Swartzia eriocarpa Benth.
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Authority
Cowan, Richard S. 1967. Swartzia (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae Swartzieae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 1: 3-228. (Published by NYBG Press)
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Family
Fabaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type collection. C. F. Appun 334 (holotype K), Mazaruni R., Guyana.
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Description
Description - Tree 6-23 m tall, the trunk 10-40 cm diameter, "grey, smooth, fluted and twisted" (fide Fanshawe), the branchlets tomentulose, the hairs sometimes subappressed; stipules persistent to deciduous, (1.5-)2-4 mm long, linear-lanceolate, sparingly to densely strigulose externally, glabrous within; leaves unifoliolate, the petioles 3-5(-8) mm long, strigulose, canaliculate, apically stipellate, stipels to 1.5 mm long, the petiolules 1-1.5 mm long, strigulose, the blades (7.5-)9.5-11, 5(-14.5) cm long, 2.5-4.5 cm wide, elliptic to narrowly oblong-elliptic, the base rounded, obtuse or infrequently acute, the apex acuminate to caudate-acuminate, the upper surface glabrous, glaucous and strigose or strigulose and tardily glabrescent beneath, the costa impressed but the primary veins slightly salient on the upper surface of the leaflets, both the costa and the primaries more or less salient beneath; inflorescences axillary, the axes tomentose, the hairs more or less erect, 2-6 cm long, the bracts persistent, (1 -)2-2.5 mm long, linear, densely strigose, the bracteoles persistent, linear-lanceolate, 1.5-3 mm long, strigulose externally, glabrous within; pedicels 11-17 mm long, strigulose or strigose densely; buds globose, slightly umbonate; calyx segments 4, persistent, externally strigose or strigulose densely, glabrous within; petal white, glabrous, the claw ca 5 mm long, the blade oblate, ca 8 mm long and 10 mm wide; larger stamens 2, glabrous, the filaments ca 9 mm long, the anthers oblong, ca 1.5 mm long and 0.75 mm wide, the smaller stamens glabrous, the filaments 5-8 mm long, the anthers broadly oblong; stigma punctiform; style 1-1.5 mm long, glabrous or the basal part strigose; ovary elliptic to oval in outline, ca 5.5 mm long and 3.5 mm wide, densely strigose or villose-strigose, the gynophore ca 5 mm long, densely strigose; fruit oval in outline, 25-30 mm long, 10-18 mm diameter, strigulose and strigose, the stipe 5-7 mm long, strigulose; seed 1 per fruit, white but turning black to purple-black in drying.
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Discussion
The affinity of this species is with S. velutina which has different pubescence and a glabrous gynoecium.
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Distribution
(Fig. 44). Restricted to forests of Guyana in the near- and midinterior, along the rivers at low elevations, at least sometimes on sandy loam.
Guyana South America|