Grias neuberthii J.F.Macbr.

  • 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

    Grias neuberthii J.F.Macbr.

  • Type

    Type. Williams 2337 (lectotype, F 608216; isolectotypes, F 608217, US 1515830). Peru. Loreto: Caballo-Cocha on the Amazon River, Aug 1929 (fl).

  • Synonyms

    Grias loretensis R.Knuth, Grias foetidissima Dugand

  • Description

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    Description - Trees, to 20 m. Leaf blades oblanceolate with the margins slightly concave towards the base, 32-120 x 12-22 cm, with inconspicuous reddish papillae or punctae abaxially, coriaceous, with 23-42 pairs of lateral veins; apices acuminate; bases attentuate; margins entire, slightly revolute, with inconspicuous scars; leaves at end of growth flush smaller, more sessile and more auriculate than leaves at beginnng and middle of flush. Petioles lacking to 75 x 4-7 mm, semicircular in cross section, somewhat canaliculate when dry, the decurrent blade often obscuring the petiole-blade separation. Inflorescences of 1 to many racemes arising from warty outgrowths of trunk, with 10 to many flowers, the rachis elongated, 50-350 mm; pedicels 6-27 mm, buff-pubescent, subtended by a single oblong, caducous bract 7-13 x 4 -9 mm and bearing directly below the hypanthium 2 keeled, lanceolate or widely ovate bracteoles 4-11 x 3-7 mm. Flowers 5-8 cm in diameter; calyx of 4 distinct lobes in bud, the lobes at anthesis ovate to very widely ovate, 6-11 X 5-10 mm; petals 4, fleshy, to 5 mm thick, spreading and flat at anthesis, widely oblong to suborbiculate, usually yellow, infrequently cream, with various tinges of pink and red; androecium with ca 210 stamens in 4 concentric rows, the connate androecial base weakly fused, 2-4 mm high, the outermost filaments 10-15 mm, the anthers 0.8-1.0 mm; ovary gray to rusty-tomentose, 4-locular, each locule with 2 ovules, the summit overlapped by the inner edge of the androecium; style conical, 1.5-2.5 mm long; stigma with 4 lobes. Fruits narrowly to broadly fusiform, 40-125 x 40-55 mm, with 8-10 longitudinal ribs when dried, brown, the pericarp 7 mm thick. Seeds circular in cross section, 30-75 mm long.

  • Discussion

    Ecology. Grias neuberthii is a tree of terra firme or riverine forests which is often left standing when the forest is cleared, probably because the fruits are edible.

    This species is easily recognized by its four well developed calyx lobes in bud and its persistent, keeled pedicellary bracteoles inserted just below the hypanthium. No other species of Grias has lobed calyces in bud or persistent bracteoles.

    The relatively large flowers, high number of stamens, and persistent bracteoles suggest that, of all species of Grias, G. neuberthii is the one with the closest affinity to species of Gustavia.

  • Common Names

    cocora, Cocorro, Kokora, Pepe-guara, Te-Te-ku-chu, Piton, Mangua, Sacha Mangua

  • Distribution

    East of the Andes in Southern Colombia, throughout eastern Ecuador and northern Peru.

    Colombia South America| Cauca Colombia South America| Caquetá Colombia South America| Putumayo Colombia South America| Ecuador South America| Napo Ecuador South America| Pastaza Ecuador South America| Morona-Santiago Ecuador South America| Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America|