Combretum paraguariense
Content
Description
Woody liana to at least 20 m, less often shrub to 5 m; ‘combretaceous hairs’ (only inside flowers) and peltate scales present. Leaves opposite or rarely in threes, chartaceous to subcoriaceous, elliptic or elliptic-oblong to broadly or narrowly so, 3.5-14.5(-20) x 1.5-7.5(-9) cm, apex abruptly shortly to moderately acuminate, base rounded to broadly cuneate, very sparsely to moderately lepidote below, extremely sparsely to sparsely lepidote above, especially on midvein; venation eucamptodromous to brochidodromous, secondary veins 4-7 pairs; petiole 0.5-2 cm long, sparsely to moderately lepidoteInflorescence branched or not, in leaf-axils or terminal on lateral branches, 4-15 cm long, ultimate branches 1-12 cm long and very slender, its axis moderately to densely lepidote. Flowers 3-5.6 mm long; lower hypanthium narrow and pedicel-like above ovary, 1.7-3.6 mm long, without pedicel-like lower region, the only part of plant densely lepidote,upper hypanthium deeply cupuliform, 1.3-2 x 1.6-2.3 mm, moderately lepidote on outside, usually sparsely pubescent inside; calyx lobes erect, broadly triangular, very short, up to 0.6 mm long, apex obtuse to subacute; petals absent; stamens 4, opposite each calyx-lobe, exceeding hypanthium by up to 0.6 mm, filaments ca. 1.5 mm long, each anther with rather inconspicuous caruncle between pollen-sacs on inner side; disk densely pubescent, bulging between bases of filaments, with rather narrow (ca. 0.3-0.4 mm) free margins, leaving very narrow gap around style-base; style 1.7-2.3 mm long, slightly exserted or not so. Fruit sparsely to moderately lepidote, 2.2-5 x 0.7-2 cm, narrowly oblong to narrowly elliptic-oblong in side view, apex obtuse to narrowly retuse and often apiculate, base obtuse to narrowly rounded, pseudostipe 0-0.05 cm long, 4-angled to narrowly 4-winged, stiff ridges 0-0.5 cm wide. Scales ca. 75-150 µm diam., pale brown, marginal cells 25-40.
Distribution
French Guiana present, Guianas present, Paraguay and São Lorenzo rivers in Mato Grosso present, S Brazil present, Southern America: Bolivia (Bolivia present); Colombia (Colombia present); Ecuador (Ecuador present); Peru (Peru present); Venezuela (Venezuela present), throughout the Amazon river-basin from its mouth present
Scattered throughout the Amazon river-basin from its mouth, extending to French Guiana, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia, and S to the Paraguay and São Lorenzo rivers in Mato Grosso (S Brazil); 2 collections from the Guianas (FG: 4).