Buchenavia megalophylla

<<<Flowers>Lower hypanthium>Neck>Hairs

less pubescent1

1. 004-002-003-001

<<<Flowers>Lower hypanthium>Ovary>Hairs

densely pubescent2

2. 004-002-002-001

<<Flowers>Lower hypanthium>Length

2-3 mm long3

3. 004-002-001

<<Flowers>Lower hypanthium>Neck

with rather thick neck much less than half total length4

4. 004-002-003

<<Flowers>Lower hypanthium>Ovary

on ovary-bearing part5

5. 004-002-002

<<Flowers>Upper hypanthium>Dimensions

1-2 x 2.5-4 mm6

6. 004-003-001

<<Flowers>Upper hypanthium>Hairs

glabrous or nearly so7

7. 004-003-002

<<Fruits>Apex>Length

1-2 cm long8

8. 005-004-001

<<Fruits>Base>Length

to 0.2-0.7 cm long9

9. 005-005-002

<<Fruits>Base>Shape

rounded or obtuse and abruptly narrowed10

10. 005-005-001

<<Fruits>Ridges>Ridge number

5-ridged11

11. 005-003-001

<<Inflorescences>Peduncle>Hairs

densely pubescent12

12. 003-002-002

<<Inflorescences>Peduncle>Length

2-3 cm13

13. 003-002-001

<<Inflorescences>Rachises>Hairs

densely pubescent14

14. 003-003-002

<<Inflorescences>Rachises>Length

7-13 cm15

15. 003-003-001

<<Leaves>Apex>Shape

rounded and apiculate to shortly and abruptly acuminate or cuspidate16

16. 002-004-001

<<Leaves>Base>Hairs

glabrous except often puberulous on midvein and secondary veins especially below17

17. 002-005-002

<<Leaves>Base>Shape

narrowly cuneate and scarcely decurrent18

18. 002-005-001

<<Leaves>Domatia>Hairs

dense hair-tufts19

19. 002-006-001

<<Leaves>Petiole>Hairs

puberulous20

20. 002-008-002

<<Leaves>Petiole>Length

1.2-2.3 cm long21

21. 002-008-001

<Flowers>Length

3-4.5 mm long22

22. 004-001

<Flowers>Lower hypanthium

lower hypanthium , , ;23

23. 004-002

<Flowers>Upper hypanthium

upper hypanthium , .24

24. 004-003

<Fruits>Apex

apex abruptly narrowed to usually strongly curved beak of ,25

25. 005-004

<Fruits>Base

base pseudostipe.26

26. 005-005

<Fruits>Dimensions

1.8-4.7 x 1-1.4 cm27

27. 005-001

<Fruits>Ridges

strongly28

28. 005-003

<Fruits>Shape

elliptic in side view29

29. 005-002

<Habit>Height

2.5-45 m30

30. 001-001

<Inflorescences>Length

9-16 cm long31

31. 003-001

<Inflorescences>Peduncle

peduncle , ;32

32. 003-002

<Inflorescences>Rachises

rhachis , .33

33. 003-003

<Leaves>Apex

apex ,34

34. 002-004

<Leaves>Base

base , ;35

35. 002-005

<Leaves>Dimensions

14-36 x 5-14 cm36

36. 002-003

<Leaves>Domatia

domatia absent or shallow except for ;37

37. 002-006

<Leaves>Petiole

petiole , , biglandular.38

38. 002-008

<Leaves>Shape

obovate to oblanceolate39

39. 002-002

<Leaves>Texture

chartaceous40

40. 002-001

<Leaves>Veins

venation as in B. macrophylla;41

41. 002-007

Common Name

English (French Guiana): alimi hudu, ingitabaka, kwatabobi

Description

Tree 2.5-45 m. Leaves chartaceous, obovate to oblanceolate, 14-36 x 5-14 cm, apex rounded and apiculate to shortly and abruptly acuminate or cuspidate, base narrowly cuneate and scarcely decurrent, glabrous except often puberulous on midvein and secondary veins especially below; domatia absent or shallow except for dense hair-tufts; venation as in B. macrophylla; petiole 1.2-2.3 cm long, puberulous, biglandular. Inflorescence 9-16 cm long, spicate; peduncle 2-3 cm, densely pubescent; rhachis 7-13 cm, densely pubescent. Flowers 3-4.5 mm long; lower hypanthium 2-3 mm long, densely pubescent on ovary-bearing part, with less pubescent rather thick neck much less than half total length; upper hypanthium 1-2 x 2.5-4 mm, glabrous or nearly so. Fruit densely fulvous-tomentellous, 1.8-4.7 x 1-1.4 cm, elliptic in side view, strongly 5-ridged, apex abruptly narrowed to usually strongly curved beak of 1-2 cm long, base rounded or obtuse and abruptly narrowedto 0.2-0.7 cm long pseudostipe.

Distribution

Guianas endemic

Endemic to the Guianas; 20 specimens have been seen (GU: 16; SU: 1; FG: 3).

Flowers

Flowers ;42

42. 004

Fruits

Fruit densely fulvous-tomentellous, , , ,43

43. 005

Habit

Tree .44

44. 001

Individuals Association

Suriname, Tumuc Humac Mts., along Litani R., Acevedo-Rodriguez et al. 6160 Guyana, Upper Demerara-Berbice Region, Berbice R., Melissa Falls, 2 km downstream from Doreen Bank Cr., Mutchnick & Harmon 1279 Guyana, Kapo, along trail to Lethem, near Karanambo, N Rupununi savanna, Görts-van Rijn et al. 294 Lower Ouaqui R., 2 km above village of Bacarel, de Granville B-4792 Guyana, Potaro-Siparuni Region, Iwokrama Rain Forest Reserve, Kurupukari village, base-camp 2 km N on Essequibo R., Mori & Heald 24347

Inflorescences

Inflorescence , spicate;45

45. 003

Leaves

Leaves , , ,46

46. 002

Notes

The fruits of this species are quite unmistakable, but flowering or sterile material is impossible to distinguish with certainty from some specimens of B. reticulata or B. macrophylla. The leaves of B. macrophylla are much more variable than those of B. megalophylla, often being smaller and often with rather gradually tapered apices, but they can mimic the very large abruptly narrowed leaves of the latter. These two species are possibly allopatric. All undoubted (i.e. fruiting) material of B. megalophylla comes from Guyana, but B. macrophylla is not known from Guyana or Suriname, although it definitely occurs in French Guiana. There is flowering material probably referable to B. megalophylla from Suriname and French Guiana. Sterile material from French Guiana must remain undetermined, although most of it closely resembles typical B. megalophylla, with broadly 'shouldered' leaves.
Van Heurck & Müller Arg. stated that the type was sent as Pamea guianensis to Mlle. H. Reichenbach, probably from Demerara. Specimens (s.n.) coll. Parker, 1821-1824, and labelled [wrongly] Pamea guianensis Aubl. are almost certainly duplicates (probable isotypes CGE, G, K; photographs F, NY, US).

Phenology

Flowering ; fruiting .

Primary tabs

Content