Mollia globularis Meijer
-
Authority
Maguire, Bassett. 1978. The botany of the Guayana Highland--part X. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 29: 1-288.
-
Family
Malvaceae
-
Scientific Name
-
Description
Latin Diagnosis - Affinis Mollia ulei Burret, differt indumento foliis, pedunculae ad fructis lepidoto.
Species Description - Small tree about 15 m high; twigs, leaf stalks and peduncles of flowers with lepidote scales; petioles 4-5 mm long, blades ovate, from 4 x 1.5 up to 8 x 4 cm, base rounded to slightly cordate, apex acuminate, margin glandular dentate, except along the base, midrib and lateral nerves (2-3 pairs) sunken on the upper face, basal pair of lateral nerves more or less parallel with the margin in the lower half of the blade, epidermis rather pitted with scant or regularly scattered scales; lower face densely covered by scales which are fringed with hairs, paler, more ochre-brown than the upper; midrib, lateral nerves and tertiary nerves which more or less replace laterals in the upper portions of the blade rather prominently raised; flowers single or in pairs in the leaf axils, stalks grooved, yellowish lepidote hairy like the buds, stalks about 2 cm long; buds to 2.5-3 cm long, calyx of open flowers same length, lobes up to 5 mm broad, linear, inside lined with appressed hairs; corolla lobes orange-yellow, about 3 cm long, more or less 3-lobed at apex, up to 5 mm broad; stamens numerous, phalanges of inner stamens almost split to the base, inner 1.5 cm long, outer about 2-2.5 cm, more connected into tubes, anthers of inner stamens 2 mm long, of outer about 1 mm; fruits more or less globular, about 2 cm in diameter, some with an apiculus at apex, a few with a few stamens remaining near the base, surface coppery yellow, covered with fringed scales, capsules with 32 seeds (4 rows of 8) at 2 sides of a vertical septum, seeds winged, more or less curved, oblong up to 1 cm long, the seeds elliptic, about 5 mm long.
-
Discussion
Type. Western extremity of Kanuku Mountains, in drainage of Takutu River, Guyana, March 1938, fr, A. C. Smith 3127 (F, MO, US, NY). In form and dentation of leaves very similar to Mollia ulei; however, the winged seeds about twice as large; fruit wall not hairy; lower face of leaves lepidote-scaly instead of stellate hairy and no stamens persistent around the fruit. The scattered fringed scales on the leaves and flower buds are of the same type as those of M. gracilis. That species differs however by the smaller flower buds, only 5-8(-12) mm long.
-
Distribution
Distribution. Reported from dense forest about 300 m alt, seeds said to be sweet and edible, fr, the only other collection known so far: GUYANA. Wabuwak Kanuku Mountains, 1948, field number Wilson-Browne 317, Record 5743 (K, NY).
Guyana South America|