Buchenavia oxycarpa (Mart.) Eichler

  • 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 oxycarpa (Mart.) Eichler

  • Type

    Type. Brazil. Amazonas; Inundations on bank of Rio Solimões, near Ega and elsewhere in province of Rio Negro, 1820, Martius s.n. (lectotype, selected by Exell & Stace, 1963, p. 25, M; isolectotypes, K, LE). Brazil. Para: No other data, Martius s.n. (lectoparatype, LE).

  • Synonyms

    Terminalia oxycarpa Mart., Buchenavia punctata Eichler, Terminalia punctata Eichler

  • Description

    Species Description - Evergreen tree, 2-20 m, rarely said to be a woody vine but probably in error. Leaves 1-15 × 0.5-5 cm, chartaceous or sometimes subcoriaceous, obovate to oblanceolate or sometimes narrowly elliptic-obtrullate, rounded to subacute or sometimes shortly subacuminate at apex, narrowly to very narrowly cuneate and decurrent at base, sparsely to very sparsely pubescent even when very young except often pubescent or slightly so on midvein; domatia present in secondary vein-axils. Venation brochidodromous to eucamptodromous-brochidodromous; midvein moderate, rather prominent; secondary veins (4-)6-9(-12) pairs, moderately spaced, arising at moderately acute angles, slightly curved, slightly prominent; intersecondary veins often present; tertiary veins randomly reticulate to weakly percurrent; higher order veins often distinct; areolation imperfect, slightly prominent. Petiole 0.4-2.5 cm, glabrous or sometimes sparsely pubescent, eglandular or sometimes inconspicuously biglandular when young. Inflorescences 6-13 cm, spicate; peduncle 3-6 cm, pubescent or sparsely so; rhachis 3-7 cm, pubescent or sparsely so. Flowers 2.5-4 mm; lower hypanthium 1.5-2.5 mm, with very slender neck more than half the total, glabrous to tomentose; upper hypanthium 1-1.5 × 2-3 mm, glabrous. Fruits 1.9-3.2 × 0.9-2 cm, oblong to elliptic in side view, not flattened, distinctly to obscurely longitudinally 5-ridged, abruptly narrowed to sharply pointed beak 0.3-1 cm long at apex, rounded to obtuse or shortly pseudostipitate at base, glabrous. Reproductive biology. Flowering August to April (June); fruiting November to June. Flowers greenish, dark red, reddish brown; stamens yellow, scarlet.

  • Discussion

    Uses. Fruit eaten by fish; timber used for making “curiaras.”

    Illustrations. Figs. 1121, 11 (fr), 113f (If). 126 (portrait). Eichler (1866), fl, pi. 3; Eichler (1867), pi. 25; Spichiger et al. (1983), p. 7.

    The ridged, shortly beaked fruits are diagnostic, although the degree of ridging and the length of beak varies considerably. The fruits are always glabrous at maturity, although the ovary at flowering varies from glabrous (especially in the lower Rio Amazonas basin) to rufous-tomentose (especially in the drier western and southern parts of its range). Buchenavia punctata represents a plant with particularly large and strongly ridged fruits and long relatively narrow pubescent pellucid-punctate leaves that is frequent in parts of Peru and Ecuador; this punctation is caused by druses that interrupt the palisade tissue, but it can show up in virtually any species at certain stages of development. It would be impossible to draw a line to delimit a separate taxon. The endocarp of this species is usually strongly symmetrically and longitudinally ridged.

    Distribution and Ecology: (Fig. 125). Inundated forests, in swamps and by rivers and lakes, on sand or alluvium, at 100-400 m. Away from the Rio Amazonas it also occurs in moist primary or secondary forests and humid savannas, and in Bolivia to 1400 m. Primarily a plant of the Rio Amazonas basin, extending sparsely north to central Venezuela, west to eastern Ecuador and eastern Peru, east to Ceará, and south to northern Mato Grosso and central Bolivia.

  • Common Names

    Conello, apamate de agua, yacushapana, isulleja

  • Distribution

    Acre Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| Brazil South America| Orellana Ecuador South America| Sucumbíos Ecuador South America| Madre de Dios Peru South America| Anzoátegui Venezuela South America| Apure Venezuela South America| Amazonas Colombia South America|