Swartzia hostmannii Benth.

  • Authority

    Cowan, Richard S. 1967. Swartzia (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae Swartzieae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 1: 3-228. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Fabaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Swartzia hostmannii Benth.

  • Type

    Type collection. F. W. Hostmann 191 (holotype K; isotypes BM, CGE, Fl, G, GH, NY, S, U, US, W), Suriname, 1842.

  • Synonyms

    Tounatea hostmannii (Benth.) Taub., Tunatea hostmannii (Benth.) Kuntze

  • Description

    Description - Trees with the branchlet tips minutely strigulose but soon glabresent; stipules caducous to deciduous, 0.5-1.5 mm long, narrowly triangular to subulate-linear, glabrous or minutely strigulose externally; leaves unifoliolate, the petiole 3-9 mm long, glabrous or minutely strigulose, exalate or with a small wing, the wing oblong, obovate, or oblate, 2-5 mm long, apically stipellate, the petiolules glabrous or minutely strigulose, 1-2 mm long, the blade 10-20 cm long, 4-9 cm wide, narrowly elliptic to elliptic or oblong-elliptic, the base rounded-obtuse, cordulate, bluntly acute to acuminate, glabrous and strongly discolorous, the undersurface much darker (in dried specimens), the costa more or less salient on both sides of the leaflet, the primary veins plane or salient on the upper surface, salient beneath; inflorescence axillary to ramuligerous on year-old branchlets, 6.5-15 cm long, the axis minutely strigulose, the bracts persistent, 1-1.5 mm long, 0.5-1 mm wide, ovate to triangular-lanceolate, minutely strigulose externally, glabrous within, the bracteoles arising near the pedicel apex, persistent, 1 mm long, narrowly lanceolate; pedicels 15-23 mm long, flattened, minutely strigulose; buds oval in outline, umbonate, 9-10 mm long, ca 7 mm diameter, glabrous; calyx segments 3 or 4, glabrous, deciduous; petal glabrous, the claw 3-4.5 mm long, the blade orbicular to slightly oblate, 14-17 mm long, 14-15 mm wide; larger stamens 6-10, glabrous, the filaments 20-22.5 mm long, the anthers oblong, 1.5-2 mm long, 0.7-1 mm wide, the smaller stamens glabrous, the filaments 4.5-10 mm long, the pollen of all the stamens oval, 34-36.5 long and 28.5-31 µ diameter, some grains globose, ca 31 µ diameter; stigma capitellate to obtuse; style 8-10.5 mm long, the basal fourth to two-thirds sericeous, glabrous apically; ovary 6-9 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, narrowly oblong-fusiform, arcuate, sericeous; gynophore 7.5-9 mm long, sericeous at least at the apex; fruit not seen.

  • Discussion

    In aspect, at least, there is considerable resemblance between this species and S. cuspidata, which has leaves with more pairs of leaflets and a glabrous gynoecium.

  • Distribution

    (Fig. 22). Probably the near-interior forest, in Suriname and French Guiana.

    Suriname South America| French Guiana South America|