Parkia decussata Ducke
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Authority
Hopkins, Helen C. F. 1986. Parkia (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 43: 1-124. (Published by NYBG Press)
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Family
Mimosaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type. Brazil. Amazonas: Upper Rio Negro, above Curicuriarí, 23 Nov 1929 (fl), Ducke RB23262 (lectotype here designated, RB*, excl. carp., photo NY neg. 11162/3/4; isolectotypes, B , K, P, S, US; fragment F).
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Synonyms
Parkia ingens Ducke
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Description
Species Description - Tree to 40 m high. Leaves decussate, to 20(24) cm long. Petiole bearing a single gland on upper side between base and first pair of pinnae. Pinnae 4-6(-9) pairs, opposite. Leaflets 21-35 pairs, opposite, oblong, (15-)20-28 x (3-)4-6 mm, apex rounded or retuse; main nerve straight at apex. Compound inflorescence axis erect, projecting above foliage, unbranched, to ca. 1 m long. Peduncles to 8 per inflorescence, decussate, erect, 8-45 x 0.6-1 cm. Capitula clavate, 5.5-7.5 cm long, basal part 2-3 cm diam., apical part broadly ellipsoid, to 5 cm diam. Hermaphrodite flowers: calyx 10-14 mm long (including pseudopedicel of 1-2 mm), the lobes to 2 mm long; corolla 11.5-15 mm long, the lobes 1.5-3 mm long; filaments exserted ca. 3-5 mm beyond calyx, free ± to base. Nectar-secreting and staminodial flowers: calyx 6.5-9 mm long; corolla ca. 1 mm longer than calyx, the lobes free or readily splitting; filaments scarcely exceeding corolla. Pods strap-shaped, (15-)30-55 (including stipe of 5-9 cm) x 3.5-6 cm, the sutures somewhat thickened and the coriaceous to subligneous, indehiscent, velutinous valves having many cross-wise cracks, scarcely corrugated; the cavity containing amber-colored sticky or crystalline gum. Seeds to 25 per pod, ca. 19-22 x 9-11 x 7-9 mm; testa black. Field characters. Bole 30-60 cm dbh, branching high. Bark reddish-brown. Buttresses ca. 50(-100) cm high and extending outwards to 50 cm. Crown briefly deciduous, sometimes small and poorly formed. Leaves darkish glossy green above, 1-3 pairs produced on each year’s growth. Pinnae often not flat in plane of rachis but held at an angle of less than 180° between upper sides. Buds red-brown. Capitula at anthesis bright lemon-yellow at apex, red at base. As buds begin to open, the whole capitulum is yellow because all the flowers have a yellow corolla. By late afternoon the capitula are bicolored because although the fertile and upper nectar-secreting flowers have yellow anthers, the basal flowers have short red filaments. There is no staminodial fringe. In contrast to other species in section Parkia the flowers at the very base of the capitulum secrete small droplets of nectar. Pods brown. This species may be under-collected because the capitula and fruits project directly above the crown and are therefore not visible from below. The seedling is distinctive. The leaves are red when grown in shade. The pinnae are held in a flat plane with the rachis, and with an angle of 20°-50° between secondary rachides. In a leaf with more than one pair of pinnae the terminal pair has more leaflets.
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Discussion
Paratypes Ducke RB23263 (G, K, NY, S, US) and Ducke RB20185 (RB) are conspecific.
This species is distinguished from all others except Parkia cachimboensis by its erect capitula. However, many minor differences, especially in the branching pattern and pod morphology, suggest that they are not closely related.Distribution and Ecology: Widely distributed in Amazonian Brazil and French Guiana, in terra firme forest. In addition to the localities verified by collections, Ducke (1932) records it growing near Tabatinga (SW 0469) and São Paulo de Olivença (SW 0368). Flowering and fruiting times are apparently diverse in different localities. Near Manaus in 1979 there were two peaks of flowering, one in February-March, and the other in October-November, and new leaves were flushed in July and August.
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Objects
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Distribution
French Guiana South America| Saül French Guiana South America| Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America|