Pouteria puberula 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. Venezuela. Miranda: Paez, Fila la Tigra, Quebrada San Juan, 18 km SW of Cupira, Sep 1977 (fl), González & Ortega 1340 (holotype, MO).
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Description
Latin Diagnosis - Arbor; ramuli novelli glabri, cinerascentibrunnei, tandem subtiliter rimosi, lenticellati. Folia dissita, spiraliter disposita, 9.5-14 × 3.8-5.7 cm, elliptica vel elliptico-lanceolata, saepe modice asymmetrica, apice anguste attenuata, basi anguste cuneata vel breviter et anguste attenuata, margine leviter revoluta, chartacea, glabra; venatio brochidodroma, nervus marginalis nullus, costa supra non elevata, nervi secundarii 11-14-jugi, paralleli, recti; nervi intersecundarii modici usque longi; nervi tertiarii aperte reticulati. Petiolus 1.2-1.6 cm longus, canaliculata, glaber. Fasciculi 2-6-flori, axillares et in ramulos aphyllos laterales breves 1-3 cm longos congesti. Pedicellus 4-6 mm longus, glaber. Flores bisexuales (?). Sepala quinque, ca. 1 mm longa, late ovata, apice obtusa, saepe late extensa, extus glabra, intus adpresse puberula, interdum leviter ciliata. Corolla ca. 2 mm longa, tubus ca. 0.75 mm longus, lobi quinque, ca. 1.25 mm longi, late ovati, rotundati vel obtusi, glabri. Stamina quinque, tubo corollae in dimidio inferiore affixa; filamenta ca. 0.5 mm longa, glabra; antherae ca. 0.75 mm longae, lanceolatae, glabrae. Staminodia quinque, ca. 1 mm longa, lanceolato-subulata, glabra. Discus nullus. Ovarium ovoideum, biloculare, adpresse puberulum; stylus post anthesin ca. 0.75 mm longus, ad basim adpresse puberulus; styli capitulum simplex. Fructus ignotus.
Species Description - Tree; young shoots glabrous, greyish-brown, becoming finely cracked with age, lenticellate. Leaves spaced, spirally arranged, 9.5-14 × 3.8-5.7 cm, elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, often somewhat asymmetric, apex narrowly attenuate, base narrowly cuneate to shortly narrowly attenuate, margin slightly revolute, chartaceous, glabrous; venation brochidodromous, marginal vein absent, midrib not raised above, secondary veins 11-14 pairs, parallel, straight; intersecondaries moderate to long; tertiaries open-reticulate. Petiole 1.2-1.6 cm long, channelled, glabrous. Fascicles 2-6-flowered, axillary and clustered on short lateral leafless shoots 1-3 cm long. Pedicel 4-6 mm long, glabrous. Flowers bisexual (?). Sepals five, ca. 1 mm long, broadly ovate, apex obtuse, often widely spreading, glabrous outside, appressed puberulous inside, sometimes slightly ciliate. Corolla ca. 2 mm long, tube ca. 0.75 mm long, lobes five, ca. 1.25 mm long, broadly ovate, rounded or obtuse, glabrous. Stamens five, fixed in the lower half of the corolla tube; filaments ca. 0.5 mm long, glabrous; anthers ca. 0.75 mm long, lanceolate, glabrous. Staminodes five, ca. 1 mm long, lanceolate-subulate, glabrous. Disk absent. Ovary ovoid, bilocular, appressed puberulous; style ca. 0.75 mm long after anthesis, appressed puberulous at base; style-head simple. Fruit unknown. Field characters. Hard-wooded tree to 20 m high, with white latex. Flowering in Sep.
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Discussion
Relationships. The leaves and insignificant flowers of this plant are without any striking features that would provide a rapid identification, and it could easily be confused with P. reticulata, P. lucumifolia, or P. amygdalicarpa. It differs from P. reticulata in its lack of indumentum on the young shoots and pedicels, puberulous inner surface of the sepals, position of insertion of stamens, and bilocular ovary. The leaves also lack the fine areolate reticulum usually visible in P. reticulata. It is probably closest to P. lucumifolia, which also shares the bilocular ovary. It differs from it in the thinner textured leaves, the puberulous inner surface of the sepals, the relative length of corolla tube and lobes, and the larger staminodes. Pouteria amygdalicarpa is another close relative, but this can generally be distinguished in the vegetative state by its eucamptodromous venation with fine tertiary reticulum. It also differs in the position of insertion of the stamens at or near the top of the corolla tube (in lower half in P. puberula).
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Distribution
Known only from the type collection from Miranda, Venezuela, where it was collected in wet forest at 750 m altitude.
Venezuela South America| Miranda Venezuela South America|