Rollinia exsucca (DC. ex Dunal) A.DC.

  • Authority

    Maas, Paulus J. M., et al. 1992. Rollinia. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 57: 1-188. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Annonaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Rollinia exsucca (DC. ex Dunal) A.DC.

  • Synonyms

    Annona exsucca DC., Rollinia puberula A.DC., Rollinia multiflora Splitg., Rollinia tinifolia Klotzsch, Rollinia glaucescens Miq., Rollinia resinosa Spruce ex Benth., Rollinia incurva S.Moore, Rollinia exsucca subsp. resinosa (Spruce ex Benth.) R.E.Fr., Rollinia exsucca subsp. elongata R.E.Fr., Rollinia broadwayi R.E.Fr., Rollinia broadwayi var. cuneata R.E.Fr., Rollinia brevipes R.E.Fr., Rollinia surinamensis R.E.Fr., Rollinia gardneri R.E.Fr., Rollinia elliptica R.E.Fr., Rollinia procera R.E.Fr.

  • Description

    Species Description - Small to large tree (or shrub), 2-35 m tall and to 60 cm in diam. Leafy twigs and petioles brownish sericeous, glabrescent. Petioles (5-)7-12(-14) mm long, l-1.5(-3) mm in diam. Lamina oblong-elliptic to oblong-ovate or narrowly so (rarely elliptic or oblong), coriaceous (rarely chartaceous), mostly shiny greyish-green above, mostly glaucous-brown (often glaucous-green to greyish-green in vivo) and often papillate below, 8-20(-28) cm long, (2.5-)3-8(-l1.5) cm wide, sparsely covered above with erect, crisped, white, simple hairs, glabrescent, rather densely covered below with appressed, brown to white, simple hairs 0.1-0.3 mm long, base (narrowly to) broadly cuneate (to acute), rounded, or obtuse (to truncate), apex very shortly acuminate to acute (to obtuse); secondary veins curved (to straight, very rarely recurved near the base), 10-18 on either side of primary vein, occasionally with few intersecondaries, angles with primary vein 45-70°, occasionally loop-forming down to more than 1/2 of the length at mostly acute angles, often with secondary arches, smallest distance between loops and margin 1.5-2.5 mm, tertiary veins (2-4 per intercosta, weakly percurrent to) reticulate. Domatia scarce. Inflorescences supra-axillary to leaf-opposed, 2-4(-1 l)-flowered, peduncles, pedicels, outer side of bracts, outer side of sepals, and corolla densely covered with pale brownish, appressed, simple hairs, inner side of bracts and inner side of sepals with white, appressed hairs, to glabrous. Peduncles 2-5 mm long, 1-2 mm in diam. Pedicels (10-)15-35(-45) mm long, 1-2 mm in diam., fruiting pedicels to 3 mm in diam, just below fruit. Bracts deltate to triangular, 1.5-2(-3) mm long, acute, upper bract inserted in up to 1/3 of the pedicel. Flowers green, becoming yellow, with reddish inner base, fragrant ("with strong fruity fragrance," Schatz et al 754) in vivo. Sepals free, somewhat recurved, shallowly triangular-elliptic, (1.5-)2-4 mm long, (2-)3-4 mm wide, shortly acuminate, gibbous. Corolla tube ca. 5 mm high, 6-8 mm in diam., wings oblong-ovate to oblong-obovate or obovate, rarely circular, slightly ascending to horizontal, 6-15 mm long, (3-)4-8(-10) mm high, (0.5-) 1-3 mm thick, index = 1.5-2. Fruit globose to very broadly ovoid, 1-2.5 cm [-7.5 cm] in diam, ("ripe fruit to 3 inch in diam.," Archer 2347), on torus 2 × 4-5 mm, glaucous green, maturing yellow in vivo, composed of 30-50 carpels, 1-2.5 cm long, rather densely covered with brownish-green, appressed hairs, at last glabrescent, areoles (hexagonal-)pulvinate with apicule in upper half to more or less pyramidal, 3-5 mm at the base, apicule or apex acute to obtuse, 1-1.5 mm high, surface slightly verrucose; wall ca. 1 mm thick. Seeds 5-6 × 2-3 mm. Chromosome numbers: 2n = 14, 28.

  • Discussion

    Fruit is reported as edible (Lanjouw & Lindeman 2086).

    Rollinia exsucca is a very common species in Northern and Northeastern South America. It is extremely variable as already noted by Fries (1934): "Rollinia exsucca ist, wie (R.) mucosa, die am schwersten zu umgrenzende unter den Arten der Gattung, und der Umfang, den sie erhalten hat, ist ganz gewiss nicht entgültig. Es war ... mir nicht möglich, ein befriedigendes Bild von den Grenzen der Art zu gewinnen."

