Caryocar

  • Authority

    Prance, Ghillean T. & Frietas Da Silva, Marlene. 1973. Caryocaraceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 12: 1-75. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Caryocaraceae

  • Scientific Name

    Caryocar

  • Type

    TYPE Caryocar nuciferum L.

  • Synonyms

    Pekea, Souari Aubl., Barollaea Neck., Rhizobolus Schreb. ex Gaertn., Caryocar nuciferum L.

  • Description

    Description - Large trees or rarely shrubs or suffrutices, with opposite branches which are frequently horizontal. Stipules absent or present and soon caducous. Leaves opposite, usually long-petiolate but very rarely almost sessile, trifoliolate; leaflets with short petioles, pinnately nerved, the margins serrate, crenate, dentate or rarely entire. Often with 2-4 stipels at base of leaflets, the stipels persistent or caducous, sometimes with 2 large and 2 small stipels. Inflorescences of terminal racemes with a short rachis often rather corymbose; pedicels articulate at apex. Bracts seldom developed usually none, bracteoles lateral, alternate, small, subpersistent or caducous. Flowers hermaphrodite, large. Calyx distinctly 5(-6)-lobed, imbricate. Petals 5 or rarely 6, imbricate, fused at base together with the base of the filaments and often caducous with the filaments. Stamens numerous, 57-750, exceeding the petals; filaments bent into an S in bud, those on the interior shorter and sterile or with smaller anthers, often with a row of short sterile staminodes on the interior, the basal portion of which form a glandular nectar secreting tissue; the apical portion of filaments tuberculate and entire length of smaller filaments sometimes tuberculate; anthers bilocular, oblong, introrse, dorsifixed or basifixed, longitudinally dehiscent. Ovary usually 4-locular, sometimes to 6-locular, with a single ovule in each loculus. Styles 4, long, filamentous. Fruit 4-6-locular, a drupe with from 1-4 loculi developing, and dehiscing into 1 seeded cocci; mesocarp thick and fatty or fleshy; endocarp woody, muricate, tuberculate or spinous on exterior; seeds reniform or subreniform, the embryo with a straight to arcuate radicle. Germination hypogeal, first leaves opposite (in 2 species observed).

  • Distribution

    From Costa Rica and Colombia through lowland South America east of the Andes to Paraguay and the State of Parana, Brazil, especially common in the Guianas and Amazonia; absent as a native from the West Indies.

    Costa Rica South America| Colombia South America| Ecuador South America| Peru South America| Bolivia South America| Paraguay South America| Brazil South America| French Guiana South America| Guyana South America| Suriname South America|