Gustavia pulchra Miers

  • Authority

    Prance, Ghillean T. & Mori, S. A. 1979. Lecythidaceae - Part I. The actinomorphic-flowered New World Lecythidaceae (Asteranthos, Gustavia, Grias, Allantoma & Cariniana). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 21: 1-270. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Lecythidaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Gustavia pulchra Miers

  • Type

    Type. Spruce 1933 (lectotype, K, here designated; isolectotypes, BM, K, P). Brazil. Amazonas: Rio Uranacuá, Dec 1851 (fl).

  • Description

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    Description - Trees, to 18 m; leaf-bearing branches 5-12 mm in diameter, somewhat arching upwards, the leaves tightly grouped at their ends. Bark smooth, gray. Leaf blades narrowly oblanceolate or oblanceolate, 30-61 x 6-13 cm, glabrous, chartaceous to semi-coriaceous, with 21-29 pairs of lateral veins; apices acute or attentuate; bases acute; margins nearly entire to finely serrulate, slightly revolute. Petioles 2-40 x 3-5 mm, semi-circular in cross section, sometimes puberulous. Inflorescences cauline, racemose, rusty-tomentose, with 1-7 flowers, the rachis 15-100 mm; pedicels 25-55 mm, with small horizontal groove-like markings below the bracteoles, subtended by a single oblong or ovate bract 3-5 x 2-4.5 mm and bearing at or above the middle 2 ovate, cucullate bracteoles 2-4 x 2-4 mm. Flowers 12.5-14 cm in diameter; calyx with (5-)6 (-7) triangular lobes, 2-3.5 x 4-8 mm, rusty-pubescent; petals (7-)8(-10), narrowly obovate, 60-70 x 25-30 mm, densely rusty-pubescent in bud, puberulous at anthesis, white with flushes of pink on the outside; connate androecial base 18-26 mm high, the outermost filaments 13-18 mm, cream or yellow at base, pink apically; anthers 3-4 mm, yellow; ovary obscurely 4-6-costate, rusty-pubescent, 6-locular, white-woolly at summit; style conical, 2-3 mm; stigma with (5-)6 lobes. Fruits cylindrical, with a distinct constriction below the calycine rim, obscurely costate, 40-55 x 35-45 mm in diameter, without persistent calyx lobes. Seeds rounded in cross section, 20-22 x 10-15 mm in diameter, ca 4 per fruit, with a fleshy yellow funicle to 21 x 6 mm.

  • Discussion

    Ecology. A common tree in the forests of periodically inundated river bottoms at elevations less than 200 meters. It flowers from December to April. Mature fruits have been collected in April, May and October.

    Gustavia pulchra is characterized by its 1) oblanceolate to narrowly oblanceolate leaves with 21-29 pairs of lateral veins, 2) cauline inflorescences, 3) calyx with 6 triangular lobes, 4) obscurely costate hypanthium, and 4) fruits with a distinct constriction below the calyx rim.

  • Distribution

    This species is confined to the upper Orinoco and middle to upper Rio Negro watersheds.

    Venezuela South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America|