Odontocarya mallosperma Barneby
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Authority
Mori, S. A. 1987. The Lecythidaceae of a lowland Neotropical Forest: La Fumée mountain, French Guiana. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 44: 1-190.
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Family
Menispermaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Latin Diagnosis - O. diplobotryae Diels affinis, foliis parvis (lamina 4.5-7 nec 6-11 cm longis) breviter petiolatis (petiolo 1.5-5 (-6) nec 5-11 cm longo) necnon endocarpii condylo duplo majori (5-6 nec 3 mm longo, 3-4 nec ±1.7 mm lato) absimilis. Ab O. tenacissima Diels, ob folia parva comparanda, pedicellis fructiferis brevibus (3-4 nec 7-15 mm longis) necnon endocarpii carne fibrosa persistenti (nec decidua) condyloque aperto nec anguste elliptico, ab O. smithiorum Diels imprimis inflorescentia [male] bis vel subter-racemosa nec simplici longius distat. Frutex alte (ad 20 m usque) scandens, tota glabra, ramis annotinis pallescenti-bus lenticellis crebre obsitis hornotinis atropurpureis canaliculatis 1.5-2 mm diam; petiolus gracilis 1.5-5(-6) cm longus basi incrassatus tortus; lamina ovata vel late elliptica nunc obscure obovata breviter acuminata 4.5-7 cm longa, 2.5-6 cm lata, acumine subrectilineari truncato-emarginato mutico 3-5 mm longo, ±3 mm lato, basi aut late rotundata aut (rarius) late cuneata, ex ipsa basi 3-nervia, dein penninervia, costa superne subimmersa inferne elevata nervos secundarios utroque latere 3-5 gignenti, his cum reticulo clauso utrinque prominulis, areolis ultimis parvis <1 mm diam, lamina tota (matura sicca) chartacea supra saturate viridis lucida infra pallidior subopaca; inflorescentiae [male] ex axillis aliae hornotinorum aliae annotinorum ramulorum nascentes, illae bis-racemosae (vel minores fere simplices), hae subter-racemosae, axibus primario 3.5-25 cm longo, secundariis 0.5-5 cm longis subcapillaribus divaricatim adscendibus paucifloris, floribus solitariis vel 2-3-nis, pedicellis longioribus 1-2 mm longis; flos [male]: sepala membranacea, externa ovata, majora 0.5-0.9 mm longa, interna obovato-cuneata vel suborbicularia concava ad 1.8-2.2 mm. longa, 1.1-1.4 mm lata, minutissime ciliolata; petala 6, carnosula, 3 nonnumquam minuta, majora 0.8-1.6 mm longa obovato-cuneata truncato-emarginata involuta; androecium 6-merum 1.4-1.6 mm longum, filamentis in columnam ±0.9 mm longam concretis, exterioribus 3 per 0.25-0.3 mm infra antheras liberis, caeteris connatis, antherarum thecis ±0.3 mm longis; inflorescentia [female] e foliorum novellorum axillis nascens simplex pluriflora, axi (pedunculo brevi incluso) 6-12 cm longo, pedicellis ad anthesin 1-1.5 mm longis bractea 0.5-1.9 mm suffultis fructiferis incrassatis 3-4 mm longis ±0.5 mm diam; flos [female]: sepala membranacea externa deltata obtusa 0.6 mm longa subaequilata, interna late ovata obtusa 1.3-1.5 mm longa, 1.2-1.4 mm lata; petala ±1 mm longa biseriata, 3 latiora 0.7 mm, 3 angustiora 0.5 mm lata; staminodia minuta; drupa late oblongo-ellipsoidea vel subglobosa 13-18 mm longa, 8-15 mm diam, viva viridis demum lutescens sicca atrofusca, endocarpio 10-12 mm longo, 7-9 mm diam, carne fibroso-mucilaginea demum in fibras dissoluta testamque totam tegenti circumdato, ventre condylo aperto 5-6 mm longo 3-4 mm diam excavato.
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Discussion
Type. VENEZUELA. Delta Amacuro: Serranía Imataca, El Palmar-Raudal trail N of Río Guanamo, Nov 23, 1955, fl. [male], Wurdack & Monachino 39,725 (holotype NY; isotypes BM, COL, GH, F; IAN, K, U, UC, US). This species is easily recognized by its small, short-petioled, shiny but prominently and closely veined leaves. The only species with leaves similar both in shape and size are the West Indian Odontocarya smithiorum, distinguished by a simply racemose staminate inflorescence, and the Ecuadorian O. tenac\issima, differing in its greatly elongate pistillate raceme and long fruiting pedicels (the staminate plant unknown). The latter differs further in having fewer pairs of secondary nerves arising from each side of the leaf-costa and a fruit with cleanly deciduous pulp. In O. mallosperma, as the epithet records, the pulp is fibrous when dry and adheres stubbornly to the shell of the endocarp in the form of a towlike fleece. Because of its generally bis-racemose staminate inflorescence and small staminate flowers fascicled mostly by twos and threes O. mallosperma must be compared also with O. diplobotrya of the upper Amazon. This has a fleecy endocarp, but larger leaf-blades of thinner texture and differently veined borne on longer petioles (for details compare key to species). The Venezuelan specimens cited above are very uniform in the ovate outline of the leafblades. Cowan’s collection from Amapá differs in having the leaf-blade sharply cuneate at base. No other difference can be made out in the material now at hand, but the identification of the Brazilian plant must be considered provisional until the matching staminate plant can be procured. The staminate inflorescence of Odontocarya mallosperma is fundamentally of the bis-racemose type, but shows some interesting individual variations. The secondary branchlets of the smallest inflorescences are reduced in size and number; in some they are almost lacking. On the other hand toward the apex of some young shoots which bear many bis-racemose inflorescences from succeeding leaf-axils the leaves become small and sometimes fail to develop functional blades. The apex of the branch then seems to assume the role of the primary axis of a tris-racemose panicle, only different from that of sect Somphoxylon in its terminal, not cauliflorous, position.