Caryocar costaricense Donn.Sm.

  • 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 costaricense Donn.Sm.

  • Type

    TYPE. Pittier 12115, Costa Rica, Puntarenas, Río del Volcán, Valle Diquís, fl (holotype, US; fragment, F).

  • Description

    Description - Tree to 50.0 m tall, the trunk buttressed to 1.5 m, the young branches sparsely puberulous-glabrescent. Leaves trifoliolate; petioles 4.5-12.0 cm long, sparsely puberulous-glabrescent, terete; leaves shortly petiolulate, the terminal petiolule 2.0-3.0 mm long, the lateral petiolules equal to the terminal one; the petiolules sparsely puberulous-glabrescent, terete; the laminas oblong, slightly asymmetrical, acuminate at apex, the acumen 10.0-15.0 mm long, rounded to subcuneate and unequal at base, serrate at margins, glabrous above, glabrous beneath except for hirsute mass in axils of primary veins, the terminal lamina 13.0-16.5 cm long, 6.0-7.5 cm broad, the lateral laminas slightly smaller than the terminal one; primary veins 10-12 pairs, plane or shallowly impressed above, prominent beneath; venation plane to prominulous beneath; stipels persistent, to 1.0 cm long, inflated. Peduncles 9.0-15.0 cm long, sparsely puberulous-glabrescent, terete. Inflorescences clustered racemes, ca 30-35-flowered, the rachis 2.5-3.5 mm long, sparsely puberulous; flowering pedicels 2.0-3.5 cm long, sparsely puberulous, the 2 bracteoles caducous. Calyx cupuliform, 6.0-7.0 cm long, sparsely puberulous on exterior, the lobes 5, with ciliate margins, rounded. Corolla 2.0-2.8 cm long, the lobes 5, oblong, glabrous, yellow. Stamens numerous, ca 150, the filaments shortly united at base but not into groups, 4.0-5.0 cm long, yellow, tuberculate towards apex, the anthers small. Ovary globose, 4-locular, glabrous on exterior. Styles 3-4, filamentous, glabrous, ca 2.0 cm long. Fruit not seen.

  • Discussion

    This species is geographically isolated from the rest of the family being the only species of Caryocaraceae in Central America.

    Collected in flower in February.

  • Common Names

    Ajo, Ají, Ajillo, Caballo-kup

  • Distribution

    Known only from the high forests of Puntarenas province of Costa Rica.

    Costa Rica South America| Puntarenas Costa Rica Central America|