Agonandra peruviana Hiepko

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Opiliaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Agonandra peruviana Hiepko

  • Type

    Type. Peru. Huánuco: Prov. Pachitea, Distr. Honoria, Isla del Pacanase, 5 km above Campamento del Bosque Nacional de Iparía, W of Pachitea, 300-400 m, 22 Apr 1968 ([male] fl), Schunke V. 2552 (holotype: F; isotypes: G, GH, K, MO, NY, US).

  • Description

    Species Description - Tree, 8-30(-35) m tall, to 45 cm diam.; young branches glabrous. Leaves chartaceous to coriaceous, glossy above, oblong-elliptic or ovate, (7-) 10-12 × (3-) 4-6 cm, the apex acute to shortly acuminate, the base attenuate; midrib flat or slightly raised above, prominent beneath; lateral veins 5-6(-8) per side, curved-ascending, usually prominulous on both sides, at least beneath; secondary venulation scalariform, more or less perpendicular to the midrib, usually prominulous on both surfaces, at least beneath; petioles (5-)7-10 mm long. Racemes axillary, l(-3) per axil, glabrous; cf racemes (3-)7-10 cm; [female] racemes 1.5-3 cm long; 1 flower per bract; bracts broadly angular-ovate, ca. 1 mm diam.; bracteoles linear, very small, at the base of the pedicels of the flowers. Pedicels and flowers glabrous, [male] flowers: pedicels (1.5-)3-5 mm long; tepals 4(-5), oblong, acute, reflexed, ca. 2 mm long; stamens 2-2.5 mm long; anthers elliptic, ca. 0.3 mm long; disk lobes fused and forming a cup, fleshy, ca. 1 mm high, irregularly toothed; rudimentary pistil thinly cylindric to narrowly clavate, exceeding the disk. [female] flowers: pedicels 1.5-2 mm long in flower, 3-4 mm long in fruit; tepals 4(-5), caducous, more or less triangular, ca. 1 mm long; disk annular, fleshy, the margin undulating, ca. 0.5 mm high; pistil ovoidal, ca. 1 mm long, stigma cushion-shaped. Drupe yellow to reddish purple, 2-2.5 [male] 1.8-2 cm.

  • Discussion

    Agonandra peruviana is characterized by its inflorescences which are true racemes with only one flower per bract (like those of A. excelsa), whereas the inflorescences of A silvatica and A. brasiliensis are usually composed of ternate cymes in the axil of each bract. Another striking feature is the cup-shaped disk of staminate flowers, which contrasts with the lobed disk of A. silvatica and A. brasiliensis. In A. excelsa, the disk-lobes are fused only in the lower half. Thus, A. peruviana may be more closely related to that species, particularly because the leaves of both species have a similar dense scalariform secundary venulation usually prominulous on both sides of the lamina in the dry state. (For anatomical similarities see under Leaf Anatomy, above).

    One specimen of Palacios & Neill 962 from Ecuador (kept in QCNE) shows a singular peculiarity within the genus: two flowers of a [female] inflorescence have 4 rudimentary stamens each of 0.8 mm length.

  • Common Names

    limoncillo, pólvora negra, pracuuba branca, marfim branco, marfim de veado

  • Distribution

    E Ecuador, NE and N Peru, and SW Brazil, in tall forest on terra firme and in upland humid forest on sandy clay or sand, rarely in temporarily flooded forest; 100-900 m. Flowers collected Jan, Apr, Jun, and Aug; fruits Mar, Aug, and Sep.

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