Terminalia chicharronia (Griseb.) C.Wright

  • 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 chicharronia (Griseb.) C.Wright

  • Type

    Type. Cuba. La Habana: Guanabo, Mar 1829 (fl), de la Sagra s.n. in herb. Richard no. 185 (lectotype, P, here designated; isolectotypes, F, G); Guanabo, Mar 1829 (fr), de la Sagra s.n. in herb. Richard no. 281 (lectoparatypes, G, P); Guanabo, de la Sagra s.n. in herb. Richard no. 164 (probable lectoparatype, P).

  • Synonyms

    Chicharronia intermedia A.Rich., Combretum dipterum Welw. ex M.A.Lawson, Chuncoa chicharronia Griseb., Chicharronia intermedia A.Rich., Terminalia intermedia (A.Rich.) Urb.

  • Description

    Species Description - Shrub or tree 2-25 m (? deciduous or evergreen). Leaves 2-13 × 1.3-6.5 cm, subcoriaceous, obovate or obovate-oblong to narrowly so, obtuse, rounded or emarginate at apex, broadly to narrowly cuneate at base, often revolute at margin, glabrous to sparsely pubescent adaxially, glabrous to tomentose abaxially (see subspecies); domatia absent. Venation brochidodromous; midvein moderate to stout, prominent or very prominent; secondary veins 4-9(-13) pairs, moderately spaced to distant, originating at usually widely acute angles; intersecondary veins present or not; higher order veins various (see subspecies); areolation usually well-developed. Petiole 0.3-2(-3) cm, glabrous to densely pubescent, biglandular or eglandular. Inflorescences 5-8 cm, simple, with all flowers bisexual; peduncle 1.5-2.5(-3.5) cm, glabrous to pubescent; rhachis 3.5-6 cm, sparsely to densely pubescent, rarely glabrous. Flowers pentamerous, 5-7.5 x 3-4 mm; lower hypanthium 1,7-3(-5) mm, glabrous to tomentose; upper hypanthium 2-3 mm, glabrous to tomentose, cupuliform to slightly campanulate; calyx lobes 1-2 mm, narrowly acute, slightly recurved at full anthesis, glabrous to tomentose; disk villous; stamens 2-5 mm; style 3-5 mm, densely pilose nearly to apex to nearly glabrous. Fruits often disposed along whole length of rhachis, 1-2.2 × 1.4-4.4 cm, strongly flattened, transversely elliptic to rhombic in side view, truncate to rounded at apex, truncate or very obtuse to very shortly pseudostipitate at base, usually pubescent; wings 2, stiff, equal, 0.7-1.8 cm wide, to 2.1 cm long at longest point, narrowly rounded to almost angled laterally; body 0.4-0.8 cm wide, keeled on one face, flat on other. Reproductive biology. Flowering April to October.

  • Discussion

    Illustrations. Figs. 4c (venation), 10c & 11c, d (epidermis), 74g-i (fr), 79d (If).

    Despite its wide variation Terminalia chicharronia is very distinct from all other species except T. eriostachya in its leaf and inflorescence characters. The variation can be satisfactorily expressed by the recognition of four more or less allopatric subspecies. T. arbuscula var. xanthica M. Gomez, nom. nud. (see Nomina Dubia), is possibly a representative of T. chicharronia, T. arbuscula not being otherwise recorded from Cuba.

  • Common Names

    Jucaro, Chicharrón

  • Distribution

    In forests at medium altitudes (to 1000 m) on mountains in Cuba, Haiti, and Dominican Republic.

    Cuba South America| La Habana Cuba South America| Haiti South America| Dominican Republic South America|