Talisia squarrosa 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. Guyana. Roraima, 1842-43 (fl), Rob. Schomburgk 738 (holotype, BM ?; isotypes, P, NY; frag, at M).
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Description
Species Description - Tree to 20-30 m tall; trunk reaching 30 cm in diam., buttressed at base; bark silvery grey, inner bark reddish brown. Branches terete, rough, lenticellate, glabrous. Leaves paripinnate; distal process early deciduous; leaflets 2, opposite, elliptic, coriaceous, 5.3-9(19) × 2.4-4.5(7.5) cm, glabrous, dull, the venation brochidodromus, the adaxial surface with prominulous venation, the abaxial surface with prominent primary and secondary veins, tertiary veins reticulate, prominulous, the apex obtuse or acute, the base acute or obtuse, asymmetrical; petiolules pulvinate, glabrous, 3-7 mm long, drying dark brown; petioles 2-5.5 cm long, glabrous, flattened along adaxial surface, lenticellate. Thyrses panicle-shaped, to 27 cm long, terminal or axillary on distal portion ofbranches; cataphylls wanting; axes obtusely angled, sulcate, puberulent; bracts and bracteoles subulate, < 1 mm long, early deciduous; dichasia compound; peduncles 2-4 mm long, puberulent or minutely tomentose; pedicels 2-3 mm long, tomentulose, articulate at the middle. Calyx 3-4 mm long, tomentose, the sepals free to base, elliptic to ovate, concave; petals white, rhombo-elliptic or wide elliptic, 2.8-3 mm long, adaxially minutely papillate, abaxially appressed-pubescent on lower half, the base cuneate to nearly clawed, the apex obtuse; appendages as long as the petals, deltate, as wide as the petals or narrower, abaxially papillate, adaxially tomentose; disc cup-shaped, 5-lobed, minutely tomentose, 0.6-0.7 mm tall; stamens 8, the filaments glabrous, of unequal length, 1-2 mm long, the anthers ovate, obtuse at apex, 0.7-0.8 mm long; ovary conical, sericeous-tomentose, the stigma elongated, trigonous. Fruits (immature) ellipsoid or ovoid, sericeous-tomentose, the pericarp woody, smooth. Seed ellipsoid, with white juicy sarcotesta (fide Polak 1992).
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Discussion
According to Steam (1983), squarrosa means rough with scales, a term that does not seem to describe any morphological features in this species. The stems of this species are rough however, due to the presence of numerous lenticels.
The leaves, fruits, wood, and heartwood are used for fish poisoning in Guyana.Phenology. Flowers from March to October and produces fruit from May to October.
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Common Names
Grigri, singabassou, candlewood, karimora, muro-balli, moroballi, Sand mora
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Distribution
Known from Guyana and French Guiana, in non-flooded, moist forest on sandy or clayish soils. According to Polak (1992), this species is frequent in the Wallaba and the Clump-Wallaba forest on white sands.
Guyana South America| Barima-Waini Guyana South America| Potaro-Siparuni Guyana South America| Demerara Guyana South America| Berbice Guyana South America| French Guiana South America| Cayenne French Guiana South America|