyathiform, 2.5-3 mm long, with 4 ovate, obtuse lobes 1-2 mm long, sparsely appressed puberulous. Petals 4, valvate, 12-15 mm long, 2.5-3 mm broad, strap-shaped, apex acute, densely appressed puberulous outside, glabrous inside. Staminal tube 9.5-12 mm long, ca. 3 mm broad, margin undulate, glabrous; anthers (7-)8, 1.3-1.6 mm long. Nectary a stipe expanded to form an annulus below ovary, 1-2.5 mm long, glabrous. Ovary 4-locular, loculi with 2 superposed ovules, pubescent or strigose; style sparsely pubescent to glabrous. Capsule short botuliform, constricted between seeds, apex ± acute, tapering at base into a stout stipe ca. 1 cm long, obscurely ribbed, ribs plicate or torulose, minutely puberulous, 5-6 cm long, 2.2-2.5 cm broad, 4-valved, valves with 2 superposed seeds; pericarp ca. 2 mm thick. Seed truncate at base or apex, ca. 2 cm long, ca. 1 cm broad, surrounded by a thin orange sarcotesta; seed coat thin, cartilaginous; hilum large, covering adaxial surface. Embryo with thick, plano-convex, superposed cotyledons; radicle abaxial, extending to surface.

  • Discussion

    In Amazonian Peru, the sweet-smelling seeds are used in necklaces (Berlin, field data).

    Relationships

    The differences between this species and G. rhopalocarpa are discussed under the latter. The fruit (and sometimes the leaves) of this species emits a strong and characteristic scent on drying. The smell resembles that of curry powder, is very penetrating and persists almost indefinitely (cf. G. apiodora Baillon).

    Field Characters: Tree to 16 m high, cauliflorous, ramiflorous or with axillary flowers. The white flowers are produced from September to November and the fruit, which is reddish-purple, matures in February.

  • Common Names

    Mohanya Bicoy

  • Distribution

    Western Brazilian Amazonia and Amazonian Peru. A plant of non-flooded forest ascending to 600 m in Peru.

    Peru South America| Amazonas Peru South America| Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America|