Swartzia laurifolia 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 laurifolia Benth.

Type

Type collection. L. Riedel 66 (holotype K; isotype LE), Borba, Rio Madeira, Amazonas, Brazil, Aug. 1828.

Synonyms

Tounatea laurifolia (Benth.) Taub., Tunatea laurifolia (Benth.) Kuntze, Swartzia stipulifera Harms

Description

Description - Small tree or shrub 1.75-4(-20) m tall, the branchlets minutely strigulose or, less frequently, tomentulose; stipules caducous to deciduous, 6-17 mm long, 2-5 mm wide, falcate-elliptic, acute, strigulose externally; petioles 2-6.5 cm long, minutely strigulose or tomentulose, terete; rachis (6.5-) 14-17.5 cm long, canaliculate, stipellate at each pair of leaflets, strigulose to tomentulose; leaflets (3-)4-(-5-) jugate, the petiolules 2-4(-5.5) mm long, minutely strigulose or tomentulose, the blades of the lowermost pairs smaller, (3.5-)6.5-9.5 cm long, (2-)3.5-5 cm wide, the blades of the other pairs (6-)10.5-21.5 cm long, (2-)5-7 cm wide, all the blades elliptic to oblanceolate-elliptic, the base narrowing but finally obtuse, the apex bluntly acute and often mucronulate, the upper surfaces of the leaflets glabrous and nitid to subnitid except for the tomentulose to strigulose costa, strigulose to tomentulose beneath, the venation obscure to subobscure on the upper surface except for the primary veins, the costa impressed and the primaries plane or lightly impressed on the upper surface, salient beneath; inflorescences racemose, in ramigerous fascicles, (8-) 10-25(-32) cm long, the axis minutely strigulose, the bracts persistent, 1-1.5 mm long, 1 mm wide, ovate to triangular, acute, minutely strigulose externally, glabrous within, the bracteoles lacking; pedicels (9-) 15-25 mm long, minutely strigulose, the buds globose to depressed-globose, umbonate, 7-9 mm diameter; calyx segments 4, persistent with the fruit, densely strigulose minutely externally, glabrous within; petal pale yellow, glabrous, or sericeous on the costa dorsally, the claw 2-3 mm long, the blade oval, the margin undulate, the base cordate, 11-15 mm long, 7-10 mm wide; larger stamens 4, the filaments 12-15(-18) mm long, glabrous to sparingly villose, the anthers narrowly oblong, 3.5-4 mm long, 0.7-1.5 mm wide, the pollen globose and 28.5-31 µ diameter, or elliptic and 31-36.5 fj, long, 28.5 n diameter, the smaller stamens glabrous, the filaments 7-12 mm long, the anthers ca 2 mm long and 0.7-1 mm wide, oblong, sometimes obtusely apiculate; gynoecium sericeous, the stigma truncate, the style 0.7-1.5 mm long, the ovary 8.5-10.5 mm long, 1.5-2.5 mm wide, narrowly oblong, arcuate, the gynophore 3-6 mm long; fruit moniliform, minutely strigulose, glabrescent, 1-7-seeded, the sections oval in outline, 2.5-3 cm long, 1.5-2 cm wide, the stipe 7-20 mm long.

Discussion

The large stipules of this species are distinctive, as is the almost evenose aspect of the upper surface of the leaflets; the veinlets are obscure. There is considerable variation in the size and to some extent in the form of the leaflets, to about the same degree as in its nearest relatives, S. leptopetala and S. corrugata. The relationship is closest to the latter, which is distinguished by its rugose and rugulose leaflets. Although the type material of S. stipulifera has a somewhat different aspect, no real differences of taxonomic significance are apparent.

Distribution

(Fig. 8). Brazil at the mouths of the Amazon River and the upper part of the Amazon Basin as far north as Terr. Rio Branco and south to Terr. Guaporé, principally in non-inundated primary forest but occurring also on sandy soil in secondary forest.

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