Swartzia laxiflora Bong. ex Benth.

Authority

Cowan, Richard S. 1967. Swartzia (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae Swartzieae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 1: 3-228. (Published by NYBG Press)

Family

Fabaceae

Scientific Name

Swartzia laxiflora Bong. ex Benth.

Type

Type collection. L. Riedel 111 (holotype K; isotype LE), Borba, Amazonas, Brazil, Aug. 1828. There is an unnumbered sheet in the Harvard University Herbaria which is probably an isotype; still another sheet, numbered 1351, at NY, may be another isotype.

Synonyms

Tounatea laxiflora (Bong. ex Benth.) Taub., Tunatea laxiflora (Bong. ex Benth.) Kuntze, Swartzia polycarpa Ducke

Description

Description - Tree 20-30 m tall, the trunk to 5 dm diameter, the branchlets pilosulose-velutinous, glabrescent, the hairs shiny, black; stipules caducous, rigid, 3-8.5 mm long, 1-2 mm wide, lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, strigulose externally and on the inner surface; petioles terete but stipellate and often marginate apically, 9-27 mm long, densely pilosulose; rachis 7.5-12(-13.5) cm long, marginate to alate, the wing oblanceolate, 3.5-5 mm wide, glabrous above, tomentose beneath, the axis pilosulose above; leaflets 4-6-jugate, progressively larger toward the leaf apex, the petiolules 1-2 mm long, usually pilosulose, or strigulose, the blades of the lower two pairs 3-5 cm long, 2 cm wide, ovate to lanceolate or elliptic, the other blades 6.5-11.5 cm long, 2-4 cm wide, oblong to elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, the base of all the blades rounded-obtuse and often slightly cordate, the apex acute to acuminate, pilosulose on the costa on the upper surface, tomentose beneath, the venation obscure above except for the impressed costa, prominent beneath, the costa and primary veins salient; inflorescence a ramuligerous raceme or a sparingly branched panicle of racemes 7-20 cm long, the axes densely velutinous, the bracts caducous to deciduous, triangular-ovate to broadly ovate, 2-5 mm long, 1.5-2.5 mm wide, velutinous to strigulose externally, strigulose on the inner surfaces, the bracteoles persistent, arising ½ to ¾ of the distance from the pedicel base to its apex, lanceolate or narrowly lanceolate, acute, 2-3 mm long, 0.5-1 mm wide, velutinous externally, strigulose within; pedicels (10-)14-20(-30) mm long, velutinous; buds usually globose or oval in outline, (8-)10(-12) mm long, (8-) 10 mm diameter; calyx segments irregular, very thick, rigid, strigulose-velutinous externally, glabrous within; petal yellow, the claw 3.5-5 mm long, the blade oblate, cordate basally, 15-20 mm long, 12-33 mm wide, densely villose-sericeous on the outer surface, especially on the veins, sparingly strigose basally or glabrous within; larger stamens 12-20, glabrous, the filaments 14-22 mm long, the anthers oblong, 2-2.5 mm long, 0.7 mm wide, the pollen grains globose to deltoid-globose, 28.6-33 µ, diameter, the smaller stamens glabrous, the filaments 10-12 mm long, the anthers 1-1.5 mm long, oblong; gynoecium compound, (l-)2 or 3 complete pistils formed in each flower, the stigmas slightly capitellate, the styles slender, 8-13 mm long, glabrous, the ovaries 11-15 mm long, 1.5-3 mm wide, arcuate, narrowly oblong-fusiform, sericeous, the gynophores 7-12 mm long, sericeous; fruit woody, elliptic in outline to shortly moniliform, 6-15 cm long, 3.5-5 cm wide, sericeous, verrucose and strongly wrinkled transversely, the stipe ca 1.5-4 cm long, sericeous, 1- or 2-seeded, the seeds pale-brown, subglobose, ca 2.2 cm diameter.

Discussion

Although Riedel 111, the type of S. laxiflora, does not have flowers open which show the frequently polycarpic nature of the gynoecium, there is no doubt of the conspecificity of the Ducke and the Bentham species.

Common Names

Gonçalare, pau roxo

Distribution

(Fig. 3). Non-inundated forest at low elevations along the middle parts of the Amazon River and its tributaries, especially the Rio Tapajoz, between Santarém and Manáos.

Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America|