Talisia eximia Kramer

  • Authority

    Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro. 2003. Meliococceae (Sapindaceae): . Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 87: 1-178. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Sapindaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Talisia eximia Kramer

  • Type

    Type. Surinam. Brokopondo District: E of Brokopondo, high forest, 24 Jan 1966 (fl), J. van Donselaar 3047 (holotype,U-2 sheets)

  • Synonyms

    Talisia morilloi Steyerm.

  • Description

    Species Description - Treelet to 8 m tall; trunk to 6 cm in diam.; bark light brown, lenticellate. Stems terete, glabrous, vernicose. Leaves paripinnate; distal process acicular, ca. 4 mm long; leaflets 4-8 (or more), opposite or alternate, oblanceolate, spatulate or elliptic, 18.5-66 × 6.5-20 cm, sub-coriaceous, glabrous, flattened to bullate, slightly lustrous on both surfaces, the venation brochidodromus, forming a sub-marginal loop, tertiary veins reticulate, the adaxial surface with a prominent carinate midvein and slightly raised secondaries, the abaxial surface with strongly prominent midvein, secondaries and tertiary prominulous, the margins undulate, slightly revolute, the apex obtuse to acuminate, the base slightly asymmetrical, cuneate to obtuse; petiolules woody, bulbous, 0.5-1.5 × 0.3-1.2 cm, glabrous, adaxially sub-canaliculate to strongly canaliculate; rachis at least 23 cm long, terete to transversely depressed-obovate in x.s., striate, minutely lenticellate, glabrous; petioles to at least 17 cm long, nearly terete, striate, glabrous, bulbous at base. Thyrses axillary or distal, panicle-like, ca. 50 cm long; cataphylls acicular, clustered supra-axillary, 4-6 mm long; axesangled, puberulent, with minute papillate glands; bracts triangular to nearly lanceolate, 0.5-0.7 mm long, puberulent; dichasia simple or compound; peduncles ca. 0.5 mm long, puberulent; pedicels 2.5-4 mm long, articulate at upper third, puberulent to pubescent. Calyx 2-2.5 mm long, puberulent, the sepals ovate, ca. 1.5 mm long, keeled along dorsal ridge, ciliate at margins; petals ovate-lanceolate, 5.5-6 mm long, reflexed at anthesis, white, papillate adaxially, glabrous abaxially, ciliate at margins, the apex obtuse, the base cuneate; appendages lanceolate, slightly shorter than the petal, villose adaxially on upper half and along margins, glabrous or sparsely appressed-pubescent abaxially, the apex obtuse, the base narrowed; disc annular, 5-lobed, orange, tomentulose, ca. 1 mm tall; stamens 8, the filaments of equal length, pilose, the anthers ca. 1 mm long, lanceolate, glabrous, apiculate at apex; ovary conical, ferruginous-tomentulose, the stigma 3-lobed-capitate, papillate. Fruits yellow, ellipsoid, ca. 2.8 cm long, glabrous, minutely rugulate, the pericarp woody, ca. 2 mm thick, the endocarp glabrous, rugulate. Seeds unknown.

  • Discussion

    While the specific epithet means magnificent or exceptional, it is not clear how it would apply to this species.

    Phenology. Collected in flower in February and July.

  • Common Names

    Gaan tatoe, tatoe, wanhede

  • Distribution

    Known from Venezuela and Surinam, in lowland, tall forest.

    Venezuela South America| Distrito Federal Venezuela South America| Suriname South America| Brokopondo Suriname South America| Saramacca Suriname South America|