Buchenavia parvifolia Ducke
-
Authority
Stace, C. A. & Alwan, A.-R A. 2010. Combretaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 107: 1-369. (Published by NYBG Press)
-
Family
Combretaceae
-
Scientific Name
-
Type
Type. Brazil. Pará: In sylvis primariis non inundatis, prope Villa Braga fluminis Tapajos, May 1923 (fr), Ducke 17686 pro parte (lectotype, selected by Stace, Fl. Ecuador 81: 44, 2007, MG n.v.; isolectotypes, G, K, P, S, U, US). Brazil. Para: Same tree, Sep 1922 (fl), Ducke 17686 pro parte (lectoparatype, G, K, MG, P, S, U, US); Inter flumina Cuminá-Mirim et Ariramba affl. Rio Trombetas, Ducke 13584 (lectoparatype, RB n.v.). Exell and Stace (1963, p. 14) had previously selected Ducke 17686 as the lectotype, but this specimen consists of two separate collections from the same tree, one in flower and one in fruit. Ducke 17693, from Serra de Dedal, and Ducke 12386, from Breves, Para, Brazil (both RB) are not types.
-
Description
Species Description - Briefly deciduous or ? sometimes evergreen tree, 3-31 m, with plank buttresses 30 cm wide. Leaves (0.6-)1-4(-5.5) × (0.3-)0.5-2 cm, chartaceous, usually obovate or narrowly so or oblong-obovate, on juvenile shoots rhombic or obtrullate, rounded or rarely retuse to obtuse at apex, narrowly decurrent-cuneate at base, appressed-pubescent when very young, becoming glabrous except often sparsely pubescent on midvein when mature; domatia present in secondary vein axils. Venation brochidodromous; midvein moderate to fine, prominent to scarcely so; secondary veins (3-)4-6(-8) pairs, moderately spaced to distant, originating at widely acute angles, curved to slightly so, slightly prominent; intersecondary veins common, often almost as evident as secondaries; tertiary veins randomly reticulate; higher order veins not distinct; areolation incomplete. Petiole 0.2-1.2 cm, pubescent, becoming sparsely so, eglandular. Inflorescences 1-2.4 cm, more or less capitate, with only ca. 3-4 closely grouped flowers; peduncle 1-2 cm, rufous pubescent in flower, becoming subglabrous and much thicker in fruit; rhachis 0.2-0.4 cm. Flowers 2.5-4.5 mm; lower hypanthium 1.5-2.5 mm. rather gradually narrowed to neck ca. half total length, glabrous to pubescent; upper hypanthium 1-1.6 × 2.3-3 mm, glabrous to sparsely pilose. Fruits 1 -2.6 × 0.7-1-6 cm, elliptic to obovate in side view, more or less terete, rounded or obtuse and often shortly apiculate (apiculus rarely to 2 mm) at apex, rounded to acute and sometimes very shortly pseudostipitate at base, glabrous. Buchenavia parvifolia is usually easily recognized by its capitate inflorescences and small distinctive chartaceous leaves. The rhombic or obtrullate leaves on juvenile plants are very distinctive; no other species differs as much at this stage from mature foliage. In its main (Amazonian) range it is also characterized by glabrous or sparsely pubescent ovaries and small glabrous fruits, but in SE Brazil the ovaries are densely pubescent at flowering (albeit only one flowering specimen seen), although producing glabrous fruits. Some specimens from SE Brazil (e.g., Folli 544) also have larger more strongly apiculate fruits and narrower (oblanceolate) leaves than Amazonian plants, but others (e.g., Kuhlmann 2840) are indistinguishable from the latter in these respects. Recognition of the southeastern plants as a separate subspecies seems most appropriate on present evidence; individual specimens lacking flowers will not always be separable, but there is a geographical disjunction of ca. 2100 km.