Buchenavia ochroprumna
Description
Shrub or tree 3-12(-30) m. Leaves subcoriaceous, obovate to oblanceolate, 2-9.5 x 1-4.5 cm, apex rounded to retuse or rarely obtuse, base cuneate to narrowly decurrent-cuneate, appressed-pubescent when very young, becoming glabrous except often sparsely pubescent on midvein when mature; domatia present; venation brochidodromous, midvein moderate, slightly prominent, secondary veins 3-7 pairs, distant, originating at moderately acute angles, slightly curved, slightly prominent, intersecondary veins occasionally present, tertiary veins randomly reticulate; higher order veins not distinct; areolation incomplete; petiole 0.4-1.5 cm long, glabrous to sparsely appressed-pubescent, eglandular but base of leaf usually obscurely biglandular. Inflorescence 0.7-3.3 cm long, more or less capitate, with densely grouped flowers; peduncle 0.9-3 cm, rufous pubescent in flower, becoming subglabrous and much thicker in fruit; rhachis 0.2-0.5 cm. Flowers 3-4.5 mm long; lower hypanthium 2-2.5 mm long, abruptly narrowed to thin neck of 0.8-1.2 mm long, densely rufous-pubescent except sparsely so on neck,upper hypanthium 1.2-2 x 2.5-3.5 mm, subglabrous. Fruit densely tomentose, 18-30 x 7-17 mm, ovate in side view, terete or nearly so, usually irregularly and strongly ridged, apex abruptly narrowed to 0.4-1 cm long usually strongly curved beak, base rounded.
Distribution
French Guiana present, Guianas present, Southern America: Brazil North (Amazonas present, Pará present); Colombia (Colombia present); Venezuela (Venezuela present), lower Amazon river-basin in Brazil present, upper Orinoco R present
Mainly confined to the lower Amazon river-basin in Brazil (Pará, Amazonas), but extending sparsely N to French Guiana and Venezuela (Upper Orinoco R.) and W to Colombia; a single specimen has been seen from the Guianas (FG: 1).
Notes
The single specimen from French Guiana, Bena 1313, resembles most of those from Venezuela in having smooth fruits with a short beak. It is possible that they represent a new species, but some Venezuelan specimens have slightly ridged fruits and, as it has not been possible to link flowering or sterile material to the smooth-fruited plants, at present it is best to identify the latter with B. ochroprumnea .