Buchenavia macrophylla Spruce ex 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 macrophylla Spruce ex Eichler

  • Type

    Type. Brazil. Amazonas: Near Panuré on Rio Vaupés, Oct 1852-Jan 1853, Spruce 2507 proparte (lectotype, selected by Exell & Stace, 1963, P- 32, BR; isolectotypes, BM, C, CGE, G, K, LE, NY, OXF, P, RB, TCD, US, W). Brazil. Amazonas: Cjabo, Rio Vaupés, Sep 1852, Spruce 2507 pro parte (lectoparatype, K).

  • Synonyms

    Terminalia macrophylla Spruce ex Eichler, Buchenavia stellae Cuatrec.

  • Description

    Species Description - Tree, 3-20(-30) m, with no buttresses. Leaves 3-35 × l.5-14 cm, chartaceous to subcoriaceous, oblanceolate or narrowly elliptic to narrowly obovate or narrowly elliptic-oblong, long- to short-acuminate to apiculate or rarely rounded at apex, narrowly attenuate-cuneate at base, glabrous except often puberulous on midvein and secondary veins especially abaxially; domatia absent or shallow except for dense hair-tufts. Venation eucamptodromous or eucamptodromous-brochidodromous; midvein moderate to strong, prominent; secondary veins 6-14 pairs, moderately spaced to distant, arising at moderately acute angles, curved, prominent; intersecondary veins usually absent; tertiary veins regularly and often closely percurrent; higher order veins distinct; areolation imperfect, slightly prominent. Petiole 0.6-3.5 cm, pubescent to sparsely so, biglandular (often conspicuously so). Inflorescences 3-13 cm, spicate; peduncle 0.6-3.2 cm, puberulous to densely so; rhachis 2-10 cm, densely puberulous. Flowers 2.5-3.5 mm; lower hypanthium 1.5-2 mm, densely pubescent on ovary-bearing part, with glabrous to sparsely pubescent neck ca. half total length; upper hypanthium 1-1.5 × 2.5-4mm, glabrous or nearly so. Fruits 1-3.3 × 0.6-l.3 cm, elliptic to oblong or narrowly so in side view, more or less terete, rounded to subacute or apiculate at apex, rounded to very shortly pseudostipitate at base, densely fulvous-pubescent. Reproductive biology. Flowering July to April; fruiting most of year. Flowers dark red, brownish red, wine-red, greenish lilac, green, brown, coffee, white.

  • Discussion

    Uses. Tincture of ground and macerated wood and bark in cane liquor is used against anaemia and arthritis in Peru; grated and chewed secondary bark mixed with cane liquor used against abnormal vaginal bleeding in Ecuador. Firewood and rafters for roofs in Bolivia. Fruit said to be edible.

    Illustrations. Figs. 6d (midvein anatomy), 112q, qq (fr), 129d (lf). Bautista & Abreu (1978), p. 411; Ribeiro et al. (1999), p. 459, flowers.

    Buchenavia macrophylla is evidently closely related to B. congesta, B. megalophylla, and B. nitidissima. Buchenavia macrophylla seems to be mostly a smaller tree than B. congesta and B. nitidissima, and does not have their strongly “shouldered” leaf apices. Buchenavia stellae has rather small leaves but falls well within the range of B. macrophylla.

    Distribution and Ecology: (Fig. 130). Riverside and lakeside forests, often inundated but sometimes on terra firme, swamp-forests, flood-plains, on sandy or clayey soil, at 80-700 m. For Amazonian associates see B. suaveolens; the most widespread of the eight species listed there. The whole of the Rio Amazonas basin, south to Mato Grosso at ca. 13° S, north to the upper Río Orinoco and to French Guiana (but apparently not Suriname or Guyana), and west to Peru, Ecuador and the Pacific coast of Colombia.

  • Common Names

    Kasamato, trompillo, alimimo, ingui-tabaka, cuiarana fôlha grande, tanibouca, tanimbuca, shapuri, yacushapana, tuhara, beira del lago, ibirón, yumpink

  • Distribution

    Acre Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Amapá Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Rondônia Brazil South America| Mato Grosso Brazil South America| Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| Beni Bolivia South America| Pando Bolivia South America| Santa Cruz Bolivia South America| Morona-Santiago Ecuador South America| Orellana Ecuador South America| Sucumbíos Ecuador South America| Inini French Guiana South America| Amazonas Peru South America| Madre de Dios Peru South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Amazonas Colombia South America| Valle del Cauca Colombia South America| Vaupés Colombia South America|