Sorocea hilarii Gaudich.

Authority

Berg, Cornelius C. 2001. Moreae, Artocarpeae, and (Moraceae): With introductions to the family and and with additions and corrections to Flora Neotropica Monograph 7. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 83: 1-346. (Published by NYBG Press)

Family

Moraceae

Scientific Name

Sorocea hilarii Gaudich.

Type

Type. Brazil. Rio de Janeiro, 1834 ([female] fl-fr) Gaudichaud 1088 (holotype, P; isotypes, B, F, G, U).

Synonyms

Sorocea racemosa Gaudich., Sorocea macrophylla Gaudich., Sorocea uriamen Miq., Sorocea ilicifolia var. hilarii (Gaudich.) Miq.

Description

Species Description - Shrub or tree, to 5 m, occasionally to 10 m tall. Leafy twigs 1-4 mm thick, sparsely to rather densely puberulous or glabrous; lenticels mostly rather conspicuous. Lamina oblong to elliptic (or to lanceolate), 2-12(-27) × 1-5(-10) cm, mostly broadest above the middle, ± inequilateral, coriaceous; apex acuminate, the acumen not or very shortly spinulose; base obtuse to rounded (to subcordate); margin in the upper part (very short spinulose-)dentate to subentire; upper surface glabrous; lower surface sparsely puberulous on the main veins to glabrous, globose-capitate, pluricellular hairs rather abundant; venation almost plane or the midrib slightly impressed above, ± prominent beneath; lateral veins 7-12(-l 8) pairs, tertiary venation mostly reticulate; petiole 0.2-0.8(-1.2) cm long, 0.5-1.5(-2.5) mm thick, puberulous; stipules 0.2-0.8 cm long, puberulous to glabrous, caducous or subpersistent. Staminate inflorescences 2-20 cm long, including the 0.2-7 cm long, sparsely puberulous peduncle; flowers distant, with pedicels to 4 mm long, sometimes (sub)sessile; perianth 4-fid to 4-parted, 2-3 mm long, only the margins of the lobes membranaceous, sparsely puberulous and ciliolate, or to subglabrous, erect at anthesis; stamens 4, straight at anthesis; filaments 0.8-1 mm long; anthers 1.2-1.5 × 0.8-1 mm, distinctly longer than broad, the connective rather narrow. Pistillate inflorescences pendulous (to patent?), 2.5-25(-45) cm long; peduncle 0.5-16 cm long, (sparsely) puberulous; rachis puberulous, ± carnose, red to purple in fruit; flowers (3-) 10-ca. 35, subsessile to pedicellate; pedicel to 0.2 cm long, sparsely puberulous to hispidulous, to 1.5 cm long, ± swollen and red in fruit; perianth ca. 2 mm long, 4-lobed, the upper part (broadly) ovoid, sparsely, minutely puberulous, smooth, muriculate or verruculate, the lower part mostly densely, minutely puberulous; stigmas tongue-shaped, ca. 0.5 mm long, often dentate, finely papillate. Fruiting perianth ovoid to ellipsoid (to oblongoid), the apex rounded (to truncate) or obtuse (to subapiculate), the surface smooth, sparsely to puberulous to almost glabrous.

Discussion

Sorocea racemosa and S. hilarii, as recognized by Burger et al. (1962), are united in the present treatment because important differentiating characters could not be found. The species occurs in the undergrowth of (coastal) forest and in more open littoral vegetation (restinga). In the former habitat, the leaves are relatively large and often entire, and the inflorescences are pendulous and lax and have long peduncles. In the other type of habitat, the leaves are smaller and often distinctly dentate, and the Infloresence are often shorter, more compact, and often patent with short peduncles. Whether these differences are merely variations or are based on infraspecific morphological and ecological differentiation could not be established on the basis of the present material and data. The collection Kallunki et al. 708 has extremely long pistillate inflorescences, up to 45 cm long, with the flowers up to 5 cm from each other.

Common Names

jaquitía de leite, uriamen

Distribution

In eastern Brazil, from Bahia to São Paulo; mostly in coastal vegetation, forest, or restinga; at low elevations.

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