Leretia
Description
Lianas or rarely shrubs or small trees with scandent branches. Inflorescences axillary, pedunculate, much branched panicles; pedicels articulate below calyx, bracteolate. Flowers small, perfect or sometimes unisexual by abortion; calyx 5-lobed; petals (4-)5, free, apex inflexed; stamens (4-)5, filaments filiform, dorsifixed, versatile, introrse, connective prolonged into a conspicuous tip; ovary hirsute, oblong-ovoid, with a disk-like columniform base, 1-celledwith 2 anatropous ovules hanging from the apex, style eccentric, glabrous, with two abortive styles at the base. Drupes glabrescent, ovoid-ellipsoid, pubescent inside; seed 1, embryo with wrinkled cotyledons.
Distribution
Guianas present, Southern America: Panamá (Panamá present); Peru (Peru present); Venezuela (Venezuela present)
One species in Panama, Venezuela, the Guianas, Peru and Brazil.
Wood
Vessels'diffuse', (in each individual ring of secondary xyIem, between the concentric bands of included phloem, an increase of vessel diameter occurs), solitary and in many irregular clusters of 2-4, round to oval, 10-16 per sq. mm, diameter variable, the larger pores 170-250 μm, the smaller pores 70-90 μm in diameter. Vessel-member length: 685(294-882) μm. Perforations simple. Intervascular pits alternate, round, 7μm. Vessel-ray and vessel-parenchyma pits similar to the intervascular pits.
Rays in two types, 5-6 per mm, uni-biseriate, over 1400 μm (= 20 cells) high, heterogeneous, composed of upright and some square cells; and multiseriate, 7-9 cells wide, over 7500 μm (= 220 cells) high. The multiseriate rays often with included phloem in the central part. Rhom- bic crystals common.
Parenchyma paratracheal scanty to vasicentric, apotracheal diffuse and in one cell wide wavy and short tangential bands. Rhombic crystals common.
Fibres non-septate, lumen up to 13μm, walls 3-4 μm. Pits bordered, on radial and tangential walls, 5μm, often with crossed apertures. Length: 1574(1029-2381) μm. F/V ratio: 2.30.
Included phloem present as concentric bands and in some of the multiseriate rays, thus connecting successive concentric bands.
Rays in two types, 5-6 per mm, uni-biseriate, over 1400 μm (= 20 cells) high, heterogeneous, composed of upright and some square cells; and multiseriate, 7-9 cells wide, over 7500 μm (= 220 cells) high. The multiseriate rays often with included phloem in the central part. Rhom- bic crystals common.
Parenchyma paratracheal scanty to vasicentric, apotracheal diffuse and in one cell wide wavy and short tangential bands. Rhombic crystals common.
Fibres non-septate, lumen up to 13μm, walls 3-4 μm. Pits bordered, on radial and tangential walls, 5μm, often with crossed apertures. Length: 1574(1029-2381) μm. F/V ratio: 2.30.
Included phloem present as concentric bands and in some of the multiseriate rays, thus connecting successive concentric bands.