Tabebuia stenocalyx Sprague & Stapf
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Authority
Gentry, Alwyn H. 1992. Bignoniaceae--part II (Tribe Tecomeae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 25: 1-370. (Published by NYBG Press)
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Family
Bignoniaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type. Trinidad. Government House grounds, Broadway 2888 (holotype, K; isotypes, GH, NY, P (s.n.), US).
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Description
Species Description - Tree 8-25 m tall, sometimes with buttresses, the branchlets subterete, lepidote when young. Leaves simple, elliptic to oblong-obovate, rounded to obtuse or subcuspidate apically, rounded to cuneate at base, 6-20 cm long, 2.5-9 cm wide, entire, the margins frequently somewhat revolute, coriaceous to subcoriaceous, lepidote above and below, otherwise glabrous, conspicuously glandular at base of midvein below, drying olive to grayish; petiole lepidote, 1-3 cm long. Inflorescence a raceme or racemose panicle, densely lepidote, terminal, the bracts spathulate, to 2.5 cm long and 3 mm wide, the pedicels 1.5-2.5 cm long. Flower with the calyx tubular, (18-)25-40 mm long, 5-12 mm wide, bilabiately to subspathaceously split 3-8 mm, one of the lobes with three denticulations, the other two, weakly 5-striate with the striations ending in the teeth, densely lepidote, usually also with plate- shaped glands; corolla white, salverform, 6-9.5 cm long, 0.5- 0.7 cm wide at mouth of tube, the tube very narrowly cylindrical, 5-8 cm long, the lobes 1.7 -2cm long, mostly glabrous outside, lepidote and with patelliform glands at apex of tube and base of lobes, the tube apex densely papillose- puberulous inside, the rest of the tube glabrous; stamens didynamous, inserted 4.5 -5 cm from base of tube, the thecae more or less parallele, 4mm long; ovary oblong, densely lepidote, the ovules 2- seriate in each locule; disk short - cupular, 1mm long, 2mm wide. Fruit a linear- oblong capsule, subteret, narrowed at base and apex, 19-19 cm long, 1.1-2cm wide, densely lepidote, the calyx persistent , spathaceously split along one side; seeds flat, bialate, to 1.3 cm long, 3.5 -4cm wide, the wings hyaline - membranaceous.
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Discussion
A very distinctive species with narrowly tubular hawk-moth pollinated flowers and simple leaves. Its only close relative is T. striata of northwestern Colombia (see discussion under that species).
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Common Names
Palo bianco, purguillo bianco, guachamaca, guachimaca
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Distribution
Guayana region from the extreme eastern comer of Venezuela to Amapa, Brazil; also disjunct in coastal Brazil from Bahia to Espírito Santo and probably Rio de Janeiro. In coastal Brazil it prefers swampy areas where it can grow intermixed with the much commoner T. cassinoides; near sea level to 500 m elevation.
Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Delta Amacuro Venezuela South America| Trinidad and Tobago South America| Guyana South America| French Guiana South America| Brazil South America| Bahia Brazil South America| Espirito Santo Brazil South America| Pernambuco Brazil South America|