Terminalia yapacana Maguire

  • Authority

    Maguire, Bassett, et al. 1953. The Botany of the Guayana Highland. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 8 (2): 87-160.

  • Family

    Combretaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Terminalia yapacana Maguire

  • Description

    Latin Diagnosis - Arbor parva 12 m. alta; ramulis glabris; foliis terminaliter approximates alternatis, laminis ovato-oblanceolatis vel oblongo-oblanceolatis integris 3-8 cm. longis 1.5-3.5 cm. latis chartaceis glabris, nervis lateralibus prominulis in nervo marginali collectivo, apice obtuso aliquando aliquantum retuso, basi acuta vel acuminate; petiolis 2-5 mm. longis 3-4 mm. latis; spicis axillaribus 6-10(-12) cm. longis glabris vel sparsissimis puberulis; floribus sessilibus, hypanthiis crateriformibus 4-5 mm. longis, stipite 0.5-1.0 mm. longo dense puberulo, limbo campanulato ca. 2. mm. longo puberulo, lobis triangularibus acutis extus puberulis intus subpilosis; corolla obsoleta; staminibus 10, 2-cyclis, filamentis teretibus glabris, antisepalis 5 in basi limbi affixis ca. 5 mm. longis, alternisepalis 5, in sinibus affixis ca. 3 mm. longis; ovario inferiore lineari ca. 2 mm. longo (4-)5-sulcato dense puberulo; stylo subulato ca. 5 mm. longo, stigmate truncato papilloso; fructibus nucamentaceis ovato-oblongis vel elliptico-oblongis 6-8 mm. longis 5-6 mm. latis sparse puberulis aequaliter quinquealatis, alis chartaceis 1.5-2.0 mm. latis.

  • Discussion

    TYPE: tree 8 m. high, fruit brownish-red, frequent, dominant tree in and about periphery of Yapacana Savanna III, 125 m. alt., January 1, 1951, Terr. Amazonas, Venezuela, Bassett Maguire, Richard S. Cowan & John J. Wurdack 30590; New York Botanical Garden. Paratype: shrub or tree to 12 m. high, frequent, dominant savanna tree, particularly about border, Yapacana Savanna III, 125 m. alt., Maguire, Cowan & Wurdack 30480.

    Terminalia yapacana finds its closest congener in T. quintalata Maguire of the Kaieteur savanna and escarpment. The two are very similar in general character and habitat, the latter being a tree some 20-25 m. high, with much larger leaves 5-9 x 11-17 cm., larger fruit 8 x 8-10 mm. in size, and filaments only about 2.5 mm. longo It is interesting to note that T. yapacana, so far as known, is restricted to the savannas about Cerro Yapacana on the western edge of the Guayana Highland, while its nearest relative occupies a similar habitat on the Kaieteur Savanna on the easternmost escarpment of the Guayana Highland. No similar or related species are known over the intervening 700 km. of the sandstone region.