Terminalia amazonia (J.F.Gmel.) Exell

  • 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 amazonia (J.F.Gmel.) Exell

  • Type

    Type. Peru.  Sylvis fluvio Amazonio contemns,  Chuncho du Maragnon (fide Jussieu, Gen. PI- 76. 1789) (n.v.).

  • Synonyms

    Chuncoa amazonia J.F.Gmel., Gimbernatia obovata Ruiz & Pav., Chuncoa obovata Pers., Terminalia obovata (Ruiz & Pav.) Eichler, Myrobalanus obovata Kuntze, Bucida angustifolia DC., Bucida buceras var. angustifolia (DC.) Eichler, Terminalia odontoptera Van Heurck & Müll.Arg., Terminalia excelsa Liebm., Myrobalanus excelsa Kuntze

  • Description

    Species Description - Deciduous tree (4-)10-60(-70) m, with plank buttresses, sometimes branching, to 3 m high and to 2 m from trunk. Leaves (2-)4-10(-15) × 2-5(-6.5) cm, chartaceous to subcoriaceous, usually obovate, less often obovate-oblong or -elliptic or narrowly so, rounded to acute or gradually or abruptly acuminate at apex, cuneate to attenuate-cuneate at base, glabrous to sparsely pubescent adaxially, subglabrous to pubescent except usually pubescent on main veins abaxially; pocket-shaped or bowl-shaped domatia present in secondary vein-axils. Venation eucamptodromous or eucamptodromous-brochidodromous; midvein moderate, prominent; secondary veins 3-5 pairs, distant, originating at moderately or sometimes widely acute angles, curved, prominent; intersecondary veins usually absent; tertiary veins closely and very regularly and conspicuously percurrent; higher order veins occasionally distinct; areolation imperfect or incomplete, slightly prominent. Petiole 0.2-1.5 cm, eglandular or biglandular (sometimes more) at junction with leaf or near base of lamina. Inflorescences 5-24 cm, simple, with all flowers bisexual or some to many with reduced female parts; peduncle 1-3 cm, appressed-pubescent; rhachis 4-21 cm, appressed-pubescent. Flowers pentamerous, 2.5-4 × 2.5-3.5 mm; lower hypanthium 1.5-2 mm, densely appressed- or sometimes patent-pubescent; upper hypanthium 0.5-1 mm, shallowly campanulate to shallowly infundibu- liform, appressed-pubescent or sparsely so; calyx lobes 0.3-0.8 mm, appressed-pubescent or sparsely so, suberect to patent; disk subglabrous to pilose; stamens 2-4 mm; style 2.5-3.5 mm, glabrous. Fruits numerous, disposed along whole length of rhachis, 0.5-0.7(-l) × 0.8-1.8(-2.2) cm, usually straw-colored, variously flattened, transversely oblong in side view, truncate but shortly beaked at apex, truncate or slightly retuse but sometimes very shortly pseudostipitate at base, pubescent to sparsely pubescent; wings 2-5, flexible, unequal, 2 lateral 0.3-1 cm wide, rounded or narrowly rounded laterally, the other 3 varying from strong ridges to wings to 2 mm wide; body 0.15-0.35 cm wide, bulging and keeled to winged on both faces. Reproductive biology. Flowers greenish yellow (most frequently), greenish cream, brownish yellow, cream-colored, yellow, white, green; stamens white, greenish yellow. Flowers strongly protogynous; variously said to be fragrant, slightly fragrant, or not fragrant. Pollination is mainly by medium-sized bees (Flores, 1994a). Flowering and fruiting most months of the year according to location. Flores (1994a) recorded and figured two pairs of glands on the lamina margin just above the petiole, which he referred to as extra-floral nectaries. The very light, well-winged fruits must be very well suited to wind dispersal, but González and Quirós (1992) found that only 1-2% of the fruits in one locality and 44% in a second locality in Costa Rica contained seeds, of which about 80% were viable. When immature they are eaten by parrots and other birds (Flores, 1994a).

  • Discussion

    Uses. An important timber known as Nargusta or Roble Coral in the international trade.

    Illustrations. Figs. 3d (venation), 89a (buttresses), 90 (fr shoot), 91a (If), 92a (fr). Eichler (1867), fr, pi. 33 (as T. obovata); Flores (1994a), all parts and portrait, pp. 63-81; Quesada Quesada et al. (1997), p. 94; Stace & Alwan (1998), p. 349; Smith et al. (2004), fr, pl. 15A.

