Rollinia williamsii Rusby ex R.E.Fr.
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Authority
Maas, Paulus J. M., et al. 1992. Rollinia. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 57: 1-188. (Published by NYBG Press)
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Family
Annonaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type: Bolivia. La Paz: San Buena Ventura, 27 Nov 1901 (fl, fr), R. S. Williams 370 (lectotype, NY; isotypes, K, S).
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Description
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Species Description - Shrub or small tree, up to 6 m tall. Leafy twigs and petioles densely covered with erect, straight or more or less crisped, light (orange-)brown to whitish, simple to stellate hairs to 0.5(-l) mm long. Petioles 4-10 mm long, 1-2 mm in diam. Lamina elliptic (to narrowly elliptic), chartaceous, dull green to brown above, green to brownish-green below, 4-12(-14) cm long, 2-5 cm wide, rather densely to sparsely covered above and densely covered below with whitish, erect, predominantly 2-5(-10)-armed stellate hairs to 0.5(-l) mm long, base acute (to rounded), apex shortly acuminate to acute (or obtuse), the tip itself acute to obtuse; secondary veins (slightly) curved, 7-9 on either side of primary vein, angles with primary vein 30-50°, smallest distance between loops and margin 0.5-1.5 mm, tertiary veins 6-7 per intercosta, percurrent. Domatia present, sometimes indistinct. Inflorescences leaf-opposed or supra-axillary, 1-2-flowered, (pedun cles and) pedicels, bracts, sepals (both sides) densely to rather densely covered with appressed to erect, brownish hairs as on the branchlets to 0.5(-l) mm long, corolla densely covered with more or less erect to crisped, whitish hairs mostly under 0.5 mm long. Peduncles 0(-l) mm long. Pedicels 12-25 mm long, 1 mm in diam., fruiting pedicels 35 mm long, 1-2 mm in diam. Bracts broadly triangular (to semicircular), to 0.5(-l) mm long, upper bract inserted near the base to in the lower 1/3 of the pedicel, or missing. Flowers with sepals basally connate, appressed to patent, very broadly ovate-triangular, 2-3 mm long, 3 mm wide, not gibbous, acute to acuminate. Corolla tube 3-4 mm high, 5-6 mm in diam., wings oblong to (? when mature:) almost circular, ascending to horizontal, to 8 mm long, 3.5-5 mm high, 1-2 mm thick, index = (1-)1.5-2. Fruit globose to ellipsoid, 1.5-2 cm long, 1-2 cm in diam., greyish-white when dry, composed of ca. 15-20 carpels, rather densely covered with appressed to semierect, greyish, mostly simple hairs to 0.5 mm long, areoles flat or nearly so, of irregular shape, often bordered by a tiny elevated rim, with a minute apicule, 7-8 × 3-5 mm, apicule acute, up to 1 × 1 mm high, smooth to somewhat tuberculate; wall ca. 0.5 mm thick. Seeds 7-9 × 5-6 mm.
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Discussion
The fruit is edible, according to Rusby (1929, "In 1886, an Indian brought to me a single ripe fruit, which bore every appearance of being a miniature Annona. I found it delicious and having the characteristic flavor of the Annonas...").
Rollinia williamsii, as known from Bolivia and adjacent parts of Brazil, is very easily recognized by the dense leaf indument of stellate hairs. Fries, for that reason, placed R. williamsii in a separate section Actinothrix. A similar indument is found in R. boliviana, a species only known from the type collection in Bolivia, which might be related to R. williamsii. Further features of R. williamsii include the comparatively small leaves with acute to obtuse apex, the basally connate sepals, and the small, smooth fruit with flat but distinct areoles and which are, when young, densely covered with greyish hairs.Yet R. williamsii might be more variable than would appear now. Two of the Bolivian collections cited above could be mentioned, for example, Pearce s.n. and Solomon et al 12025. Although both these collections match satisfactorily in general, they have stiffer leaves than the rest. This, though, may be connected with the rather high altitude where the plants were found.Moreover, there are several gatherings from scattered localities in Peru and Brazil that approach this species to quite some extent. We are hesitant, however, to include them as we feel that our present information is insufficient (particularly because of lack of fruits) to establish whether they truly represent R. williamsii, or one to perhaps several as yet undescribed species. Therefore, the matter is left for future investigation. The collections are briefly discussed here:1. PERU. Puno: Prov. Carabaya, vic. Sangabán (Lanlacuni Bajo), alt. 600-800 m, 18 Oct 1984 (fl), Maas et al. 6073 (B, F, GB, K, NY, S, U). Leaves on the lower side with simple to stellate hairs very similar to those of R. williamsii in aspect. A striking feature, though, is the rather long stipe at the base of the stellate hairs. The sepals are strongly connate. The leaves are fairly large as compared with average R. williamsii.2. PERU. Cuzco: Prov. Paucartambo, road from Pillcopata to Patrias, alt. 700-800 m, 23 Oct 1984 (fl), Maas et al 6139 (F, K, MO, NY, U). The leaves are narrowly elliptic, and the low er side is covered with hairs that are mostly simple and furcate.3. PERU. San Martín: Km 25 of road from Tarapoto to Juanjuy, near Hacienda San Rafael, alt. 200-300 m, 6 Oct 1984 (yfl), Maas et al. 5952 (AAU, F, K, MO, NY, P, U, WIS, WU, Z). More or less reminiscent of R. williamsii, but with larger and shortly acuminate leaves, covered below with a mixture of simple and furcate, but no stellate hairs.4. BRAZIL. Mato Grosso: Aripuanã, 2 Aug 1976 (fl), Gomes & Miranda 129 (INPA). The indument agrees well with that of R. williamsii, and the collection could very well belong to that species, were it not for the missing fruit! -
Common Names
Enviraaraticum, Chirimoya del monte, custard apple
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Objects
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Distribution
Bolivia, Departments of La Paz and Beni, and the State of Acre, Brazil. In forest, islands in savanna, pampa; altitudes from 250-1400 m. Flowering from September through December, fruiting from September through March.
Brazil South America| Acre Brazil South America| Beni Bolivia South America| Bolivia South America| La Paz Bolivia South America|