Pouteria gracilis T.D.Penn.
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Authority
Pennington, Terence D. 1990. Sapotaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 52: 1-750. (Published by NYBG Press)
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Family
Sapotaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type. Peru. San Martín: Prov. Mariscal Caceres, Tocache Nuevo, W of Puente, Dec 1972 (fl, yfr), Schunke 5736 (holotype, K; isotype, F).
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Description
Latin Diagnosis - Arbor:; ramuli novelli subtiliter adpresse pu-bescentes, mox glabri, cinerascenti-brunnei, ri-mosi et squamati, lenticellati. Folia laxa congesta, spiraliter disposita, 5.3-10.4 × 2.7-3.1 cm, oblanceolata et elliptica, apice et basi anguste attenuata, tenuiter coriacea, glabra, vel costa inferiore pilis sparsis residuis adpressis; venatio eucamptodroma; costa plana (supra non eleva-ta); nervus marginalis tenuis praesens; nervi secundarii 7-8-jugi, convergentes, arcuati; nervi tertiarii obliqui, pauci. Petiolus 5-8 mm longus, non canaliculata, glaber. Flores solitarii, plerumque infra folia enati. Pedicellus 6-7.5 cm longus, tenuis, subglaber. Flores bisexuales (?). Sepala quinque, ca. 2.5 mm longa, ovata usque late elliptica, apice obtusa vel rotundata, extra ad basim pilis sparsis minutis adpressis, intus glabra. Corolla cyathiformis, ca. 3.5 mm longa; tubus ca. 1.5 mm longa; lobi quinque, ca. 2 mm longi, ovati, apice rotundati in tubo exteriore, sparsim strigosi, aliter glabra. Stamina quinque, ad apicem tubo corollae affixa; filamenta ca. 1 mm longa, glabra; antherae ca. 1 mm longae, lanceolatae, glabrae. Staminodia quinque, ca. 1.5 mm longa, lanceolato-subulata, carnosa, glabra. Discus nullus. Ovarium ovoideum, biloculare, adpresse puberulum; stylus post anthesin ca. 0.5 mm longus, adpresse puberulus, styli capitulum simplex. Fructus ca. 9 × 7 cm (ut observatum est a collectore Schunke 5736); fructus imma-turus obovoideus, apice truncatus, basi rotun-datus, pariete crasso, asper et lenticellatus. Semen non visum.
Species Description - Tree; young shoots finely appressed pubescent, soon glabrous, greyish brown, cracked and scaling, without lenticels. Leaves loosely clustered, spirally arranged, 5.3-10.4 × 2.7-3.1 cm, oblanceolate or elliptic, apex and base narrowly attenuate, thinly coriaceous, glabrous or with sparse residual appressed hairs along the lower midrib; venation eucamptodromous, midrib flat, (not raised on upper surface), thin marginal vein present, secondary veins 7-8 pairs, convergent, arcuate; intersecondaries absent; tertiaries oblique, few. Petiole 5-8 mm long, not channelled, glabrous. Flowers solitary, mostly below the leaves. Pedicel 6-7.5 cm long, slender, subglabrous. Flowers bisexual (?). Sepals five, ca. 2.5 mm long, ovate to broadly elliptic, apex obtuse or rounded, with sparse minute appressed hairs outside near the base, glabrous inside. Corolla cyathiform, ca. 3.5 mm long, tube ca. 1.5 mm long, lobes five, ca. 2 mm long, ovate, apex rounded, sparsely strigose on the tube outside, otherwise glabrous. Stamens five, fixed at the top of the corolla tube; filaments ca. 1 mm long, glabrous; anthers ca. 1 mm long, lanceolate, glabrous. Staminodes five, ca. 1.5 mm long, lanceolate-subulate, carnose, glabrous. Disk absent. Ovary ovoid, bilocular, appressed, puberulous; style ca. 0.5 mm long after anthesis, appressed puberulous; style-head simple. Fruit ca. 9 × 7 cm (field data from Schunke 5736), immature fruit obovoid, apex truncate, base rounded; thick-walled, rough and lenticellate. Seed not seen. Field characters. Tree to 20 m high and 16 cm diam. with white latex. The mature fruit is orange. Flowering in Dec.
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Discussion
Relationships. Pouteria gracilis is related to the group of species containing P. gardneri, P. glauca, P. simulans, P. filiformis and does not differ significantly from them in floral structure. It is remarkable for the solitary flowers on long slender pedicels (6-7.5 cm long), and very large fruit.
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Objects
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Distribution
Known only from the type collection in San Martín, Peru, where it was collected in rain forest between 700 and 800 m altitude.
Peru South America| San Martín Peru South America|