Sideroxylon bullatum (R.A.Howard & Proctor) T.D.Penn.

  • Authority

    Pennington, Terence D. 1990. Sapotaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 52: 1-750. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Sapotaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Sideroxylon bullatum (R.A.Howard & Proctor) T.D.Penn.

  • Synonyms

    Dipholis bullata R.A.Howard & Proctor, Bumelia bullata (R.A.Howard) Stearn

  • Description

    Species Description - Tree; young shoots minutely appressed puberulous, soon glabrous. Leaves spirally arranged, spaced, 4-13 × 3.5-7 cm, broadly elliptic, obovate to suborbicular, apex obtuse, rounded or truncate, base obtuse or narrowly to broadly attenuate, coriaceous, somewhat bullate, margin slightly revolute, glabrous; venation brochidodromous, midrib flat (not raised on the upper surface), strong marginal vein, secondary veins 10-12 pairs, ascending, straight, parallel; intersecondaries well developed, often extending to near the margin; tertiaries parallel to the secondaries and reticulate. Petiole 0.4-1.1 cm long, not channelled, glabrous. Flowers bisexual, in 2-4-flowered axillary fascicles. Pedicel 0.5-1 cm long (up to 1.5 cm long in fruit), minutely appressed puberulous. Sepals 6-7, 3.5-5 mm long, broadly ovate to elliptic, apex rounded, sparsely appressed puberulous outside with a glabrous margin, glabrous inside. Corolla glabrous, ca. 5 mm long, tube 2.5-3 mm long, lobes five; median segment broadly elliptic or orbicular, hooded, apex rounded; lateral segments slightly erose, acuminate. Stamens five, glabrous; filaments 1.1-1.3 mm long; anthers 0.6-0.8 mm long, broadly lanceolate. Staminodes five, 1.2-1.5 mm long, broadly ovate, apex acute to acuminate, erose, glabrous. Ovary ovoid, tapering gradually into style, 5-locular, glabrous; style ca. 1 mm long after anthesis, glabrous; style-head simple. Fruit 1.5-1.7 cm long, ca. 0.6 cm broad, narrowly oblong, apex acute or rounded, base rounded, smooth, glabrous. Seed solitary, ca. 1.4 × 0.4 cm, narrowly oblong, apex obtuse, base subtruncate, testa smooth, shiny, thickened and slightly hollowed at base; scar basal, ca. 1.5 mm diam., circular; embryo not seen. Field characters. Tree to 8 m high with yellowish flowers. Flowers Oct, fruit Jan.

  • Distribution

    Confined to Portland Parish, Jamaica, where it occurs in elfin forest over limestone, at 450-750 m altitude.

    Jamaica South America| Portland Jamaica South America|