Buchenavia pallidovirens Cuatrec.

  • Authority

    Stace, C. A. & Alwan, A.-R A. 2010. Combretaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 107: 1-369. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Combretaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Buchenavia pallidovirens Cuatrec.

  • Type

    Type. Colombia. Valle: Costa del Pacífico, Bahía de Buenaventura, Quebrada de San Joaquín, 0-11 m, Feb 1946, Cuatrecasas 19939 (holotype, F; isotypes, BM, COL, P, U, US).

  • Description

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    Species Description - Tree, 2.5-35 m. Leaves 3-16 × 1-3.5(-4) cm, coriaceous, oblanceolate or narrowly obovate to narrowly oblong-elliptic, rounded and apiculate to acute or acuminate at apex, narrowly cuneate at base, subglabrous except sparsely pubescent on main veins when mature; domatia present in secondary vein-axils. Venation brochidodromous; midvein moderate, prominent; secondary veins 5-8 pairs, moderately spaced, originating at moderately acute angles but immediately strongly curved hence often appearing to arise narrowly acutely, strongly curved, fairly prominent; intersecondary veins usually absent; tertiary veins consistently but weakly percurrent; higher order veins distinct; areolation complete, very small. Petiole 0.5-1.5 cm, pubescent, becoming subglabrous when old, biglandular. Inflorescences 4.5-10.5 cm, spicate; peduncle 1-3.5 cm, pubescent to sparsely so; rhachis 3.5-7 cm, pubescent. Flowers 2.5-3.5 mm; lower hypanthium 1.5-2 mm, narrowed to a short neck, wholly densely pubescent; upper hypanthium 1-1.5 × 2.5-4 mm, pubescent. Fruits 1-1.7 × 0.6-1.3 cm, elliptic in side view, more or less terete, subacute to rounded at apex, rounded to truncate at base, glabrous or finely pubescent. Reproductive biology. Fruiting September to March.

  • Discussion

    Uses. Fruit “very palatable” (Valle del Cauca, Colombia).

    Illustrations. Figs. 6e (midvein anatomy), 112j (fr), 118f (If).

    Buchenavia pallidovirens is distinct in its very characteristic leaf venation, especially the strongly curved secondary veins and very small conspicuous areolation, but the fruits (? also the ovaries; we have seen no gatherings with both flowers and fruits, nor any with glabrous flowers) vary from glabrous to pubescent. It also resembles B. congesta in some respects, but the leaves are smaller and more gradually narrowed to the apex. More material is needed, especially in flower.

    Polak 316 consists of fallen leaves and fruits (completely typical of the species) and seedlings/saplings with cotyledons. The leaves on the saplings are juvenile and completely different from the mature leaves, with long-acuminate apices and lacking the characteristic close prominent venation. The origin of the saplings from the same tree as the mature leaves needs to be confirmed. The cotyledons are very similar to those of other species of Buchenavia: 2, 1.3 × 2.6-3 cm, broadly obtriangular, truncate at apex, broadly cuneate to almost truncate at base.

  • Common Names

    algarrobo, yacushapana

  • Distribution

    Lowland or upland, often very humid forests, sandy river terraces, at 0-1700 m. Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, and northwestern Brazil. This is one of the few species of Combretaceae to reach the Pacific coast of South America.

    Acre Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Loreto Peru South America| Essequibo Guyana South America| Amazonas Peru South America| Pasco Peru South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Valle del Cauca Colombia South America|