    Fries recognized three subspecies in R. exsucca: [subsp. exsucca]: throughout the range of the species; subsp. resinosa: restricted to the area around Manaus; and subsp. elongata: in the Brazilian states of Ceará and Pará.

    Our own investigations have shown that the species may generally be recognized by bicolorous, mostly coriaceous leaves, often with obscure venation below, and sericeous below. The fruit is very uniform: fairly small size (to 2.5 cm in diam, when dry), subglobose, with brownish-grey indument, areoles 30-50, shallowly to very shallowly pyramidal-ovoid, 1-1.5 mm high.

    Fries (1934) distinguished a number of species in Sect. Saccosepalum based on wings of the corolla and shape and size of leaves. Our own observations made us conclude that the wings (thickness of wings, orientation) are extremely variable, particularly the orientation of the wings, which varies from horizontal to ascending or occasionally even erect. Variation in the leaves is also enormous. In Trinidad, Venezuela, and Guyana, the leaves are rather constant both in size and texture (small, coriaceous), but in Eastern Suriname and French Guiana this gradually changes from small to large, and from coriaceous to chartaceous. Plants from Tocantins, Pará, are aberrant by very small, distinctly veined and chartaceous leaves. Summarizing, the picture of R. exsucca becomes that of a variable, widespread species with many local forms. These local forms are often quite distinct, though always with many intergrades. We mention some of them here:

    1. Rollinia surinamensis. Leaves slightly papillate below, narrow: (7-) 10-15 cm long, 3-4.2 cm wide, and chartaceous. Suriname (few collections).

    2. Rollinia elliptica. With very regularly elliptic leaves, and thin wings. Suriname (only known from the type collection).

    3. Rollinia procera. Leaves densely papillate below, petioles comparatively long (11-14 mm vs. generally 7-12 mm), wings rather thin (as little as 0.5 mm, vs. generally over 1 mm, thick). Only known from the type collection in the Southern part of Amazonian Brazil.

    4. Rollinia puberula. Leaves rather large, densely papillate below, secondary veins relatively thick, domatia present, wings of the corolla thick. Fries (1934) remarked about it: "Die Art steht exsucca nahe, ... Zu puberula rechne ich, nicht ohne Bedenken,... Leprieur 245 ... 311, die durch ihre dunneren und oben glanzenderen Blatter abweicht ... Frucht, ... die in Grosse, Form und im Aeussem ubereinstimmt met den Friichten von exsucca. ..This shows clearly that even Fries had problems with circumscription of R. exsucca. Flowers and fruit of R. puberula completely fall within the variability range of R. exsucca. French Guiana (particularly around Cayenne) and adjacent Suriname.

    Rollinia exsucca is closest to R. peruviana and R. laurifolia, both allopatric species. All three species much resemble each other in flowers, fruit, and leaves. The main differences between R. exsucca and the other two species lie in the coriaceous leaves of the former which are papillate and glaucous below, and in the fruit which is made up of 30-50 carpels (vs. 50-100 carpels). R. exsucca and R. peruviana, in particular, are so similar that they are difficult to separate, even with the fruit available. Admittedly, the fruit of R. peruviana has more prominent areoles than that of R. exsucca. Anatomical research, however, has provided evidence supporting the concept of two distinct species. One distinctive anatomical feature of R. exsucca, which holds true for almost all specimens we examined, is the presence of the papillae on the lower leaf side. These papillae may be visible even with a good hand lens. Such papillae are regularly lacking in R. peruviana, with only one of the collections seen having papillae.

  • Common Names

    Anon, Anoncillo, Catuchi montañero, majagua negra, majaguillo, Manirote, Pirinola de monte, Tuwae yo, Wild Cashuian, Black Mahoe, Koyechi, Koyechi, Koyetchi, Kuyechi, Quiachi, Wild Soursop, Barroeda balli, Boesi-soersaka, Boszuurzak, Koejetsi, Koejetsie, Man boessi, Boennakka, Sabana soersaka, Savanne zuurzak, Bouchi atoukou, Corossol sauvage, Wilû, Araticum macho, Ata brava, Biribá brava, Envira bobó, Envira preta, Envira, Envireira, Ingireira, Ope’y pihaa, Tekweri-pihun-sy

  • Distribution

    Venezuela, Trinidad, the Guianas, throughout Brazil (Amazon region, Ceara, Maranhão, SE Brazil), and the State of Beni, Bolivia. In primary and secondary, noninundated forest, generally at low altitudes (sea level up to 900 m). Flowering and fruiting throughout the year.

    Colombia South America| Vichada Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Delta Amacuro Venezuela South America| Monagas Venezuela South America| Sucre Venezuela South America| Trinidad and Tobago South America| Guyana South America| Suriname South America|