Terminalia januariensis DC.

  • 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 januariensis DC.

  • Type

    Type. Brazil. Rio de Janeiro: Montagna Corcovado, 1817-1818, Raddi s.n. (lectotype, selected by Marquete Ferreira da Silva, 1984, p. 95, FI; isolectotype, G).

  • Synonyms

    Catappa brasiliensis Raddi, Terminalia brasiliensis (Cambess. ex A.St.-Hil.) Eichler, Terminalia jamaicensis Steud., Myrobalanus brasiliensis Kuntze, Terminalia macroptera Guill. & Perr., Terminalia grandialata Eichler, Myrobalanus grandialata Kuntze, Terminalia camuxa Pickel

  • Description

    Species Description - Deciduous tree 5-35 m. Leaves 3.2-12(-18.5) × 1.6-5.5(-7.5) cm, chartaceous to subcoriaceous, obovate or obovate-oblong to oblanceolate, acuminate at apex, cuneate (rarely attenuate) at base, subglabrous adaxially, subglabrous to pubescent abaxially; domatia absent. Venation brochidodromous or eu-camptodromous-brochidodromous; midvein moderate to stout, prominent; secondary veins 5-12 pairs, moderately spaced to distant, originating at moderately to widely acute angles, curved, prominent; intersecondary veins often present; tertiary veins randomly reticulate or weakly percurrent; higher order veins indistinct; areolation imperfect, scarcely prominent. Petiole 0.5-3.5 cm, subglabrous to sericeous, biglan- dular to eglandular. Inflorescences 2-5 cm, to 10cm in fruit, simple, with all flowers bisexual; peduncle 1.5-3 cm, to 7 cm in fruit, pubescent; rhachis 0.5-2 cm, densely pubescent. Flowers pentamerous, 3.5-5.5 × 4-5 mm; lower hypanthium 1.5-3 mm, sparsely to densely pubescent; upper hypanthium 1.5-2 mm, campanulate, sparsely to very sparsely pubescent; calyx lobes 0.7-1.5 mm, sparsely to very sparsely pubescent, usually revolute; disk glabrous to sparsely pubescent; stamens 3-6 mm; style 4-5.5 mm, villous for up to proximal three-fifths, rarely glabrous. Fruits few crowded on short rhachis, 1.9-3.5(-4) × 5-10.5 cm, flattened, transversely oblong in side view, truncate to emarginate at apex, truncate or nearly so at base, glabrous at maturity, often shiny; wings 2, fairly stiff, equal, 2.5-4(-5) cm wide, rounded to narrowly rounded or obtuse laterally; body 0.7-1.3 cm wide, usually bulging on both faces. Reproductive biology. Flowers yellow-green. Flowering July to January; fruiting September to February. The large-winged fruits seem reasonably well adapted for wind dispersal.

  • Discussion

    Uses. Timber used for fences and furniture.

    Illustrations. Figs. 83d (lf), 84g (fr). Eichler (1867), fr, pi. 33 (as T. januariensis & T. grandialata)', Marquete Ferreira da Silva (1984), pp. 102-103 (as T. januariensis & T. grandialata); Pickel (1958), p. 203 (as T. camuxa); Marquete Ferreira da Silva, Teixeira & Valente (2003), p. 122, fr.

    Terminalia januariensis appears to be a rare species today, perhaps because of the extreme deforestation of southeastern Brazil. It varies widely in fruit size; fruits of specimens labeled as T. grandialata (T. macroptera) sometimes exceeding 10 cm wide, and those of the type of T. camuxa being 5.1-5.2 cm wide. The inflorescences start as short capitate clusters, gradually lengthening as anthesis and fruiting proceeds. Terminalia camuxa lies at one end of the range, but the only character of the type specimen that is not typical of T. januariensis is the glabrous style. Variation from glabrous to pubescent styles is found in a few other species of Terminalia. In describing T. camuxa, Pickel (1958) considered its distinction from only the seven species already known from “northeast” Brazil, and T. januariensis was not one of these.

    Terminalia riedelii and Buchenavia fluminensis are both nomina nuda known from the original (flowering) specimens only; their identity is uncertain, but they are possibly referable to T. januariensis. See under Nomina Dubia at the end of the genus.

    For differences from Terminalia mameluco see that species. Terminalia januariensis usually differs from T. guyanensis in its larger flowers, larger and more pubescent fruits with wider wings, and longer inflorescences, and is well separated geographically. However, some specimens are difficult to identify and more collections could suggest that a subspecific distinction, perhaps of all three taxa, would be wiser.

  • Common Names

    capitão do campo, capitao, merindiba, piúna, camuxá, orelha de Onça

  • Distribution

    Potentially a tall forest tree (highest tree in Minas Gerais forest) and in mata, on hills, at 700-750 m. Sao Paulo to Bahia, Brazil.

    São Paulo Brazil South America| Bahia Brazil South America| Rio de Janeiro Brazil South America| Espirito Santo Brazil South America| Minas Gerais Brazil South America| Brazil South America|