Terminalia eichleriana Alwan & Al-Mayah

  • 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 eichleriana Alwan & Al-Mayah

  • Type

    Type. Brazil. Bahia: Serra d Açuruá, Certão o Rio Sao Francisco, 1828-1856, Blanchet 2794 (lectotype, BR, here designated; isolectotypes, BM, BP, BR, F, FI, G, K, LE, OXF, P. RB, W).

  • Synonyms

    Terminalia punctata Eichler

  • Description

    Species Description - Deciduous shrub or tree 2-35 m. Leaves 2.5-6.5 × 1.5-4.5 cm, chartaceous, elliptic to obovate or narrowly so, obtuse to acute or apiculate or sometimes subacuminate at apex, broadly cuneate to almost rounded at base, sparsely pilose adaxially, pilose to densely pilose (always densely so on main veins) abaxially; domatia absent. Venation eucamptodromous or sometimes craspedodromous-eucamptodromous; midvein moderate, prominent; secondary veins 3-5(-6) pairs, moderately spaced to distant, originating at narrowly acute angles, curved proximally and running almost longitudinally in leaf, strongly curved distally and often running parallel to and close to margin for some way and sometimes reaching it, prominent; intersecondary veins absent; tertiary veins closely and very regularly percurrent, prominent; higher order veins distinct; areolation usually imperfect, scarcely prominent. Petiole 0.3-0.7 cm, densely pubescent, eglandular. Inflorescences 2-4 cm, with up to ca. 8 flowers. simple, some bisexual, often some andromonoecious with a few male flowers at base; peduncle 1.5-3.5 cm, densely pubescent; rhachis 0.2-0.8 cm, subcapitate, densely pubescent. Flowers pentamerous, 2-2.5 mm (male) or 3-4.5 × 3-4.5 mm (bisexual); lower hypanthium 1.2-2 mm in bisexual flowers, 0.3-0.5 mm in male flowers, densely appressed-pubescent, the wings not clearly developing by anthesis; upper hypanthium 1.2-1.5 mm, cupuliform, appressed-pubescent; calyx lobes 0.5-0.9mm, erect, appressed-pubescent; disk densely long-villous; stamens 2.5-4 mm; style 3-4 mm, pilose near base, the exserted part glabrous. Fruits few crowded on short rhachis, 0.6-0.8 × 0.7-1.1 cm, more or less actinomorphic, orbicular to broadly elliptic or transversely so in side view, emarginate at apex, rounded to emarginate at base, pubescent; wings 3(-4), rather flexible, equal or 1-2 large and 1-2(-3) much smaller, the larger one or two 0.4-0.6 cm wide, to 0.9 cm long at longest point, rounded laterally; body 0.1-0.3 cm wide, flat to bulging on all faces. Reproductive biology. Flowers greenish chestnut-colored, the bisexual ones strongly protogynous. Flowering December; fruiting September to February, June.

  • Discussion

    Illustrations. Figs. 91d (If), 92d (fr).

    Terminalia eichleriana closely resembles T. fagifolia, especially in leaf characters, but is distinguished by its smaller leaves with fewer secondary veins which usually run almost longitudinally in the leaf, shorter rhachis, fewer smaller flowers with different proportions, and usually 3-winged fruits.

  • Common Names

    Pau-carvão, pau d’água, pau de rato

  • Distribution

    Caatinga, at 400-560 m. Almost confined to Bahia, Brazil, mostly in the valley of the Rio São Francisco, extending south just into Minas Gerais.

    Bahia Brazil South America| Minas Gerais Brazil South America|