Zygia ampla (Benth.) Pittier

Authors

Rupert C. Barneby

Authority

Barneby, Rupert C. & Grimes, James W. 1997. Silk tree, guanacaste, monkey's earring: A generic system for the synandrous Mimosaceae of the Americas. Part II. , , and . Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 74: 1-149.

Family

Mimosaceae

Scientific Name

Zygia ampla (Benth.) Pittier

Type

"Habitat in silvis ‘Gapo’prope Manaos, prov. do Alto Amazonas: Spruce n. 1852." — Holotypus, K (hb. Bentham.)!. = NY Neg. 2028; isotypus, †B = F Neg. 1179!.

Description

Species Description - Slender macrophyllidious cauliflorous trees (3-) 4-10 m with trunk attaining 1.5 dm dbh, the young stems, lf-axes, and inflorescence densely sordid-puberulent but the lfts commonly so only along principle nerves (the intervenium rarely also remotely puberulent), the inflorescence when fully expanded a short, simple or few-branched pseudoraceme of capituliform spikes, these short to laxly elongate. Stipules (few seen) deltate-triangular 1-1.5 (-?) mm, not striate, caducous. Lf-formula i/3½-5½(-6½), each lf 14- 22(-26)-foliolate; lf-stks 3-10 x 1.6-5 mm; nectary at tip of petiole sessile, shallowly cupular or almost plane, 1.6-3 mm diam, similar but smaller nectaries between some distal or between all lft-pairs; pinnae divergent almost at right angles from the petiole, thence either straight or incurved, often of unequal length, the longer one 11-21 (-28) cm, the longer interfoliolar segments 3-6.5(-9) cm; pulvinules 2-5 x 0.8-2.2 mm; lfts usually accrescent distally, narrowly to broadly ovate-elliptic from inequilaterally broad-cuneate or shallowly semicordate base, shortly acuminate, the distal pair (8-)9-20(-27) x 3-9.5 cm, 2.2-3.4(-3.7) times as long as wide; venation prominulous only on lower face, the subcentric, straight or nearly straight midrib giving rise on each side to 2-5 major incurved-ascending (and indefinite weak intercalary) secondary nerves, the first or both first and second of these on posterior side (in proportionately ample lfts on both sides) of midrib produced well beyond midblade, the tertiary and reticular venulation faint or ill-defined. Inflorescence more or less compound but very variable in extension of axes, the primary one 1.5-5 cm, sometimes scarcely developed, the peduncles 1-5 mm, all or most of them subtended by a rudimentary lf-stk with nectary; capitula 8-20-fld, the sessile fls either contiguous or well separated, the floral axis becoming 1.5-7 mm; bracts ovate acute, <1 mm, persistent; perianth brown-puberulent overall, the calyx faintly 5-nerved, the corolla-tube finely striate; calyx campanulate, sometimes deeply so, 0.9-1.9(-2.4) x 0.7-1.3 mm, the teeth at most 0.2 mm, often subobsolete; corolla tubular, only slightly dilated at the limb, 4.5-6.7(-8) mm, the erect lobes 0.6-1.3 mm; androecium 26-38(-46)-merous, 16-20(-23) mm, the tube 7—10(—12) mm, exserted 1-2.8 mm, the tassel pink or crimson; intrastaminal disc 0.3-0.45 mm; ovary glabrous, tapering into the style. Pods (few seen) sessile, broad-linear, straight or gently retrofalcate, 8-18 x 1.8-2.8 cm, plano-compressed, to 12-seeded, the stiffly leathery, dark brown, low-venulose valves framed by shallowly undulate or nearly straight sutures 1.5-3 mm wide, at first densely puberulent, glabrescent; dehiscence and seeds unknown.

Distribution and Ecology - In annually flooded forest, mostly below 200 m but ascending to 600 m in Guyana, scattered through centr. and E Amazonia between ±3°N and 5°S, in Brazil from the lower Japurá in Amazonas E to the Amazon delta and N Maranhão, N through Roraima just into Guyana (Kanuku Mts., Kuyuwini River), and known from one station on the sources of the Tocantins near 14°50'S in Goiás. — Map 31. — Fl. VIII— XII.

Common Names

Jarendeua de sapo

Distribution

Amazonas Brazil South America| Maranhão Brazil South America| Roraima Brazil South America| Guyana South America| Goiás Brazil South America|