Terminalia dichotoma G.Mey.

  • Authority

    Stace, C. A. & Alwan, A.-R A. 2010. Combretaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 107: 1-369. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Combretaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Terminalia dichotoma G.Mey.

  • Type

    Type. Guyana. Essequibo: In silvis insulae Arowabish Essequibo, G. Meyer 113 (holotype, GOET).

  • Synonyms

    Terminalia latifolia var. dichotoma (G.Mey.) DC., Tanibouca guianensis Aubl., Terminalia guyanensis Eichler, Myrobalanus guianensis Kuntze, Terminalia tanibouca Rich., Tanibouca guianensis Aubl., Catappa guianensis C.F.Gaertn.

  • Description

    Species Description - Tree 3-60 m (? deciduous or evergreen), sometimes with large plank-buttresses. Leaves 9-22 × 4-10 cm, chartaceous to subcoriaceous, obovate or obovate-oblong to oblanceolate, acuminate at apex, narrowly cuneate at base, pubescent when young then glabrous or nearly so when mature adaxially, densely pubescent when young then subglabrous to sparsely pubescent when mature abaxially; domatia absent. Venation eucamptodromous or eucamptodromous-brochidodromous; midvein moderate, prominent; secondary veins 5-8(-10) pairs, distant, originating at moderately to widely acute angles, curved, prominent; intersecondary veins present; tertiary veins percurrent; higher order veins usually distinct; areolation large, well-developed to imperfect, slightly prominent. Petiole 1.5-4.5 cm, pubescent when young, becoming glabrous or more or less so, usually biglandular. Inflorescences 7-14 cm, simple, with all flowers bisexual; peduncle 1.5-3 cm, glabrous to sparsely pubescent; rhachis 5.5-11 cm, glabrous to sparsely pubescent. Flowers pentamerous, 4-6 × 4-5.5 mm; lower hypanthium 2-3 mm, very sparsely appressed-pubescent to tomentose with rufous hairs; upper hypanthium 1.5-2 mm, campanulate, glabrous to sparsely pubescent; calyx lobes 1.5-2 mm, revolute, glabrous to sparsely pubescent; disk villous; stamens 4-6 mm; style 5-6 mm, villous in proximal half. Fruits usually few, disposed along whole length or mostly near apex of rhachis, 2.5-4.5 × 2-4.5 cm, strongly flattened, suborbicular to very broadly elliptic or obtriangular in side view, rounded, emarginate or apiculate at apex, rounded to cuneate (not pseudostipitate) at base, glabrous; wings 2, stiff, equal, 7-15 mm wide, Markedly thickened with spongy material adjacent to body and for most way to margin (thin part of wing only ca. 4-6 mm wide), rounded to strongly angled laterally (the angle nearer the fruit apex); body 0.6-1.2 cm wide but appearing much wider due to thickened base of wings, often 1-2-ridged on 1 face and slightly grooved on other. Reproductive biology. Flowers described as white, cream-colored, yellow, greenish yellow, whitish green, green; no evidence of dichogamy. Flowers sweetly scented, said by Sagot and Aublet to smell like those of Prunus mahaleb L. Flowering June to October; fruiting September to December, April. The corky fruits are presumably suited to water dispersal.

  • Discussion

    Some specimens of Prance 1566 (Pará, Brazil) at F, IAN, K, LTR, NY, OXF, S, U, and US are Combretum paraguariense.

    Uses. A hard timber used locally for house construction; oil from seeds used to treat skin disease in the Rio Amazonas basin.

    Illustrations. Figs. 74c (fr), 79b (If). Stace & Alwan (1998), p. 348.

    In fruit Terminalia dichotoma is unmistakable, for distinction from T. lucida see under T. lucida.

    Distribution and Ecology: (Fig. 76). A tree of riverine or inundated, often primary, forests on alluvial or sandy soils. Also on sandy terra firme near rivers. Widespread in South America from Colombia and Venezuela to Peru and Bahia, Brazil, but very sparse in the west, mostly sublittoral but extending right along the Rio Amazonas basin to Ecuador and Peru. Often at low altitude, but extending to 860 m.

  • Common Names

    Swamp fukadi, fukadi, naharu, maharu, coffee mortar, fukadi, foekadi djamaro, boskalebas, karalawai jakoenepele, alasoabo, bosamandel, zwamp bosamandel, gindaya-udu, kalebathout, kararawa akunepere, sansan-udu, alalamunuwi, cuia-rana, Cinzeiro, tanimbuca, yacushapana, huarapo, cafecillo, pata da danto, najaru

  • Distribution

    Acre Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Amapá Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Roraima Brazil South America| Maranhão Brazil South America| Bahia Brazil South America| Suriname South America| Loreto Peru South America| Sucumbíos Ecuador South America| Cayenne French Guiana South America| Inini French Guiana South America| Berbice Guyana South America| Essequibo Guyana South America| Pasco Peru South America| Tumbes Peru South America| Marowijne Suriname South America| Nickerie Suriname South America| Saramacca Suriname South America| Delta Amacuro Venezuela South America| Amazonas Colombia South America| French Guiana South America| Trinidad and Tobago South America|