Hirtella eriandra Benth.

  • Authority

    Prance, Ghillean T. 1972. Chrysobalanaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 9: 1-410. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Chrysobalanaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Hirtella eriandra Benth.

  • Type

    Type. Schomburgk 886, Brazil, fl (holotype, K; isotypes, BM, CGE, GH, NY, P).

  • Description

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    Description - Small tree or shrub, the young branches tomentellous, becoming glabrous with age. Leaves oblong, chartaceous to subcoriaceous, 8.0-19.0 cm long, 3.3-8.0 cm broad, acuminate at apex, with acumen 3.0-15.0 mm long, rounded at base, hirsute beneath at least on principal venation, usually on other veins as well, with palisade glands frequent towards base; primary veins 10-13 pairs, plane or nearly so above, prominent beneath; midrib prominent above, prominent and hirsute beneath; petioles 2.0-4.0 mm long, tomentose, terete, eglandular. Stipules linear, to 5.0 mm long, tomentellous, persistent, eglandular. Inflorescences terminal and subterminal panicles, with a thick central rachis 12.0-50.0 cm long bearing short branches or clusters of flowers, the rachis and branches tomentellous. Bracts and bracteoles 2.0-6.0 mm long, oblong to lanceolate, tomentose, with a few large sessile glands or a large terminal gland on some bracts only. Flowers 6.0-7.0 mm long. Receptacle campanulate, tomentellous on exterior, glabrous within except at throat; pedicels o.5-6.0 mm long. Calyx lobes acute, sparsely tomentellous on exterior, sparsely puberulous to glabrescent within, the margins eglandular. Petals 5, greenish-white, glabrous. Stamens 6, unilateral, the filaments pink, far exceeding calyx lobes, hirsutulous on lower portion. Style hirsute up to half its length. Ovary inserted at mouth of receptacle, tomentose. Fruit rotund; epicarp tomentose, longitudinally striate when mature; mesocarp thin, endocarp thin, fibrous, hard, hirsutulous within.

  • Discussion

    This species is closely related to H. elongata, but differs in the rounded leaf base, in the more pubescent lower surface of the leaf, in the sessile glands of the bracts, in the smaller and fewer bracts, and in the tomentose epicarp and thicker endocarp of the fruit. The fruit of this species is similar to that of H. guatemalensis.

    Flowering August to December.

  • Distribution

    Riverine forest, savanna margins or cerrado and secondary forest in Amazonian and central Brazil.

    Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Amapá Brazil South America| Maranhão Brazil South America| Rondônia Brazil South America| Mato Grosso Brazil South America| Bolivia South America| Pando Bolivia South America|