Matayba elegans

Primary tabs

Matayba elegans

Description

Tree 4-15(20) m tall. Stems puberulent, becoming glabrous and lenticellate with age. Leaves imparipinnate or less often paripinnate; petiole plus rachis 9-20 cm long, slightly flattened adaxially; petiolules 3-5 mm long; leaflets (5) 7 (8), alternate, chartaceous, glabrous, oblong-elliptic, elliptic, lanceolate or falcate, 6-24(30) × 3-7 (11) cm, the base asymmetrical, the apex obtusely acuminate or acuminate, the margins slightly crenate; primary and secondary veins abaxially prominent, tertiary veins reticulate. Thyrses axillary or distal, 5-25 cm long, paniculate; axes furfuraceous-tomentulose, slightly angled and striate. Flowers in simple or compound dichasia; pedicels 0-1.5 mm long, furfuraceous-tomentuloseCalyx ferruginous-furfuraceous-tomentulose, ca. 1 mm long, the lobes triangular, ca. 0.7 mm long; petals white, rhombate, oblong-rhombate, ca. 1 mm long; appendages 2, sericeous-tomentose, ca. 1.5 mm long, basal-marginal; disc tomentose, 6-lobed; stamens 8, subequal, 2-2.5 mm long, the filaments tomentose for most of their length; ovary tomentulose, 3-locular, the style unbranched. Capsule glabrous or puberulent, yellow with reddish tinge, pink or red, stipitate (3-4 mm long), nearly bicoccate (one locule rudimentary), verrucose, ca. 1.5 cm long; pericarp coriaceous. Seed dark brown, ellipsoid, 6-10 mm long, nearly completely covered by a white, thin arillode.

Distribution

French Guiana present, Guyana present, Southern America: Brazil North (Acre present); Venezuela (Venezuela present)
Known from Venezuela, Guyana, Brazil (Acre) and French Guiana (GU: 1; FG: 1).

Notes

The record of this species for the Guianas is based on two sterile collections which match the vegetative characters of Matayba elegans. The application of this name to the Guianan material needs to be corroborated by fertile collections.