Agonandra silvatica Ducke

  • Authority

    Hiepko, Paul H. 2000. Opiliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 82: i-iv + 1-53. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Opiliaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Agonandra silvatica Ducke

  • Type

    Type. Brazil. Para: Obidos, above Rio Curuçambá, 30 Oct 1919 (a" fl), Ducke RB10564 (lectotype: B, designated by Hiepko, 1993; isolectotypes: S, U, US).

  • Description

    Species Description - Tree, to 40 m tall; bark more or less smooth; young branches glabrous. Leaves chartaceous to coriaceous, ovate to elliptic, 6-12(-15) × 2.5-5(-7) cm, the apex acute to shortly acuminate, the base rounded to attenuate; midrib flat above, prominent beneath; lateral veins 4-7 per side, hardly prominulous on both sides; petioles 2-5(-8) mm long. Racemes axillary, 1-2 per axil, rarely at defoliated nodes, glabrous, minutely papillate; [male] racemes 5-10(-15) cm; [female] racemes 1.5-3.5 cm long; bracts, broadly ovate to angular-ovate, ca. 2 mm diam., the upper half with ciliate margin; flowers usually 3 per bract with 2 very small bracteoles at the base of the pedicels of the lateral flowers. Pedicels and flowers glabrous; pedicels 0.5-2(-3) mm long in flower, to 7(-12) mm long in fruit. flowers: tepals oblong, acute, 2-3 mm long; stamens 3 mm long; anthers oval, 0.5 mm long; disk lobes fleshy, 1-1.5 mm long, the apex rounded; rudimentary pistil thinly cylindric, 0.7 mm long. ? flowers: tepals 1 mm long; disk annular, fleshy, ca. 0.5 mm high, the margin undulating; pistil cylindric, 1 mm long. Drupe yellow to orange, 2.5-3 × 2(-2.4) cm, the juicy mesocarp in ripe fruits 3-4 mm thick. Chromosome number: n = 20 (Hort. Bot. Berol. Acc. no. 206-0188-20, Hiepko 2831, Fig. 12).

  • Discussion

    Fruits eaten by monkeys (Brazil, Amazonas: Mori et al 19998); in French Guiana, fruits were found in the stomach of a howler monkey, Alouatta seniculus (Loubry, pers. comm.).

    Agonandra silvatica is characterized by its smooth bark, glabrous or minutely papillate rachises of the inflorescences, and ternate, glabrous flowers; it is widespread in the rain forest of Amazonia. Its leaves are rather variable and often similar to those of A. brasiliensis, which is also distributed in eastern Amazonia but grows in dry forest or savanna. Agonandra brasiliensis can be distinguished by the thick, corky bark of the stem and the puberulous inflorescences and flowers. There is an additional difference between these species in the longer disk lobes of A. silvatica that are not irregularly toothed at apex as in A. brasiliensis. For the identification of fruiting material of these two species, the indumentum of the axis of the infructescence and the pedicels is crucial.

    Agonandra peruviana is partly sympatric with A. silvatica in the rain forests of the southwestern Amazonia and is characterized by its single, glabrous flowers with longer pedicels and the cup-shaped disk of the [male] flowers formed by the fused disk lobes.

  • Common Names

    caju branco, cajui, pau marfim, kleinbladige kromanti-kopi, onomencahue, Chontaquiro, yutubanco

  • Distribution

    The Guianas, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, and N Bolivia; in rain forest on terra firme. Flowering and fruiting occurs from May to Dec.

    Guyana South America| Suriname South America| French Guiana South America| Ecuador South America| Napo Ecuador South America| Peru South America| Amazonas Peru South America| Huánuco Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| Maynas Peru South America| Madre de Dios Peru South America| Acre Brazil South America| Amapá Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Rondônia Brazil South America|