Melicoccus espiritosantensis Acev.-Rodr.
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Authority
Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro. 2003. Meliococceae (Sapindaceae):
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Family
Sapindaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type. Brazil. Espírito Santo: Mun. Linhares, Reserva Florestal de CVRD, Flamengo Station, tall forest, 17 Aug 1978 (fl), D.A. Folli 30 (holotype, US; isotype, CVRD, n.v., NY).
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Description
Latin Diagnosis - A M. aymardii Acevedo-Rodríguez inflorescentiis thyrsoideis et filamentis glabris differt.
Species Description - Tree 18-26 m tall; trunk to 65 cm in diam., with scaly bark. Stems terete to obtusely angled, glabrous, striate, lenticellate. Leaves paripinnate or less often imparipinnate; distal process aciculate, 3-5 mm long; leaflets 2-4(5) opposite or alternate, elliptic, oblong-elliptic to nearly lanceolate, 4.5-10 × 2-3.1 cm, chartaceous, the adaxial surface glabrous, slightly lustrous with sunken midvein, the abaxial surface dull, glabrous except for the puberulously prominent midvein, the venation brochidodromus, adaxially inconspicuous, abaxially prominent, tertiary veins reticulate, the margins entire or slightly undulate, slightly revolute, the apex acuminate, glandular-mucronulate, the base asymmetrical, acute to obtuse; petiolules slender, 35 mm long, puberulent; rachis 2-3 cm long, trullate, puberulent; petioles 1.2-5.4 cm long, slightly flattened, canaliculate, wider at base. Thyrses panicle-shaped, congested on distal portion of stem, to 13 cm long, branches to 5 cm long; cataphylls deltate, minute, at base of inflorescence; axes angled, sulcate, puberulent; bracts minute, early deciduous, minutely tomentose; dichasia compound or simple; peduncle 5-7 mm long; pedicels ca. 1.5 mm long, articulate near the base. Calyx green, 2-2.5 mm long, tomentulose, the sepals free to the base, concave, ovate, adaxially tomentulose, obtuse at apex, margins ciliate; petals white, asymmetrically rhombate, ca. 2.5 mm long, glabrous or with few scattered hairs on abaxial surface, the adaxial surface with a few scattered hairs, the apex obtuse, the base cuneate, the margins elongated into a subfiliform projection, densely covered with elongated ferruginous hairs; appendages wanting; disc annular, 5-lobed, glabrous, ca. 1 mm tall; stamens 8, spreading, the filaments of unequal lengths, glabrous, the anthers ca. 1 mm long, elliptic-ovate, glabrous, apiculate or retuse at apex; ovary nearly conical, with a few scattered hairs, the stigma trilobed, tomentulose, papillate. Fruits ellipsoid, to 2.2 cm long, glabrous, smooth, the pericarp chartaceous, ca. 1 mm thick, the endocarp glabrous. Seed one per fruit, ellipsoid. Embryo with cotyledons superimposed, of equal size. The specific epithet refers to the Brazilian state where the type was collected.
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Discussion
Melicoccus espiritosantensis is closely related to M. aymardii as they share numerous morphological features. Melicoccus espiritosantensis can be distinguished from M. aymardii by its widely rhombate petals, with two elongated (nearly as long as the petal) marginal appendages (vs. narrowly rhombate petals with very short marginal appendages); and by its glabrous filaments (vs. filament pilose or woolly on lower half).
Phenology. Collected in flower during August and in fruit during October.
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Distribution
Know only from eastern Brazil.
Brazil South America| Bahia Brazil South America| Espirito Santo Brazil South America|