Buchenavia kleinii 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

    Buchenavia kleinii Exell

  • Type

    Type. Brazil. Santa Catarina: Mata do Hoffmann, Brusque, Jan 1951, Klein 22 (holotype, S; isotypes, BM, HBR n.v.). Klein 89, from the same place, Jan 1950 (HB, HBR, MBM) is not a type.

  • Synonyms

    Buchenavia kleinii var. paulensis N.F.Mattos

  • Description

    Species Description - Deciduous tree, 5-30 m, with trunk to 20 m, buttressed when old. Leaves 2-10 × 1.5-6 cm, subcoriaceous, broadly obovate to oblanceolate, rounded to retuse (rarely obtuse) and sometimes apiculate at apex, narrowly acute and usually decurrent at base, appressed-pubescent when young, becoming glabrous except often sparsely pubescent on midvein when mature; domatia present in secondary vein axils. Venation brochidodromous; midvein moderate, fairly prominent; secondary veins 4-8 pairs, moderately spaced, originating at moderately to widely acute angles, curved to slightly so, slightly prominent; intersecondary veins often present; tertiary veins randomly reticulate to weakly percurrent; higher order veins often distinct; areolation incomplete to complete. Petiole 0.8-3.3 cm, appressed-pubescent, eglandular but base of leaf sometimes obscurely biglandular. Inflorescences 1.2-2.5(-4) cm, more or less capitate, with many densely grouped flowers; peduncle 1-2(-3) cm, stout, rufous pubescent in flower, becoming subglabrous in fruit; rhachis 0.4-1.3 cm. Flowers 3-4 mm; lower hypanthium (1.5-)1.7-2(-3) mm, rather gradually narrowed to neck ca. half total length, densely rufous-pubescent (rarely glabrous in Espírito Santo); upper hypanthium l-2 × 2-4 mm, glabrous or subglabrous. Fruits 1.5-3 × 1-1.5 cm, elliptic to obovate in side view, more or less terete, acute to rounded and often apiculate at apex, rounded at base, densely puberulous, becoming much less so when very old. Reproductive biology. Flowers cream-colored, green. Flowering December to January, July; fruiting December to April.

  • Discussion

    Uses. Timber used for many purposes, from carpentry to external constructions such as bridges and buildings.

    Illustrations. Figs. 112b (fr), 113b (If). Exell & Reitz (1967), pp. 17-19; Marquete Ferreira da Silva (1984), p. 99. Buchenavia kleinii is close to B. tetraphylla but usually has a larger and broader leaf and densely puberulous (not glabrous) fruits, and the peduncle is usually thicker and the rhachis longer, with many closely congested flowers. Exell (1953) said that the style is 3 mm long, but this is inaccurate, it being only ca. 1.5-2.5 mm as in most species of the genus. Buchenavia igaratensis falls within the variation of B. kleinii except for the narrower leaves (some oblanceolate); the type, the only known specimen, is in flower. Buchenavia kleinii var. paulensis was separated from the type variety in having long-spathulate leaves and glabrous “calyces” (upper hypanthia). It is clearly very close to B. igaratensis (both types examined), and differs only in the slightly less pubescent upper hypanthium; both have densely rufous-pubescent lower hypanthia. More collections from SE Brazil are needed to ascertain the precise delimitation from B. tetraphylla, and whether the narrow leaved plants are worthy of varietal status. Despite this variation in leaf shape the leaves of B. kleinii have a characteristic facies which enables distinction from B. tetraphylla, although this difference is difficult to put into words. The two species apparently overlap in range only in Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro.

    The only two specimens (Folli 777, Santos 951) seen from Espírito Santo have the whole flower, including the lower hypanthium, completely glabrous. The leaves and inflorescences are fully typical of those of Buchenavia kleinii, and the peduncle, rhachis and caducous bracts are densely rufous-pubescent as in that species. These specimens would presumably produce glabrous fruits, thus removing the main difference between B. kleinii and B. tetraphylla. I have little hesitation in placing them under B. kleinii, even though they would presumably key out as B. tetraphylla in the above key, since B. tetraphylla from the same area remains quite distinct. Their locality is about 500 km northeast of the next nearest site, in Rio de Janeiro. All material seen from Rio de Janeiro south to Rio Grande do Sul has a densely rufous-pubescent lower hypanthium. More material from Espírito Santo, especially in fruit, is needed before the precise identity of these plants can be decided.

  • Common Names

    Garajuva, guarajuva, pequi gigante, pindahyba

  • Distribution

    Characteristic of “mata pluvial” in the coastal area, at 10-940 m. Southeastern Brazil from Espírito Santo (ca. 19° S) to Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul (ca. 29° S); we have seen no specimens from Rio Grande do Sul but it was noted from there by Exell and Reitz (1967). It is the only extra-tropical species of Buchenavia.

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