Licania pyrifolia Griseb.

  • Authority

    Prance, Ghillean T. 1972. Chrysobalanaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 9: 1-410. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Chrysobalanaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Licania pyrifolia Griseb.

  • Type

    Type. Purdie sn, Trinidad, fl (K).

  • Synonyms

    Moquilea pyrifolia (Griseb.) R.O.Williams, Moquilea macrocarpa Pittier

  • Description

    Description - Small to medium-sized tree, often with spreading branches, the young branches lanate, soon becoming glabrous, inconspicuously lenticellate. Leaves broadly elliptical to oblong, chartaceous, 4.5-11.0 cm long, 2.0-5.5 cm broad, acute to abruptly apiculate at apex, with acumen to 3.0 mm long, rounded to cuneate at base, shining and glabrous above, with caducous lanate pubescence beneath, becoming glabrous with age; palisade glands present beneath; midrib plane above, lanate; primary veins 6-8 pairs, thin, prominulous beneath, inconspicuous above; petioles 8.0-16.0 mm long, sparsely pubescent when young, terete, eglandular, not more than 1.2 mm thick. Stipules caducous, linear, membraneous. Inflorescences spreading terminal and subterminal panicles, the rachis and branches brownish-gray-tomentose. Flowers 4.0-4.5 mm long, solitary or in small groups on primary and short secondary branches of inflorescence. Bracts and bracteoles 0.5-3.0 mm long, caducous. Receptacle cupuliform, brownish-gray-tomentose on exterior, tomentose within; pedicels 1.0-2.0 mm long with ca 2.0 mm of stalk below the articulation. Calyx lobes acute, tomentose on exterior, puberulous within. Petals 5, glabrous with ciliate margins. Stamens 25-35, inserted in a complete circle; filaments far exceeding calyx lobes, free to base. Ovary inserted at base of receptacle, lanate. Style hirsute almost to apex, equalling filaments. Fruit oblong, to 11.0 cm long and 5.0 cm broad; epicarp densely verrucose, glabrous; pericarp thick, fragile, fibrous, undifferentiated, glabrous within.

  • Discussion

    The distinctions indicated by Pittier between this species and Moquilea macrocarpa cannot stand, partly because the Trinidad material does not have unguiculate petals. Licania pyrifolia is remarkable for its petioles, which are very slender for their length. The leaf shape, the petioles, and the inflorescence distinguish it from L. leucosepala, to which it is most closely related.

  • Common Names

    Merecure

  • Distribution

    Lowland forest and riverine forest in open places, Martinique to Trinidad and adjacent Venezuela.

    Martinique South America| Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Aragua Venezuela South America| Guárico Venezuela South America| Apure Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Trinidad and Tobago South America|