Melicoccus lepidopetalus Radlk.
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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. Bolivia. Santa Cruz: Chiquitos, d Orbigny 818 (holotype, G, photo at US).
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Description
Species Description - Dioecious tree 6-20 m tall; bark dark brown, in small plates; trunk reaching to 1 m in diam. Stems glabrous, angled. Leaves paripinnate; distal process early deciduous, rarely developing into a terminal leaflet; leaflets 2, opposite, strongly asymmetrical, one half of blade elliptic, the other oblong, or obovate, 4-11.5 × 2-4.5 cm, chartaceous, glabrous on both surfaces, the abaxial surface sometimes minutely puberulent, the venation brochidodromus, prominent on both surfaces, tertiary venation reticulate, the margins entire, undulate, the apex, obtuse, rounded, less often acute or mucronulate, the base inequilateral, one side obtuse or truncate the other acute or cuneate; petiolules less than 1 mm long, drying dark brown; petioles 1-3 cm long, glabrous, flattened, cuneate, or less often distally winged, narrowing toward the base. Inflorescence a terminal simple or basally branched raceme, 2-4.8 cm long, the axes glabrous, with a few scattered papillae; cataphylls broadly ovate, 1-1.5 mm long; bract triangular or subulate, 0.5-1 mm long, ciliate at margins; pedicels 3-4 mm long, not articulate. Flowers fragrant; calyx 4(-5)-merous, the sepals in 2 unequal pairs, 1.5-2 mm long, greenish, connate at base, ovate, concave, glabrous, ciliate at margins; petals 4(-5), whitish to yellowish, obovate, 2.5-4 mm long, concave, rounded at apex, woolly-pubescent along margins, with a pair of minute (1-1.5 mm long), linear, woolly-pubescent appendages; disc 4-lobed, swollen, glabrous, brownish; stamens 8, spreading, the filaments of unequal lengths, glabrous, 3.5-6 mm long in male flowers, and ca. 1 mm long in female flowers, the anthers elliptic, ca. 0.5 mm long, retuse at apex; ovary glabrous, ovoid, the style 1.5-2 mm long, the stigmas bilobed, papillate. Fruit ellipsoid, light yellow, 2.5-3.3 cm long, the pericarp coriaceous, ca. 1 mm thick, the endocarp woolly-pubescent. Seeds solitary, 1-1.8 cm long, with a yellowish, fleshy, edible fleshy testa. Embryo with erect, or slightly curved, similar-sized cotyledons.
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Discussion
The specific epithet refers to the petals bearing "scales" or appendages.
Phenology. Flowers in September and October, and fruits from October to January. -
Common Names
Motoyoe, Yvapovo, Papamundo
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Distribution
Bolivia (Santa Cruz), Brazil (Mato Grosso do Sul), Paraguay and northern Argentina. Along gallery and flooded forests, and shrubby savanna on sandy and clayish soils. Cultivated for its fruit and as a timber species.
Brazil South America| Mato Grosso Brazil South America| Bolivia South America| Santa Cruz Bolivia South America| Paraguay South America| Central Paraguay South America| Concepción Paraguay South America| Argentina South America| Corrientes Argentina South America|