Laetia procera (Poepp.) Eichler

Authority

Sleumer, Hermann O. 1980. Flacourtiaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 22: 1-499. (Published by NYBG Press)

Family

Salicaceae

Scientific Name

Laetia procera (Poepp.) Eichler

Type

Type. Poeppig 2853, Brazil, Amazonas, Ega(=Tefé), fl (holotype, W; isotypes, F, G, phot F 24073, GH, P).

Synonyms

Samyda procera Poepp., Laetia casearioides Sagot & Benth., Casinga procera (Poepp.) Griseb., Samyda obtusifolia A.Rich. & Eichler, Guidonia procera (Poepp.) Kuntze, Casearia bicolor Urb., Laetia obtusifolia Eichler ex Benoist, Casearia belizensis Standl., Laetia suaveolens (Poepp.) Benth., Laetia calophylla Eichler

Description

Species Description - Slender tree, usually 8.0-30.0, sometimes -40.0 m tall; trunk cylindrical, straight, up to 80.0 cm diam; dark gray to yellowish; branches elongate, spreading. Branchlets subangular glabrous, sometimes pruinose. Leaves oblong to elliptic-oblong, apex more or less abruptly and shortly acuminate, or even cuspidate, base rather unequal, rounded to subcordate, firm-chartaceous to subcoriaceous, rarely coriaceous, glabrous, often brownish when dry, pellucid-punctate and -lineate, appressedly glandular-serrulate or -subcrenulate, (8.0-)10.0-16.0(-21.0) cm long, 3.5-6.0 cm broad, lateral nerves 9-10(-14) pairs curved-ascending, prominent beneath, veins more or less transverse, forming with the veinlets a rather dense reticulation which is distinctly raised on both faces especially in fully mature leaves; petiole glabrous or pruinose, 5.0-10.0(-15.0) mm long; stipules deltoid, ca 0.6 mm long, caducous. Fascicles more or less distinctly supra-axillary, 15-30 flowered, from globular cushions formed by numerous small ovate pubescent bracts (1.0 mm); pedicels slender, glabrous, 6.0-12.0(-15.0) mm long. Sepals 5, obovate, white to greenish, reflexed, subpersistent, 6.0-7.0 mm long when fresh, 3.0-4.0 mm long and ca 2.5 mm broad when dry. Stamens (12-)15-20; filaments glabrous, more or less crispate, up to 3.0 mm long. Ovary ovoid, glabrous, tapering to the short undivided style; stigma capitulate or minutely 3-lobed. Capsule globose-ellipsoid, obtusely 3-gonous, greenish-yellow, turning maroon, (1.0-)1.5-2.5 cm long, splitting into 3 valves stellate-coherent at base; pericarp coriaceous, often transversely wrinkled; seeds rather numerous, obovoid, brownish-blackish, 2.5-4.0 mm long, 2.0 mm broad, with a white fleshy aril; testa striate-foveolate.

Distribution and Ecology - On Hispaniola and Puerto Rico, from Guatemala to Panama, on Trinidad and widespread in Amazonian Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, Brazil, E Ecuador, E Peru and N Bolivia; in primary and secondary rain forest, mesophytic forest, also along border of forest with savannah, on terra firme, at low elevations, occasionally up to 550 m alt.

Discussion

Wood heavy, hard, attacked by termites.

Distribution

Guatemala Central America| Izabal Guatemala Central America| Belize Central America| Stann Creek Belize Central America| Toledo Belize Central America| Nicaragua Central America| Zelaya Nicaragua Central America| Costa Rica South America| Guanacaste Costa Rica Central America| Heredia Costa Rica Central America| Limón Costa Rica Central America| Panama Central America| Colón Panama Central America| Canal Zone Panamá Central America| Haiti South America| Dominican Republic South America| Puerto Rico South America| Colombia South America| Santander Colombia South America| Meta Colombia South America| Nariño Colombia South America| Caquetá Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Zulia Venezuela South America| Monagas Venezuela South America| Distrito Federal Venezuela South America| Táchira Venezuela South America| Barinas Venezuela South America| Mérida Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Trinidad and Tobago South America| Guyana South America| Suriname South America| French Guiana South America| Ecuador South America| Esmeraldas Ecuador South America| Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| Huánuco Peru South America| Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Roraima Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Amapá Brazil South America| Maranhão Brazil South America| Acre Brazil South America| Rondônia Brazil South America| Mato Grosso Brazil South America| Bolivia South America| Pando Bolivia South America|