Pimenta odiolens (Urb.) Burret

  • Authority

    Landrum, Leslie R. 1986. Campomanesia, Pimenta, Blepharocalyx, Legrandia, Acca, Myrrhinium, and Luma (Myrtaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 45: 1-178. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Myrtaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Pimenta odiolens (Urb.) Burret

  • Type

    Type. Cuba. Oriente:  Prope Baracoa ad Rio Joa, Ekman 3691 (holotype, B, lost; isotype, S, hereby designated as lectotype; NY neg. 11514 of lectotype at S).

  • Synonyms

    Amomis odiolens Urb., Myrtekmania clementis Alain, Myrtekmania odiolens (Urb.) Alain, Krokia odiolens (Urb.) O.Muñiz & Borhidi

  • Description

    Species Description - Small tree, densely covered with appressed hairs on the twigs, lower surfaces of leaves, and inflorescence; hairs mainly whitish, less often reddish-brown, more or less symmetrically dibrachiate, appressed; young twigs densely covered with waxy, appressed hairs, the underlying surface shiny reddish-brown, somewhat striate, glandular; leaves elliptic, oblong, oblanceolate, obovate, 4.5-13 cm long, 2-5 cm wide, 1.8-3.6 times as long as wide, densely covered with appressed hairs beneath, essentially glabrous, or with appressed hairs along the midvein above; apex acute, acuminate, obtuse, or broadly rounded; base cuneate, acuminate, or acute; petiole shallowly channeled, 5-10 mm long, 1-2 mm thick, densely strigose, waxy; midvein shallowly impressed for most of length or nearly flat above, prominent below; lateral veins indistinct or up to ca. 12 pairs faintly visible below, leaving the midvein at an angle of ca. 80°, the secondary veins forming a raised reticulate pattern above; marginal veins equalling the laterals in prominence; blades stiffly coriaceous, drying dark reddish-brown to grey-green above, whitish below because of covering of hairs and wax, somewhat lustrous above. Inflorescence a dichasium or a poorly developed panicle of up to ca. 12 flowers, densely strigose, the peduncle 5-30 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide; bracteoles and bracts linear to narrowly triangular, 1-3 mm long, densely strigose; calyx completely closed in the bud, tearing irregularly upon opening, the closed bud pear shaped, up to ca. 5 mm long, densely strigose except for the apex, the apex darkly colored when dry, minutely apiculate; petals 2-4, glabrous; stamens ca. 50-160; ovary 2-locular; ovules one per locule. Fruit subglobose, ca. 1 cm long, with longitudinal ridges. Seeds ca. 6 mm long.

  • Discussion

    The completely closed calyx of Pimenta odiolens clearly separates it from any other Pimenta, although it is superficially similar to P. adenoclada and P. racemosa. It is reported by Urban (1928) to have a disagreeable odor.

    In uniting Amomis odiolens with Myrtekmania clementis, I am following A. Liogier (1962), although at that time he recognized the species as belonging to Myrtekmania. He later (1971) expressed the opinion that the species belonged to Pimenta.

  • Common Names

    Palo de cincha

  • Distribution

    Restricted to the province of Oriente in Cuba.

    Cuba South America|