Terminalia australis Cambess.

  • 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 australis Cambess.

  • Type

    Type. Brazil. Rio Grande do Sul: Edge of Rio Touro Passo [Toropas(s)o],  bords de l'lbicuí dans les missions, 1816-1822, St. Hilaire 2591 (lectotype and isolectotype, P. here designated). Uruguay. Colonia: In woods near Río San Juan, near Colonia do Sacramento, 1816-1822, St. Hilaire 2382 (lectoparatype, P).

  • Synonyms

    Myrobalanus australis Kuntze

  • Description

    Species Description - Deciduous shrub or small tree 2-10 m. Leaves 2-6.5(-10) × 0.8-2 cm, chartaceous, usually narrowly elliptic, sometimes oblanceolate or elliptic, acute to obtuse or rarely emarginate at apex and often mu crenate, cuneate to shortly attenuate at base, sparsely appressed-pubescent when mature but usually more densely so on main veins; domatia weak in secondary vein-axils but with dense hair-tufts. Venation brochidodromous; midvein weak to moderate, prominent; secondary veins (3-)4-7(-8) pairs, distant, originating at moderately acute angles, slightly curved, scarcely prominent; intersecondary veins usually present; tertiary veins usually not conspicuous, randomly reticulate; higher order veins sometimes distinct; areolation imperfect or incomplete, not prominent. Petiole 0.1-0.5 cm, appressed-pubescent to subglabrous, eglandular. Inflorescences 1.6-6 cm, simple, more or less capitate, with 6-12 flowers all bisexual; peduncle 1.5-5.5 cm, appressed-pubescent to sparsely so; rhachis 0.1-0.3(-0.5) cm. Flowers pentamerous, 4.5-5.5 × 3-5 mm; lower hypanthium 2-2.5 mm, densely appressed-pubescent; upper hypanthium 2-2.5 mm, infundibuliform to campanulate, appressed-pubescent; calyx lobes 0.5-1 mm, usually revolute, appressed-pubescent; disk very sparsely pilose; stamens 3-4.5 mm; style 4-5.5 mm, pubescent in proximal half. Fruits few crowded on short rhachis, 1,4-2(-2.8) × 0.8-1.5(-2) cm, flattened, ovate to elliptic in side view, acute to obtuse and shortly beaked at apex, rounded at base, pubescent to subglabrous; wings 2, stiff and narrow, equal, 0.2-0.5(-0.6) cm wide; body 0.6-1.1 cm wide, bulging and 1-2 ridged on each face. Reproductive biology. Flowers white, cream-colored, yellowish green, distinctly protogynous. Flowering October to December; fruiting November to March.

  • Discussion

    Uses. The trees are said to protect river banks from erosion; firewood.

    Illustrations. Figs. 74n (fr), 91f (If). Eichler (1867), fr, pi. 33; Exell & Reitz (1967), fl only, excl fr, P- 11; St. Hilaire (1830), t. 128.

    Exell (1939) wrongly stated that the type of Terminalia australis came from Paraguay; although the species occurs close to the border in Argentina we have seen no specimens from Paraguay. Terminalia australis differs from the other three species of the section in its wings only 0.2-0.6 cm wide, producing a fruit longer than wide. In flower it is often difficult to distinguish from T. triflora, but usually has slightly more flowers per inflorescence and ovaries with a less closely appressed indumentum.

  • Common Names

    Sarandí amarillo, Palo amarillo, amarillo del río, amarilho, Amarelinho, tanimbú, huarayú

  • Distribution

    Riversides in subtropical forests, subject to periodic inundation, at 200-550 m. Southern Brazil, Uruguay, and northern Argentina, apparently entirely extra-tropical, from Parana, Brazil (ca. 24° S) to Buenos Aires, Argentina (37°15' S); the most southerly species of the family in the Americas.

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