Pourouma cecropiifolia Mart.

  • Authority

    Berg, Cornelius C., et al. 1990. Cecropiaceae: Coussapoa and Pourouma, with an introduction to the family. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 51: 1-208. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Urticaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Pourouma cecropiifolia Mart.

  • Type

    Type. Brazil. "In silvis prov. Paraensis et Rio Negro," Dec 1819 (st), Martius s.n. (lectotype M, chosen here).

  • Synonyms

    Pourouma multifida Trécul, Pourouma sapida H.Karst., Pourouma edulis Dufr., Pourouma uvifera Rusby

  • Description

    Species Description - Tree, up to 20 m tall. Leafy twigs 5-30 mm thick, (sparsely) white-pubescent and with sparse to dense, brown, pluricellular hairs, often glabrescent. Lamina 7-11-parted, rarely 3-5-lobed, ca. 10-40 × 13-60 cm, coriaceous, apex acuminate to acute, base deeply cordate, with or without overlapping lobes; upper surface smooth, white puberulous on the main veins and sometimes with sparse, red-brown, pluricellular hairs usually on the smaller veins, lower surface white-or sometimes yellow-, usually appressed-pubescent to -puberulous on the veins, occasionally brown, pluricellular hairs on the main veins, arachnoid hairs in the areoles, often also on the smaller veins; lateral veins ca. 15-30 pairs, tertiary venation almost plane beneath; petiole 850 cm long, glabrous or occasionally with brown, pluricellular hairs; stipules 2-20 cm long, outside white-appressed-puberulous and with (dense) red-brown, pluricellular hairs, inside densely yellow-hirsute and sometimes with brown, pluricellular hairs, caducous. Staminate inflorescences up to 27 cm long and 17 cm wide; peduncle 2-11 cm long, peduncle and branches yellow- or white-, usually appressed-puberulous and usually with dense, (dark- or red-)brown, pluricellular hairs; flowers sessile, ± diffusely distributed along the ultimate branches; tepals ca. 2.5 mm long, free or occasionally basally connate, ciliolate; filaments shorter than the tepals, free. Pistillate inflorescences in fruit up to 24 cm long and 22 cm wide; peduncle 2-13.5 cm long, peduncle and branches with indument similar to that of the staminate inflorescence; flowers 25-170; pedicel up to 0.6 cm, in fruit up to 2 cm long; perianth 4-9 mm long; white- to yellow-puberulous and usually with (dark or red-) brown, pluricellular hairs; stigma peltate, ca. 1.5-2 mm diam., sparsely white-puberulous. Fruiting perianth dark purple to black, ovoid to subglobose, 1.5-3.5 × 0.7-2 cm, densely to sparsely puberulous and sometimes with brown, pluricellular hairs.

  • Discussion

    This species shows strong similarities to P. bicolor, especially to the subspecies digitata and scobina. It mainly differs in the greater number of segments of the leaves of adult specimens (normally 7-11 versus normally 5-7 in subsp, digitata and subsp. scobina), the smooth upper surface, and the sparser indument on the leafy twigs. The lamina of subsp. digitata and subsp, scobina is sometimes smooth and subjuvenile specimens may have up to 9 leaf segments, which makes distinction of the taxa on the basis of morphological characters sometimes impossible. Fortunately, the taxa are allopatric (or almost so, see p. 139).

    The lectotype of P. cecropiifolia is selected from nine Martius syntype collections listed above, that of P. sapida from two Karsten (syntype) collections.

    The fully mature fruiting perianth of most (if not all) Pourouma species is suitable for human consumption, but P. cecropiifolia is the only species in cultivation (see p. 116).

    The fact that the species is so often found in (formerly) inhabited places suggests that the present distribution is (at least) partly anthropogenous.

  • Common Names

    bòchoa tsáha, caimarón, caimaron silvestre, uva, uva del monte, uvilla, uvo, gurucana, cocura, sadajii, sacha uvilla, uvilla, suia, shewantaqui, cucura, cucuva, imbauba, ambauva, mansa, imbauba, do vinho, mapati, puruma, puru-mã-y, sucuuba, uva, uva silvestre, tanaribe, uva del monte

  • Distribution

    Extending from Colombia (Meta) through Amazonian Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil (Acre and western Amazonas) to Amazonian Bolivia, also in Amazonian Venezuela; in non-inundated forest, at altitudes up to ca. 1000 m. Often cultivated and their occurrence often indicating previous human inhabitation. Also cultivated in some places outside the species range, e.g., Bahia (Brazil).

    Colombia South America| Amazonas Colombia South America| Caquetá Colombia South America| Meta Colombia South America| Putumayo Colombia South America| Limón Costa Rica Central America| Vaupés Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Ecuador South America| Morona-Santiago Ecuador South America| Napo Ecuador South America| Pastaza Ecuador South America| Amazonas Peru South America| Huánuco Peru South America| Junín Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| Madre de Dios Peru South America| Pasco Peru South America| San Martín Peru South America| Ucayali Peru South America| Brazil South America| Acre Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Bolivia South America| Beni Bolivia South America| Pando Bolivia South America|