Neea constricta
Content
Description
Shrub or tree 3-12 m, trunk to ca. 15 cm diam., sometimes fluted. Leaves opposite; petiole to 2 cm long; blade subcoriaceous, elliptical, narrowly lanceolate or narrowly oblanceolate, 6-17(-21) x 3-6.2(-9.5) cm, often smaller, those of a pair often markedly unequal in overall size, nearly subfalcate, acuminate at apex, cuneate at base, glabrous, drying dark brown. Inflorescence axillary or terminal, divaricately branched, few-flowered cyme; branches rufous-puberulent; peduncle to 4 cm long; bracteoles 4, to ca. 1 mm long, puberulent; flowers subsessile or shortly pedicellate. Male perianth urceolate, 4 mm long, not constricted, 5-toothed, pale cream below, with magenta or crimson teeth of ca. 0.2 mm long, glabrate or minutely and sparsely puberulent; stamens 6. Female perianth ca. 6 mm long, prominently constricted at throat into a lower narrow portion of 4 mm long, surrounding ovary, and an upper, globose-campanulate, ca. 2 mm long limb, glabrate or minutely, sparsely puberulent, 5-toothed, teeth ca. 0.3 mm long; staminodes ca. 4; style erect, stigma acuminate. Anthocarp subglobose, 13-17 mm wide, purple.
Distribution
French Guiana present, Guyana present, Southern America
Brazil, Guyana and French Guiana; 18 collections studied (GU: 12; FG: 6).
Notes
The specimens examined include male (Fanshawe 1435 = FD 4171 (NY, K)) and female (Fanshawe 2140 = FD 4876 (NY, U, US)) plants authenticated for Guyana by Maguire et al. (1948). The immature fruit with its terminal, constricted, persistent perianth bears a superficial resemblance to the "clove" of commerce, Myristica fragrans Houtt. The leaves are very rarely alternate, e.g. Mori et al. 23217.
Neea davidsei Steyerm. (), described from the Delta Amacuro, Venezuela within the Guianan floristic province, may be speculated to possibly occur in Guyana; it is cauliflorous, but with some leaf characteristics apparently similar or comparable to N. constricta .