Talisia esculenta (A.St.-Hil.) 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. Brazil. Minas Gerais: Sertão du Rio São Francisco, 1824 (fl), Saint-Hilaire s.n. (holotype, MPU; isotype, P).
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Synonyms
Sapindus esculentus A.St.-Hil.
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Description
Species Description - Treelet or tree, 5-10 (20) m tall; trunk to 50 cm in diam.; bark brownish, flaky. Twigs nearly terete, glabrous, lenticellate with age. Leaves paripinnate or less often imparipinnate; distal process minute, filiform, 4-5 mm long, early deciduous leaving a truncate base; leaflets (2) 6 to 8, opposite to alternate, elliptic or less often oblong-elliptic, lanceolate-elliptic or oblanceolate, 4.5-15 × 1.7-7.5 cm, chartaceous, the adaxial surface slightly shiny, glabrous, the abaxial surface glabrous or puberulous, the venation brochidodromus, prominulous on both surfaces, tertiary veins reticulate, the margins entire, undulate, the apex obtuse, acute, obtusely acuminate or sometimes emarginate, the base obtuse, rounded or rarely truncate, slightly asymmetrical; petiolules slender, 1-3 mm long, puberulent or pubescent, usually drying dark brown; rachis (1) 3.5-13 cm long, obtusely angled, puberulent or pubescent; petioles (3) 4.5-6.5 (9) cm long, slightly flattened along adaxial surface, thickened and darker at the very base, with same indumentum as the rachis. Thyrses simple, racemiform, distal or axillary on lateral branches, 15-25 cm long; cataphylls acicular, mm long, congested, axillary in young growth; axes nearly terete to angled and sulcate, puberulent or pubescent; bracts oblong, 3-4 mm long with same indumentum as the axis; dichasia compound or less often simple; peduncles flattened, 2-6 mm long, pubescent to tomentulose; pedicels 2.5-4 mm long, articulate at the lower third, with same indumentum as the peduncle. Calyx 3.5-4 mm long, appressed-ferruginous-tomentulose, the sepals free to the base or nearly so, ovate, concave, slightly unequal; petals elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, 4-5 mm long, reflexed at anthesis, white, villose adaxially, appressed-pubescent on lower half abaxially, the apex acute or obtuse, the base narrowed; appendages with same shape and length as the petals, puberulent abaxially, villous adaxially, adnate along margins of lower half of the petal to form a pocket, the apex obtuse or bifid; disc annular, 5-lobed, glabrous, ca. 0.6 mm tall; stamens 8, spreading, the filaments of unequal length, white, 3-4 mm long, pilose to glabrous, the anthers ca. 1.2 mm long, elliptic, glabrous, apiculate at apex; ovary conical, ferruginous-tomentose, the stigma cylindric-capitate, tomentulose, papillate. Fruits ovoid to nearly rounded, minutely puberulent and yellow when ripe, 2-3 cm long, shortly apiculate at apex, the pericarp ca. 1 mm thick Seeds 1-2 per fruit, ellipsoid, 1.7-2 cm long, with a fleshy, clear white cover. Embryo with cotyledons superimposed, of equal size.
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Discussion
The specific epithet refers to the fruits (edible, fleshy seed coat) of this species.
Note: There is a strong indication that the protologue of this species is the work of Cambessèdes. Firstly, in the description of the pistillate flowers and the fruits Saint-Hilaire is credited as the source of this information. It is unlikely that Saint-Hilaire would cite himself as the source of his description. Secondly, the locality information is written in the third person and the usage given for the plants refers again to Saint-Hilaire. According to Taxonomic Literature II (Stafleu & Cowan, 1983) parts 9-14 of this book were co-authored by Cambessèdes and de Jussieu. Parts 1-8 were written exclusively by Saint-Hilaire, and in contrast with the later parts, it is written in first person, indicating the difference of style between Saint-Hilaire and his co-authors. Since Cambessèdes wrote the treatment of Sapindaceae for Flora Brasiliae Meridionalis (1824-1833) of Saint-Hilaire, it would be logical to assume that he was the person responsible for the description of S. esculentus.This species is commonly cultivated for its edible fruit (with fleshy testa), which is sold in local markets. The sap is employed as a fish poison and the wood is used in the construction of boxes (Pio Corrêa 1984).Phenology. Flower from July to February and fruit from June to April.
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Common Names
Olhio de boi, pitomba de macaco, Pitomba, Pitombeira, feijao crú, Pitomba, Pitomba, Pitombeira, pitomba da mata
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Distribution
Brazil, Paraguay, and Bolivia. In gallery, terra firme, varzea, caatinga, and dry forests, island forest surrounded by savanna, and disturbed secondary forest, also widely cultivated for its edible fruits (with fleshy testa).
Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Bahia Brazil South America| Ceará Brazil South America| Goiás Brazil South America| Maranhão Brazil South America| Mato Grosso Brazil South America| Minas Gerais Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Pernambuco Brazil South America| Piauí Brazil South America| Rio de Janeiro Brazil South America| Bolivia South America| Beni Bolivia South America| Santa Cruz Bolivia South America| Paraguay South America| Amambay Paraguay South America| Central Paraguay South America|