Buchenavia tomentosa 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 tomentosa Eichler

  • Type

    Type. Brazil. Minas Gerais: Sandy plains between Alegres and Rio Sao Francisco, Sep 1834 (fr), Riedel 2641 (lectotype, selected by Exell & Stace, 1963, p. 19, LE; isolectotypes, A/GH, BM, C, F, FI, G, K, LE, US, W).  Brasilia, 1817-1821. Pohl 83 (lectoparatype, W). Brazil. Goiás: Woods and plains, Sierra de Chapada, 1817-1820, Martius 1180 (lectoparatypes, LE, M). Brazil. Minas Gerais: In campis Taboleiro confitis in Chapada do Paranan, 1818, Martius 1803 (lectoparatype, M).

  • Synonyms

    Terminalia tomentosa Wight & Arn., Buchenavia corrugata Ducke, Buchenavia callistachya Ducke

  • Description

    Species Description - Deciduous tree, 2-40 m, often less than 10 m. Leaves 3.5-24 × 1.5-10 cm, chartaceous to subcoriaceous, narrowly elliptic or narrowly obovate to elliptic, obovate or elliptic-oblong, rounded to obtuse at apex, broadly to narrowly cuneate but not or rarely slightly decurrent at base, often revolute at margin, densely rufous-pubescent to -tomentose all over when young, the pubescence varyingly wearing off with age but usually still conspicuously pubescent at fruiting on both surfaces (especially lower), especially on venous system which is therefore usually redder than the intervenous areas; domatia usually present in secondary vein-axils but shallow and usually obscured by hairs. Venation brochidodromous to eucamptodromous-brochidodromous; midvein strong, very prominent; secondary veins 8-14 pairs, moderately spaced, arising at moderately to widely acute angles, curved, very prominent; intersecondary veins absent; tertiary veins percurrent or weakly so; higher order veins distinct; areolation well developed to imperfect, prominent, forming conspicuous raised reticulum; venation conspicuous due to both prominence and thicker rufous pubescence. Petiole 0.3-1.8 cm, densely rufous-pubescent to tomentose, usually eglandular. Inflorescences (2.5-)4-14 cm, spicate; peduncle 0.6-2 cm, densely rufous-pubescent; rhachis (1.5-)3-12 cm, densely rufous-pubescent. Flowers 3.5-5 mm; lower hypanthium 2-3 mm, abruptly narrowed into long thin glabrous neck ca. twice as long as rufous-tomentose ovary-bearing part; upper hypanthium 1.5-2 × 2.5-4.5 mm, glabrous. Fruits 2-3.5 × 1.2-2.5 cm, elliptic to broadly so in side view, more or less terete, very succulent, rounded at apex, rounded to very shortly pseudostipitate at base, sparsely pubescent to glabrous at maturity. Reproductive biology. Flowering July to October, before leaves appear; fruiting in most months. Flowers cream-colored, yellow, yellowish green or greenish; fruits yellow or sometimes green when ripe, succulent, edible, and no doubt attractive to birds and mammals too.

  • Discussion

    Uses. The fruits are edible, liked by humans and deer.

    Illustrations. Figs. 6a (petiole anatomy), 112n, nn (fr), 113i (lf). Bautista & Abreu (1978), pp. 399 & 403 (as B. callistachya & B. corrugata); Marquete Ferreira da Silva & Valente (1996), p. 57; Ribeiro et al. (1999), p. 459, inflorescence.

    Buchenavia tomentosa is easily recognized by the broad densely pubescent leaves with very prominent reticulate minor venation, and glabrous succulent fruits. Only B. reticulata possesses leaves with similar venation, but in that species the leaves are usually much narrower and the fruits are tomentellous and often apiculate. The type of B. tomentosa is in fruit, whereas those of B. callistachya and B. conugata are in flower. Exell and Stace realized that B. corrugate represents young B. tomentosa but kept B. callistachya separate. Subsequent collections show that they all represent one species.

    Baldwin 3694 (NY), from Rio Vaupés, Trovão, Amazonas, Brazil, appears to be B. tomentosa but is from well out of its area and within that of B. reticulata, of which it is probably a very unusual variant. It is sterile, and not mapped here.

  • Common Names

    Tanebuco, cuiarana, pebanheira, mijol, piá-banheira, Mirindiba, merindiba, pau pilão, imbuzeiro, miringiba, cambuy, tarumarana, biriba, tarumacillo, yacushapana

  • Distribution

    Characteristic of seasonally dry scrub and open deciduous or semi-evergreen forests in Brazil (“heliophyte”), on sandy or clayey soils, often on rocky plains and hills but also along riversides and in humid forests and savannas, at 90-800 m. Central Brazil, extending south to Mato Grosso do Sul, north to the central and lower Rio Amazonas and west to eastern Peru and eastern Bolivia.

    Acre Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Rondônia Brazil South America| Tocantins Brazil South America| Maranhão Brazil South America| Goiás Brazil South America| Mato Grosso do Sul Brazil South America| Mato Grosso Brazil South America| Piauí Brazil South America| Minas Gerais Brazil South America| Ceará Brazil South America| Peru South America| Brazil South America| Beni Bolivia South America| La Paz Bolivia South America| Pando Bolivia South America| Santa Cruz Bolivia South America| Madre de Dios Peru South America| Ucayali Peru South America|