    Terminalia amazonia and T. glabrescens are very distinct from all other species in their leaves with regular, close, parallel, percurrent tertiary veins, and numerous small 2-5-winged fruits disposed along the length of the rhachis. The two species are both variable, especially in the degree of pubescence, and might be better as subspecies. The full extent of their distribution has only relatively recently become apparent; their ranges almost meet in eastern Bolivia and in northeastern Brazil but so far the territories and morphological distinctions are maintained. See T. glabrescens for differences. Reports of a densely pilose disk in this and other species often result from careless observation of the long dense hairs on the inside of the upper hypanthium, especially at its base near the edge of the disk.

    Germination is epigeal, with two obcordate cotyledons (Flores, 1994a).

    Distribution and Ecology: (Fig. 88). A tall often emergent forest species found in many situations: primary or secondary forests, high or low forests, dry forests on hills, dense swamp forests, evergreen rain forests, gallery forests along rivers, river terraces, semideciduous forests, pine-savannas, among mangroves; on limestone, laterite, rocky and sandy soils, clay, granite, or alluvium; 0-2000 m, mostly below 800 m. Widespread from Veracruz, Mexico, to central Bolivia and southern and eastern Para and Tocantins, central Brazil. Records from Maranhão need confirmation.

  • Common Names

    guayabo de charco, nargusta, almendro, bulitri, cumbillo, naranjo, raya, guayabón, roble coral, amarillo, amarillón, bullywoo escobo, escobo negro, escobillo, criollo, durgab, mezcla, pata de danta/danto, pata de danta bianco, pata de danta amarillo, chimin, Chemin, guacharaco, güire, pardillo negro, dorosima, fukadi, ginja hoehoe, bosamandel, foekadie, wayãpi, anagosuti, itoetanoe kwai, gem berhout, gindya-udu, itju tano kawai, kalebashout, katurimja, komanti kwatii, kuware, kwai, sansan-udu, saraija, palikur, katuma, niiringiba de mata, yumbin, yumpink, roble, huarapo

  • Distribution

    Puntarenas Costa Rica Central America| Acre Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Amapá Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Colón Panamá Central America| Veracruz Mexico North America| Tabasco Mexico North America| Chiapas Mexico North America| Campeche Mexico North America| Oaxaca Mexico North America| Loreto Peru South America| Chontales Nicaragua Central America| Bocas del Toro Panamá Central America| Esmeraldas Ecuador South America| Panamá Panama Central America| San Blás Panama Central America| Cayo Belize Central America| Orange Walk Belize Central America| Stann Creek Belize Central America| Guanacaste Costa Rica Central America| San José Costa Rica Central America| Alta Verapaz Guatemala Central America| Huehuetenango Guatemala Central America| Izabal Guatemala Central America| Petén Guatemala Central America| Quiché Guatemala Central America| Atlantida Honduras Central America| Colón Honduras Central America| Comayagua Honduras Central America| Copán Honduras Central America| Cortés Honduras Central America| Gracias a Dios Honduras Central America| Olancho Honduras Central America| Nueva Segovia Nicaragua Central America| Río San Juan Nicaragua Central America| Zelaya Nicaragua Central America| Beni Bolivia South America| Cochabamba Bolivia South America| La Paz Bolivia South America| Pando Bolivia South America| Santa Cruz Bolivia South America| Imbabura Ecuador South America| Morona-Santiago Ecuador South America| Napo Ecuador South America| Orellana Ecuador South America| Pastaza Ecuador South America| Sucumbíos Ecuador South America| Zamora-Chinchipe Ecuador South America| Cayenne French Guiana South America| Inini French Guiana South America| Berbice Guyana South America| Essequibo Guyana South America| Amazonas Peru South America| Huánuco Peru South America| Junín Peru South America| Madre de Dios Peru South America| San Martín Peru South America| Tumbes Peru South America| Ucayali Peru South America| Marowijne Suriname South America| Paramaribo Suriname South America| Saramacca Suriname South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Anzoátegui Venezuela South America| Apure Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Delta Amacuro Venezuela South America| Distrito Federal Venezuela South America| Miranda Venezuela South America| Monagas Venezuela South America| Nueva Esparta Venezuela South America| Sucre Venezuela South America| Táchira Venezuela South America| Yaracuy Venezuela South America| Zulia Venezuela South America| Amazonas Colombia South America| Antioquia Colombia South America| Bolívar Colombia South America| Chocó Colombia South America| La Guajira Colombia South America| Magdalena Colombia South America| Nariño Colombia South America| Norte de Santander Colombia South America| Vichada Colombia South America| Toledo Belize Central America| Darién Panamá Central America| French Guiana South America| Panama Central America| Demerara Guyana South America| Trinidad and Tobago South America| Wanica Suriname South America|